€1,044 a night: the UK is the priciest of 15 European countries for a five-star hotel, France third

In the United Kingdom, a night for two in a five-star hotel costs an average of €1,044, 4.4 times more than in Portugal (€236). La Revue des Hôtels recorded the prices of 20 five-star hotels in 15 European countries for the same November night. Switzerland follows at €619, while France takes third place at €574.

☰Contents

1. The UK at €1,044, far ahead of the rest
2. Mean or median: how palace hotels skew it
3. From €3,516 in London to €117 in Prague
4. November, low season in the Alps
5. Where to stay five-star for under €250
6. Our method: 20 hotels per country

The UK at €1,044, far ahead of the rest

The United Kingdom leads with €1,044 a night on average, €425 more than Switzerland (€619). France completes the podium (€574), ahead of Denmark (€516), Austria (€460) and Italy (€424). At the bottom of the ranking, five countries stay below €260: the Netherlands and Hungary (€257), Czechia (€253), Germany (€249) and Portugal (€236).

Germany sits level with Czechia: €249 against €253. In Berlin, Hotel Adlon Kempinski was listed at €359 and The Ritz-Carlton Berlin at €363, while the Four Seasons Hotel Prague was asking €874.

Mean or median: how palace hotels skew it

The mean adds up every price and divides by the number of hotels. The median splits the list in two: half the hotels cost less, the other half more. A handful of very expensive addresses is enough to push the mean up, but not the median.

London is a case in point. Six addresses there top €1,600: Raffles London at The OWO reaches €3,516, Claridge’s €2,131, The Peninsula London €1,934, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair €1,837, The Connaught €1,683 and The Lanesborough €1,636. The result: a median of €650, €394 below the mean.

In Paris, three palace hotels play the same role: the Plaza Athénée at €1,902, Le Meurice at €1,732 and the Mandarin Oriental Lutetia at €1,472. The French median drops to €337. Ranked by median, France slips to 6th place, behind Switzerland (€495), Austria (€426), Denmark (€416) and Iceland (€376).

From €3,516 in London to €117 in Prague

Between these extremes, prices vary thirtyfold: €3,516 at Raffles London at The OWO, €117 at Le Palais Art Hotel in Prague. In the Czech capital, the Four Seasons (€874) and the Mandarin Oriental (€385) sit alongside five-star hotels at around €200, such as the Golden Well Hotel (€194).

November, low season in the Alps

In mid-November, the ski resorts are still closed. In Switzerland and Austria, the highest prices come from the cities: in Zurich, the Baur au Lac (€1,385) and the Mandarin Oriental Savoy (€993); in Vienna, the Hotel Sacher Wien (€1,016) and the Rosewood Vienna (€801).

Mountain hotels show shoulder-season rates: €281 at the Grand Tirolia Kitzbühel, €326 at the Walliserhof Grand-Hotel in Saas-Fee, €519 at the Kempinski Palace Engelberg. Even so, Switzerland stays 2nd (€619) and Austria 5th (€460).

Where to stay five-star for under €250

To estimate a budget, the median is the best guide: it shows what an ordinary five-star hotel costs in the country, leaving palace hotels aside. It stays below €230 in Czechia (€194), Portugal (€198), Germany (€200), the Netherlands (€210) and Hungary (€229).

A few examples from the survey: the Pestana Palácio do Freixo in Porto (€175), the Louis C. Jacob in Hamburg (€188), the Corinthia Budapest (€244), The Albatroz Hotel in Cascais (€198). In London, the cheapest on the list, The Kensington Hotel, was asking €340, and The Shepherd Mayfair €548; in Paris, the Hôtel du Collectionneur was listed at €521. These prices apply to a Tuesday in November: a weekend or the festive season changes the picture. To gauge demand, see also our ranking of hotel nights in Europe.

Our method: 20 hotels per country

The survey was carried out on 24 October 2026 on the booking site Hotels.com. For each country: one search per country, five-star filter, night of Tuesday 17 to Wednesday 18 November 2026, 2 adults, one room. We noted the total price displayed, taxes and fees included, in euros, for the first 20 five-star hotels offered, excluding sponsored listings.

We excluded hostels and apartments wrongly classed as five-star by the site, such as Danhostel Copenhagen City at €80, Kolding Hotel Apartments, B&B Riche Terre and Miralago Luxury Apartments. Denmark therefore counts 15 hotels; Italy, Belgium and Czechia, 19.

Greece was left out: the site only offered island hotels, which are closed in November. Iceland had only 4 five-star hotels on offer, so its result is indicative. The ranking covers 15 countries for now; the survey will be extended to other European countries.