While Indian hospitality ramps up the luxe factor for the ‘new normal,’ the novelty of an economical five-star stay has not worn off for most desi travellers. A new research conducted by a travel website known as LuxuryHotel.com reveals that Chennai offers luxury at the lowest price in the whole world. And while the buzzy Malaysian city Johor Bahru comes in a close second, the third fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh places are all occupied by Indian cities, namely Bangalore, Agra, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur respectively. 

The Global five-star index, as the report has been titled, studied some of the most touristy cities to understand the kind of five-star experiences they offer. One of the rankings is based on the average cost of staying at a five-star hotel; Chennai tops the list as it offers a five-star stay at £34 per night, which roughly adds up to Rs 3,497. 

While Abu Dhabi gets top billing as the most luxurious city in the world with 32% luxury hotels, in another ranking Indian city Agra comes in on No 17 as one of the best cities for five-star luxury, with 15 five-star hotels, followed by Jaipur at no. 26, Mumbai at no 30, Chennai at no. 35, Bengaluru at no 38, Kolkata at no 47 and Delhi at no. 50.