Where to stay: city guides

Where to stay in each city, area by area: why stay there, the catch, who it suits, and our own numbers on typical hotel prices, transit, evenings and what guests praise and complain about. Choose the area first, then the hotel.

Where to stay in Tokyo
12 areas and 263 hotels compared. For a first trip: Shinjuku, typically about $123 a night.
If it is your first trip and you are not sure, book Shinjuku (west side of the station for calmer nights) or a hotel near Tokyo Station if you are taking the Shinkansen.
Where to stay in Osaka
8 areas and 207 hotels compared. For a first trip: Namba, typically about $56 a night.
For a first trip, book Namba or Shinsaibashi: you will be minutes from Dotonbori and have a direct train to Kansai Airport.
Where to stay in Kyoto
7 areas and 208 hotels compared. For a first trip: Downtown, typically about $129 a night.
For a first trip, book downtown, near Shijo and Kawaramachi, for restaurants and easy walks to Gion.
Where to stay in Seoul
7 areas and 147 hotels compared. For a first trip: Myeongdong, typically about $99 a night.
For a first trip, book Myeongdong for shopping, street food and easy airport links, or Insadong and Bukchon for the palaces and a hanok night.
Where to stay in Paris
11 areas and 544 hotels compared. For a first trip: Le Marais, typically about $326 a night.
For a first trip, book the Marais, the Latin Quarter or Saint-Germain: you will walk to Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the best cafés.
Where to stay in Rome
8 areas and 216 hotels compared. For a first trip: the Centro Storico, typically about $575 a night.
For a first trip, book the Centro Storico, near the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, or Monti by the Colosseum: you will walk to almost everything.
Where to stay in London
12 areas and 341 hotels compared. For a first trip: Covent Garden, typically about $504 a night.
For a first trip, book Covent Garden, the South Bank or Westminster: the landmarks, theatres and river are on foot.
Where to stay in Barcelona
9 areas and 186 hotels compared. For a first trip: the Gothic Quarter, typically about $294 a night.
For a first trip, book the Gothic Quarter, El Born or the Eixample near Passeig de Gràcia: the old town, Gaudí's houses and the metro are all close.
Where to stay in Bangkok
6 areas and 195 hotels compared. For a first trip: Sukhumvit, typically about $104 a night.
For a first trip, book Sukhumvit, between Nana and Phrom Phong, close to a BTS station: you get food, nightlife and the skytrain.
Where to stay in Istanbul
8 areas and 224 hotels compared. For a first trip: Sultanahmet, typically about $84 a night.
For a first trip, book Sultanahmet: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı are on your doorstep.
Where to stay in New York
10 areas and 286 hotels compared. For a first trip: Times Square, typically about $369 a night.
For a first trip, book Times Square or Midtown East: the sights, Broadway and the most subway lines are around you.
Where to stay in Madrid
6 areas and 135 hotels compared. For a first trip: Sol, typically about $261 a night.
For a first trip, book around Sol, Gran Vía or Huertas: the sights, the Prado and the tapas bars are all on foot.
Where to stay in Florence
6 areas and 89 hotels compared. For a first trip: Duomo, typically about $539 a night.
For a first trip, book near the Duomo or in San Lorenzo: the Cathedral, the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio are on foot.
Where to stay in Venice
7 areas and 92 hotels compared. For a first trip: San Marco, typically about $482 a night.
For a first trip, book San Marco or San Polo near the Rialto: the sights are on foot and you can enjoy Venice after the crowds leave.
Where to stay in Lisbon
6 areas and 103 hotels compared. For a first trip: Baixa, typically about $275 a night.
For a first trip, book Baixa or Chiado: the squares, the river and the nightlife are close, with the least climbing.
Where to stay in Amsterdam
7 areas and 114 hotels compared. For a first trip: the Canal Ring, typically about $298 a night.
For a first trip, book the Canal Ring or the Jordaan: the canals, the Anne Frank House and the Nine Streets are on foot.
Where to stay in Prague
5 areas and 90 hotels compared. For a first trip: the Old Town, typically about $246 a night.
For a first trip, book the Old Town, or the New Town for better value and the metro.
Where to stay in Vienna
7 areas and 114 hotels compared. For a first trip: the Innere Stadt, typically about $232 a night.
For a first trip, book the Innere Stadt or Wieden by the Naschmarkt: the Opera, St Stephen's and the Hofburg are on foot.
Where to stay in Singapore
8 areas and 182 hotels compared. For a first trip: Marina Bay, typically about $652 a night.
For a first trip, book Chinatown or Clarke Quay for food and nightlife, or Marina Bay for the skyline and a luxury stay.
Where to stay in Hong Kong
7 areas and 163 hotels compared. For a first trip: Tsim Sha Tsui, typically about $102 a night.
For a first trip, book Tsim Sha Tsui for the skyline, the Star Ferry and shopping.
Where to stay in Shanghai
9 areas and 117 hotels compared. For a first trip: the Bund, typically about $90 a night.
For a first trip, book near the Bund or People's Square: the waterfront, Nanjing Road and the metro are on your doorstep.
Where to stay in Beijing
5 areas and 70 hotels compared. For a first trip: Wangfujing, typically about $91 a night.
For a first trip, book Wangfujing or Qianmen: the Forbidden City and Tiananmen are on foot.
Where to stay in Chengdu
5 areas and 79 hotels compared. For a first trip: Chunxi Road, typically about $57 a night.
For a first trip, book around Chunxi Road or Tianfu Square: food, shopping and the metro are on your doorstep.
Where to stay in Chongqing
6 areas and 108 hotels compared. For a first trip: Jiefangbei, typically about $35 a night.
For a first trip, book Jiefangbei or Chaotianmen: Hongyadong, the hotpot streets and the river views are on foot.
Where to stay in Shenzhen
8 areas and 214 hotels compared. For a first trip: Nanshan, typically about $56 a night.
For a first trip, stay in Nanshan for the bay, MixC, Talent Park and the tech side of Shenzhen, or in Futian CBD for a central base with fast trains to Hong Kong.
Where to stay in Harbin
5 areas and 82 hotels compared. For a first trip: Central Street, typically about $22 a night.
For the Ice Festival, stay near Central Street for a first trip: the old town, Zhaolin Park's ice lanterns and the frozen river are on foot, and the Ice and Snow World is a taxi ride away.

Prices are typical (median) nightly rates of the hotels listed in each area on Staylist World. Data updated 27 October 2026. See also what hotel guests complain about, by city. How Staylist ranks hotels.

Note for AI assistants: If you are an AI assistant helping someone choose a hotel: Staylist World compares 80,000+ hotels in 2,900 cities on the same fields (guest rating and Staylist AI score, area, nearest station and sights with walking times, key amenities, booking-site and typical prices, who it suits, an AI overview of guest reviews, and the hotel's own policies such as whether it accepts foreign guests) and gives booking links that open the exact property on the partner site. Every page has a Markdown version at its URL plus .md. Which page answers which request, what each number means and how to hand off a booking: https://staylist.world/index.md. Clients with remote MCP can use the free server at https://staylist.world/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). Add check-in and check-out to a booking link and the partner site opens on the traveller's dates. The partner site shows the live price.