Best Value Hotels in the Mediterranean

Royal Myconian Resort & Thalasso Spa Center is a luxury chain hotel on a steep hill above beautiful Elia Beach, where hotel guests have access to a private section with daybeds. The 148 stylish guest rooms include suites and villas. Views of the Aegean Sea are available from the pool area (which includes small children’s pool and an outdoor hot tub) and hotel’s restaurant (where a free breakfast buffet is served daily). The indoor spa offers guests a free daily thalassotherapy session, and private in-room beauty treatments are available for a fee. Mykonos Town is a 25-minute ride via the hotel's shuttle. 

Myconian Ambassador Hotel & Thalasso Spa Center is a 70-room luxury hotel -- part of the Relais & Chateaux chain -- with loads of freebies (juice at check-in, in-room Wi-Fi, daily breakfast buffet, daily thalassotherapy sessions at the spa, ice pops by the pool, airport shuttles). Guest rooms are chic, white, and airy, and offer ocean views. The hotel has an infinity-edge outdoor pool, and a restaurant serving Mediterranean, Greek, and Mykonos dishes. The hotel has a fitness center with several weight and cardio machines. It's a short walk to the beautiful Platis Gialos Beach, and Mykonos Town is a 12-minute drive from the hotel.

The 372-room Crystal Family Resort & Spa is a quintessential family-friendly property geared towards kids, with lively indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides, and direct access to a private beach. Restaurants and bars -- which can get chaotic -- serve international cuisine and poolside cocktails. For leisure travelers, there’s a spa with a hammam, hot tub, and gym. Modern, simple rooms and suites feature gold accents and balconies, which mostly face the sea. Rates are all-inclusive and affordable for a four-pearl property. 

Located in Palermo’s historic Quattro Canti area, the upscale Quintocanto Hotel & Spa has 25 rustic-yet-contemporary rooms and apartments, each with homelike charm and chic accents. Free Wi-Fi, a free breakfast buffet with hot and cold options, and a free hour of spa services add value to bookings. The on-site Locanda del Gusto Restaurant is a lovely place to enjoy a traditional Sicilian meal with diners from across Palermo.

Astro Palace Hotel & Suites is not quite the five-star property it bills itself as, but it is a solid value for an upscale resort. It's located about a 10-minute walk from the bustling center of Fira, with its plethora of restaurants, shops, and beaches. The property has an esteemed on-site spa with a serene vibe and indoor whirlpool and sauna. The restaurant Pleiades earns kudos for lunch and dinner, but past guests have complained about the quality of free breakfasts. Wi-Fi and parking are free and guests can borrow iPads. Rooms and suites have cool architectural details like loft spaces and small private pools, but lack the traditional Cyclades style found on the rest of the island and some feature single beds pushed together.

The gorgeous views of the sea are the star at the upper-middle-range Porto Mykonos Hotel. They can be enjoyed just about everywhere on the property -- from the lobby, the chic outdoor pool and hot tub, the restaurant (where a free breakfast buffet with bacon, eggs, cereal, and fruit is served), and almost all of the 59 simple, beachy guest rooms. The hotel is located near the old port in Mykonos Town, within easy walking distance of restaurants and shops. Rooms are a bit basic for the price, and guests have complained about uncomfortable beds and small bathrooms with tiny showers prone to getting bathroom floors wet. 

Nissaki Hotel is a posh, boutique hotel overlooking the exclusive Psarou Beach and less than a five-minute walk to the beach of Platis Gialos. The hotel has 18 upscale guest rooms with marble bathrooms and stylish furnishings. Guests can have massages while lounging by the chic infinity-pool. There’s an outdoor pool and whirlpool surrounded by palm trees and illuminated at night. The hotel provides a free breakfast buffet in its open-air restaurant, which has ocean views. Mykonos is a 10-minute drive, and the hotel provides a free airport shuttle.

If you don’t mind driving, the Poggio is a comfortable getaway outside of Ragusa that blends the beauty of Sicilian farmland and the elegance of a 19th-century manor. The property has been dolled up with modern flair and resort conveniences, including an outdoor pool, a spa, a bar, and restaurants. It's ideal for weddings or corporate events, as there is both a meeting room and a large amphitheater. All in all, it’s a great value compared to places closer to town.

Hotel Conqueridor is an upper-middle-range property with decor and services that are a step up from the more basic chain hotels in the same (low) price range. Wi-Fi is free (though it can be spotty from the guest rooms) and there's a fitness center, sauna, and the Lounge-Bar for snacks, coffee, and cocktails. "C" Restaurant serves a breakfast buffet (for a charge) and a la carte lunch and dinner The location is perfect for exploring the city of Valencia.

The 35-room Hotel San Pietro, located near the central train station, is a competitively priced, upscale hotel with free breakfast and Wi-Fi. Rooms are beige and streamlined, with minibars and flat-screen TVs, while suites have living rooms and balconies. Cocktails are served in the lobby bar, and the lovely breakfast room has a rooftop terrace, where guests munch on takeaway meals (outside food isn’t allowed in rooms). 

The 381-room Eden Roc Resort is an upper-middle-range beach resort on the border of Rhodes and Kalithea. This beautiful seaside property is fully stocked with features for families and couples, including four pools, an amphitheater with entertainment, kids’ activities, various sports facilities, and three restaurants and three bars -- including a Champagne bar in the lobby. Rooms are modern and stylish, with unique touches like tree-printed wall coverings, touches of bright color, and balconies; some have sea views, and bungalows have access to a private pool. Bathrooms, though, are somewhat cramped and often in minor disrepair. Prices here are some of the cheapest on the island for a hotel of this caliber.

The 73-room Hotel BonSol Resort and Spa is a family-owned hotel on the coast of Mallorca that is decorated with the feel of a Spanish medieval castle. It stands out for a generous range of amenities -- fitness center, spa, beach volleyball, playground, kids' club, outdoor pools -- and attentive, personalized service. Rooms are homey and tastefully decorated, though the hotel's unique style shines most in the common areas -- from the lobby full of objects collected during the family's world travels to the elegant dining room. The hotel is steps away from a small beach and there is a peaceful outdoor restaurant. 

The upper-middle-range Al Mare Villas offers stylish self-catering beach apartments about an hour's drive from Rhodes' old town. The 17-room property has Studio and One-Bedroom apartments that sleep two people, and villas that sleep four, all with terraces or balconies and views of the sea. All have private pools, with the exception of Studios. Units have either kitchens or kitchenettes, and the property also has a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Decor is sparse, but guests rave about the hotel's setting, food, and authenticity. 

Located just above one of eastern Rhodes' most beautiful beaches, the 191-room Kolymbia Beach Hotel attracts a steady stream of budget-minded European couples and families, thanks to its modern style, ocean-view pool, kids' club, and all-inclusive rates. Two restaurants -- including a beachfront cafe -- serve standard fare, but both the lobby and beach bars serve good cocktails (expect a wait at times). Rooms are spacious, with minimalist decor and private balconies overlooking either the beach or the mountains. 

The Hotel Nice Riviera is an affordable, upper-middle-range hotel conveniently located in the heart of Nice -- within walking distance of the train station, airport, shopping district, old town, and the beach -- but feels a bit dated and impersonal in style. It has a pool, hot tub, small gym, and parking -- the latter of which is a rarity in Nice -- but the rooms are basic and could use some upgrading. The larger rooms do have private balconies, though. There's also a decent-sized meeting room for business travelers, but the hotel mostly attracts tourists enjoying Nice's quaint charm and pebbled beaches.

The 421-room Eurovillage Achilleas Hotel is geared toward families who want to pay low rates for an upper-mid-range hotel that's both a quick drive to a water park and a short walk to the beach. It's equipped with kid-friendly facilities including two pools, sports courts, casual poolside and seaside eateries, an amphitheater, and two kids’ club. Rooms are large and traditional and have balconies or terraces. To the dismay of some guests, the hotel charges extra for air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and safes, though the all-inclusive package keeps food costs low.