Luxury is a fluid concept — one person’s crystal chandelier and gold-leaf-lacquered steak is another’s extra-long lie-in, cultural awakening or lovingly home-cooked meal. Part of Mr & Smith’s mission is seeking out affordable boutique hotels where you’ll feel looked after without banking-app anxiety, so we’ve rounded-up hotels in Europe where the budget watches itself.
Big on personality, attention to detail and cosseting service, these stays introduce you to in-the-know ‘hoods, crowds of city creatives and imaginative style. When it comes to boutique hotels in Europe on a budget, we’ve got the low-lowdown…
Bingham River House
London, UK
Swerve the fervour of London’s central neighbourhoods and meander west along the Thames to Richmond, a village-y waterside neighbourhood with a deer-roamed park, indie shops and scenic alfresco drinking spots. Here’s where Bingham Riverhouse sits, the former 18th-century home of Lady Ann Bingham and controversial lesbian poets Katharine Bradley and Edith Cooper, who would entertain literary sorts, such as William Butler Yeats.
On top of its rich history, many rooms also have Thames-side views, a two-for-one aperitivo hour is observed on weekdays, and there’s a wealth of wellness workshops, from breathwork to gratitude journaling to ecstatic dance. Or you can sample the eloquent wine list in the garden as the river idles by.
Little luxuries… A rose Aperol cocktail on arrival for Mr & Mrs Smith guests, prime riverside views from most rooms and you don’t have to be staying in a suite to soak in a copper Catchpole & Rye bath tub (from Double rooms up).
Mob House
Paris, France
While often overlooked for the central arrondissements, Paris’s Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine suburb is well-known to bargain-hunters as home to one of the world’s largest flea-markets, a village of stalls rolling out from Saturday to Monday. It requires a few days of digging, so luckily the area’s also home to the reasonably priced yet conspicuously cool Mob House, a budget boutique hotel in Paris with cultural powerhouses behind it.
It’s the brainchild of philosophy professor turned vegan-dining pioneer, turned hip hotelier Cyril Aouizerate; and star designer Philippe Starck has cleverly coaxed chicness from utilitarian materials: wicker, linen, raw wood panels. They’ve bestowed innovative energy on the space, creating conversation rooms and co-working spaces so guests spark ideas off each other. And — unlike most hotels in the capital — there’s a garden and pool for guests to rest and play in.
Little luxuries… In rooms you’ll find upper-tier amenities: fruit and nut welcome snacks, sachets of Le Beau Thé tea, Soin de Soi bath products from Bordeaux, a spicy custom scent. Pets stay for free, baby kits are available at no extra cost, and creative digital nomads will appreciate the on-site stationery and art supplies shop.
Oltrarno Splendid
Florence, Italy
Your budget may not feel princely, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Boutique bed and breakfast Oltrarno Splendid is set in an 18th-century palazzo and rolls out the proverbial red carpet for Smith guests, who get a bottle of Tuscan wine and a tote designed by local calligrapher Betty Soldi as their welcome gift.
Chandeliers have been hung from beamed ceilings, original frescoes touched up, and some rooms have a freestanding bath tub steps from the bed; but the owners have leaned into faded glamour — emphasis on the glamour — too, trawling markets for kitsch vintage finds (Space Invader-shaped mirrors, maps and globes, throwback film posters), and leaving walls and floors artfully scuffed. It’s set on the more peaceful side of the Arno, but all the city’s riches are easily yours for the taking.
Little luxuries… Beside the hotel’s honesty bar, you’ll find homemade cake to help yourself to each afternoon. Bump yourself up to a King Room and you’ll get cherry-on-top Duomo views too.
Ergon Beach House Nikiti
Halkidiki, Greece
If you’ve ever fantasised about being accidentally locked in a Mediterranean deli overnight, then Ergon House hotels are for you. The brand started with fine artisanal edibles and a raft of delis, restaurants and markets; then added some slick modern bedrooms, so you could eat, sleep and repeat. In Athens, Ergon House has an agora, and at Ergon Bakehouse you’ll wake up to the scent of fresh breads and pastries; while Ergon Beach House Nikiti in Halkidiki offers a bit of both, with some sizzling seafood and sunbathing for good measure.
The hideaway’s hammock-flanked rustic cabanas (some with private pools) and tented cabins are pretty tasty too, especially at a price point which leaves you plenty of euros to fritter away in the on-site deli, or splurge on homemade flatbreads topped with barbecue. A delicious prospect all round.
Little luxuries… Your Smith Extra is a gift box of Ergon goodies, but should you crave more, the minibar is a cut above here, crammed with homemade and artisan treats (at a charge). Even entry-level rooms have a hammock and outdoor space too, and guests will get lots of fresh air — perhaps watching a film at the open-air cinema or working out in the alfresco gym.
Wilmina
Berlin, Germany
If you really want to save money on a break, you could stay in prison. Hear us out — Wilmina hotel in Berlin had a troubled past as a prison for political activists; but a sympathetic revamp into a surprisingly chic hotel has turned its fortunes around, respectfully addressing its past by incorporating the original bars, stonework and walkways into the design and keeping one cell intact as a small museum.
It fits seamlessly into the city’s industrial aesthetic, and with a bright coat of white paint it’s become a popular space for art exhibitions too. Doing time here is easy as can be, with its roof terrace, pool and sauna, billiard room, and a redbrick mess hall now strung with pendant lights and set by wild gardens for immensely romantic meals. It’s one of the more affordable and most unique boutique hotels in Europe, so you could even pack for the long term, handcuffs optional.
Little luxuries… You can’t really put a price on the cultural awakening you might experience here, with its library full of art books and rotating exhibitions just steps from your bed. There’s also a 24-hour gym (with yoga mats to borrow), billiards room and board games to borrow.
Arima Hotel & Spa
San Sebastián, Spain
Innovation doesn’t just happen on the plate in San Sebastián; here, Spain’s future-thinking architectural legacy is being built on in very Earth-kind style at Arima Hotel. This affordable boutique hideaway meets strict Passivhaus regulations and the building’s Sci Fi-esque aluminium panels even change form with the position of the sun to regulate its temperature. And its setting — just outside the city amid the Miramón Forest’s greenery — is fittingly green.
There’s a social sense of care too: guests can nurture themselves in the spa’s infrared sauna and hydrotherapy pools, or glass-walled yoga studio; rooms are optimised for sleep with a special ventilation system for top air quality at all times; and the restaurant hones in on plant-based dishes for a healthful slant on San Sebastián’s dynamic dining.
Little luxuries… The rooftop pool (open in summer) makes swims all the more soothing with leafy views all round.
Âmago
Algarve, Portugal
We’re a sucker for a hotel born of love — owners of bed and breakfast Âmago fell hard for the former equestrian centre. They saw potential written in the antique etchings on the walls, character in the stone supports for reigns and a new home in the rustic six-room quinta. Serendipitously placed in the orbit of Algarvian hotspots such as Loulé, Faro and Olhão, it balances leafy serenity with coastal exploration.
You needn’t go far to get a glimpse into the Algarve’s creative scene; the owners called on artists, such as painter Monika Morito, when styling rooms to add an authentic modern edge to the Scandi-leaning look. And — while the owners have a wealth of local knowledge to share — activities can be as low-key as the room rate: say, sipping a vinho on the bougainvillaea-draped poolside, or zoning out to the trickle of the fountain in the lush Mediterranean gardens.
Little luxuries… You’ll wake up to a generous homemade breakfast spread each morning, and rooms have bespoke linens and artworks made by local creatives or as part of the hotel’s artist-in-residence programme.
Communal Hotel Plekhanovi
Tbilisi, Georgia
Communal Hotel Plekhanovi has the hallmarks of a considered boutique hotel that’s worked smarter with its budget. It’s set on the Left Bank of the Kura River, a lesser-known area of Tbilisi fuelled by art over tourism; creatives have flocked here, bringing with them indie cafés and edgy nightlife, such as pulse-taking cultural hub Fabrika.
This alt attitude has been taken on by the hotel, where each of the 14 rooms is painted a different hue and individualised with vintage finds; and lounges and the Levantine restaurants inspire connection, whether it’s over an orange wine hailing from the historic Kakheti region, or a help-yourself selection of houmous, kebab spears and salads. For just under £100 a night, you get a priceless intro to the city.
Little luxuries… The hotel may only have 14 rooms, but it has two different dining options, both so reasonably priced you can really stack up those small plates and let those local wines flow.
Nobu Hotel Warsaw
Warsaw, Poland
We hear your incredulity — Nobu, of both the black-cod miso and ensuing bill that’ll bring a tear to your eye, in a list of affordable hotels? Well, the brand’s Warsaw outpost lets you experience psyche-calming Japanese minimalism for less, even if the dining stays firm at the higher end of quality and price. Set in an art deco building, the hotel’s split between past and present, with some rooms rocking original parquet and decorative mahogany; and some in little-ornamented wood and concrete.
Nobu’s eastern wellness is present and correct too, with kobido ‘face lifts’, acupressure and coconut body scrubs; the sake bar’s ambience is punctuated with ‘kanpais’ and ‘na zdrowies’; and from here you’re all set for exploring the city’s historic and modern sides.
Little luxuries… Even entry-level Nobu rooms are kitted out with Japanese tea sets, enormous TVs and hair straighteners. And you’ll rarely find such fine-dining at a stay with similar room rates.
Boho Hotel Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
Opened in November 2024 — in time for swaying through the Christmas markets on a grog high — Boho Hotel Budapest burnishes the city’s Baroque fancies, crafting a tidy tailored look in serious hues, which feels more expensive than its price-tag belies. It might have done away with lavish ornamentation, but romance cuts through its sophistication like the Danube cleaving Buda and Pest; the restaurant has softly lit corners, the bar will ply you with local wines, and you can prep for the city’s bathing scene in the Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room.
Sister stay — and style triplet — to Kozmo Hotel Suites in the east of the city and Boho Hotel Prague, this Boho outpost is an exciting addition to an impressive stable of reasonably priced city retreats.
Little luxuries… As a Smith member, you’ll get a welcome drink, free access to the spa (featuring a sauna, Jacuzzi and steam room), and a seasonal gift.
See our full collection of affordable boutique hotels