Global hotel specialist Hotels.com has launched its India website Hotels.co.in, catering specifically to the needs of Indian travellers. The Hotels.com India site has a local interface, including pricing in Indian Rupee. There is also enhanced map functionality and the ability to subscribe to newsletters with hotel offers.

UK-based Hotels.com claims to offer search and booking option for about 80,000 hotels located across the world. According to the company, users can search by amenities, hotel star rating as well as by specific geographic locations and neighbourhoods. The company also plans to offer an increasing amount of localised hotel content and also enable travellers to post and read Indian user reviews.

When it comes to 2009's hottest travel destinations, think cheap--but there's no reason to think that will equal chintzy.

To keep visitors coming, top-shelf destinations no longer have top-shelf price tags. This year, four- and five-star hotels are offering unprecedented deals at in-demand spots like

What would you expect to pay for accommodations in a palatial, elegantly decorated suite in one of London’s most famously posh neighborhoods? One that occupies an entire floor of a regal Victorian building, just a cobblestone’s throw from ritzy boîtes, exclusive restaurants, and one of the world’s most glorious antiques markets? And one that allows you to entertain your own guests—buzzing them inside for cocktails with a private doorbell, as you would at your own apartment? Perhaps $300 a night? $400? How does $160 a night sound? It’s true: staying at Main House, an intimate boutique property in Notting Hill—one of the more expensive neighborhoods in Europe, if not the world—is almost cheaper than staying home. And it’s not the only hotel of its kind. For those who know where to look, there are actually lots of petite, extraordinary, wallet-friendly lodgings (where low prices reflect the property’s modest size, not a deficiency in style or a low-econo

Chic boutique lodgings—for under $250 a night—in the world’s most lavish metropolises

After a day of navigating the mazelike streets of the ancient Indian city of Udaipur, you and your travel companion are experiencing sensory overload. The colors and sounds of this Rajasthani city—where women perform their daily ablutions at the edge of Lake Pichola, children dive off the ghats (stone steps) for early morning swims, and muezzins’ calls to prayer drift across the rooftops—are undeniably breathtaking. But with hawkers plying you from every corner shop and aggressive monkeys leaping into your path, you’re craving a little privacy. How perfect, then, that your exquisite boutique hotel, Udai Kothi, is just moments away. Within minutes, the two of you will be cooling off in the serene rooftop pool, or snuggling together in your room’s private window seat with views over blooming gardens. You’ll be able to bask in each other’s company—and the sweet knowledge that your romantic getaway is costing you only about $100 a night. For those of us feeling today’s economic pinch (for example, the 75 percent of kayak.com users who recently reported that price is their major consideration when planning a trip), the idea of rushing off on a romantic vacation may seem like an improbable luxury. But it is possible—as long as you find the right hotel. And while there are lots of deals and packages out there to choose from, in many cases the best bet is to keep things small.

A Tuscan wine estate, a secret Caribbean beach resort, and eight other idyllic retreats for under $250 a night.