Affordable yet luxurious holiday destinations

Real del Mar Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta After looking at trends like weather, tourist traffic, entertainment and hotel pricing, discount travel site Hotwire.com has released their picks for the top summer deals this season. The common denominator threading the destinations: nearly all are in their off-peak season.
If you’re still hemming and hawing over your summer plans, here are five Hotwire suggestions that promise to offer good value for money:
Puerto Vallarta: Normally flush with tourists during the winter months, this year the Mexican resort town knows it’s competing with other beach escapes like Hawaii and the Caribbean and has thus dropped their prices even lower, says Hotwire. The result? Hotel prices are down 25 percent compared to last summer.
New Orleans: Though a big hotspot during winter for Mardi Gras, New Orleans doesn’t stop during the summer months, when it hosts a variety of summer festivals like the Satchmo Jazz Festival and the Whitney White Linen Night, a block party in which guests don their finest whites.
Hotel prices drop by as much as 40 percent during the summer months compared to Mardi Gras.
Barcelona: It’s perhaps the one exception to the off-peak season crowd as Barcelona is abuzz with tourists during the summer for its stunning architecture and sun-soaked beaches. But with the economic crisis that has shaken up the country, foreign tourists can find good deals this summer. Hotel prices have seen a 10 percent dip compared to the same period last year.
Richmond, Virginia: Editors rightly tucked this destination in the "off the beaten path" category, but Richmond, Virginia is described as a family-friendly option. More popular in the fall for its technicolor foliage, the city is touted for being within driving distance to major attractions like Virginia Beach and Busch Gardens as well as the city’s rich historical sites.
Hotel prices also plummet an average of 30 percent during the summer months.
Los Angeles: According to Hotwire, LA is hosting fewer conventions this summer which means hotels are dropping prices to fill up empty rooms. So much so, that guests can save up to 50 percent on hotel rates compared to the fall.
Meanwhile, TripAdvisor released its own picks for the most affordable summer destinations this year, with Sofia, Hanoi, Warsaw, Sharm el Sheikh Egypt and Budapest, Hungary topping the list.