Cheap and cheerful: a look at the world's most budget-friendly hotel (6 photos)

Luxury hotels like Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott are well-known. Their marble staircases, precious wood paneling, gilded gilding, swimming pools, and well-trained staff are familiar from movies and TV shows. Some even offer dinner with giraffes. But very few people know what the cheapest hotel in the world looks like. It's located in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and is called the Faridpur Hotel.





Even if you find yourself right next to the Faridpur Hotel, you wouldn't realize that the five ugly ships moored on the banks of the filthy Buriganga River are a hotel. It welcomed its first guests back in 1951—small traders visiting the capital's market.



The price for one night in the hotel's most expensive room, a "suite," is $1.50. The cheapest accommodation, in a shared dormitory for 18 people, costs $0.39. In this case, amenities include a wooden cot with a thin pillow, a toilet at the end of the hallway, cold running water, and a locked iron box for valuables. Ropes, wall hooks, and simple nails are used instead of wardrobes.





The Faridpur Hotel has 48 rooms. They are designed for those who are particularly modest and need to save on everything. To this day, the hotel's main clientele consists of market traders from the provinces. Some guests, attracted by the low prices, stay here for several months.



Mr. Muhammad's Thriving Business

The hotel has fairly relaxed rules. The only significant restrictions worth mentioning are the ban on alcohol, loud music, and family accommodation. Yes, due to the cramped conditions, guests with wives and children are forced to be turned away.



For 26 years, Muhammad Miyan has been the permanent owner of the Faridpur Hotel. He is optimistic about the future and believes his business is thriving. You wouldn't know it from the outside, but his hotel rarely has vacancies.



It remains to be said that the world's cheapest hotel, the Faridpur Hotel, is not alone. Several other similarly depressing establishments are located near it along the docks. However, a night's stay there costs a few cents more, with the same level of service.