DorisandDicky may be a budget traveler’s new best friend

Here’s a travel website that helps you move from hostels to boutique hotels without breaking the bank.

Name: DorisandDicky.com

What it does: It offers a collection of 500-plus independent hotels packed with charm in cities across Europe and around the globe. Most properties have 20 rooms or fewer and a price tag of about $125 a night. Many properties cost less; a few are more but in those cases it’s aiming for value.

What’s hot: It had me at “best affordable boutique hotel spa breaks in Europe,” with rooms from about $52 to $115 a night. There are valuable travel tips hidden within articles in the Blog/News section. “Top 5 cheap weekend boutique city breaks in Europe” led me to more generous on-the-ground travel information than a destination summary usually delivers. Its tips enticed me with an arts and crafts market in Seville, Spain, and a supper club in Lisbon. Doris & Dicky claims to be on the lookout for new hotels, so keep your finger near the refresh button on “New hotels and recently reviewed properties,” found on the home page. It aims to find something a little extra special in accommodations, be it spectacular views, a beachfront location, colorful character or cultural highlights.

What’s not: I might be dreaming, but with all the design elements these boutique hotel rooms have, I’d like an accompanying shopping feature on this site where I could purchase pillows, art and more.