What are readers thoughts on travelling to Asia and spending big $$$
to stay in an expensive hotel? Would people prefer to stay in a
hostel given that hotels should only b eused to sleep in?

Do keep in mind that hotels in most of Asia are much cheaper than
hotels of similar quality elsewhere in the world.

You can find a decent room with a private bathroom and air
conditioning for USD 20-30 in most Asian cities.

Asian luxury hotels are mostly much cheaper than their counterparts in
the US or Europe. USD 100-150 is standard, unlike the top-line hotels
in major European and American cities.

And the bottom of the line 'guesthouses' come as cheap as USD 3-5 in
many cities.