Dive Brief:
- In the second quarter of 2026, the global hotel construction pipeline reached a record 15,976 projects, representing roughly 2.4 million rooms, according to Lodging Econometrics’ Q2 2026 U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report.
- The global project pipeline increased approximately 0.7% year over year during the quarter, with 6,174 projects under construction, 3,743 projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months and a record 6,059 projects in the early planning stage, per the report.
- The U.S. led all other countries for the most hotels in the global construction pipeline in Q2, with hotel conversions and luxury projects dominating.
Dive Insight:
The U.S. represented 37% of the projects in the total global pipeline in Q2, with 5,975 projects, or 703,001 rooms, though the country’s pipeline was down year over year by both project and room counts. China followed the U.S. for the most projects in the global hotel construction pipeline, with 3,588 projects, or 632,256 rooms.
For the second consecutive year, Dallas (183 projects), Atlanta (157 projects) and Chengdu in China (127 projects) had the greatest number of projects in the global hotel construction pipeline among other cities in Q2. Nashville, Tennessee (122 projects), and Guangzhou in China (120 projects) rounded out the top five.
In Q2, the global brand conversion pipeline reached a record 2,927 projects, up 12% year over year, per the report. Meanwhile, high-tier chain scales saw significant pipeline growth in the quarter.
The luxury pipeline increased 8% year over year to a record 1,385 projects, while the upper upscale pipeline also grew 8% year over year to a record 1,923 projects. Additionally, the upscale pipeline hit an all-time high of 3,918 projects in Q2, up 1% year over year.
In the U.S., the luxury and upper upscale segments reached record pipeline totals during the second quarter.
During Q2 earnings, CEOs from Hyatt and Marriott International noted that the luxury segment is a bright spot for future growth amid continued strong demand from premium travelers. Conversions also remain a solid development opportunity, hotel executives shared during quarterly earnings calls.
