U.S topped global construction pipeline in 2019

THE U.S. TOPPED the global hotel pipeline in 2019, according to Lodging Econometrics. Several U.S. cities also topped the list for development.

The total global hotel pipeline hit record highs last year with 15,000 projects and 2,454,954 rooms, an 11 percent increase in projects and an 8 percent increase in rooms over 2018, according to LE. Also, 3,159 new hotels with 446,911 rooms opened worldwide.

In 2018 the global pipeline also set records with a 7 percent increase in projects to 13,573 year-over-year and a 6 percent increase in rooms to 2,265,792.

The U.S. pipeline contained 5,748 projects and 708,898 rooms, slightly short of its all-time high of 5,883 projects with 785,547 rooms set in April to May 2008.

The U.S. accounts for 38 percent of projects in the total global construction pipeline. China, the second on the list with 3,526 projects and 643,435 rooms, accounts for 24 percent, resulting in 62 percent of all global projects in those two countries.

They are followed by Indonesia with 367 projects and 60,354 rooms; the United Kingdom with 346 projects and 49,651 rooms; and Germany with 339 projects and 61,836 rooms.

Cities in the U.S. also had the most hotel projects and rooms. Los Angeles tops the chart with 168 projects and 28,501 rooms, followed by Dallas with 160 projects, 19,787 rooms. New York had 158 projects with 25,825 rooms.

The leading franchise companies globally are Marriott International with 2,799 projects and 471,843 rooms; Hilton Worldwide with 2,414 projects and 354,515 rooms; InterContinental Hotels Group with 1,777 projects and 263,710 rooms; and AccorHotels with 912 projects and 161,868 rooms. Together they account for 53 percent of all projects worldwide.

The top brands are Marriott’s Fairfield Inn, Hampton by Hilton, IHG’s Holiday Inn Express and AccorHotel’s Ibis.

LE predicts that 3,298 hotels are expected to open in 2020, and a further 3,415 hotels next year.