U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Totals 6,020 Projects in First Quarter

April 27, 2026

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — The U.S. hotel construction pipeline totaled 6,020 projects with 705,825 rooms at the close of the first quarter, according to a trend report from Lodging Econometrics.

The total includes 1,071 projects with 132,016 rooms under construction. An additional 2,164 projects with 249,465 rooms are scheduled to begin construction within the next 12 months, while 2,785 projects with 324,344 rooms are in early planning.

First-quarter construction starts totaled 140 projects with 15,546 rooms, while new project announcements totaled 166 projects with 20,864 rooms.

The luxury segment reached a record-high project count in the first quarter: 102 projects and 25,527 rooms. That total was up 16% by projects and 23% by rooms year over year.

Lodging Econometrics said the top three chain scales — upscale, upper midscale and midscale — account for 75% of projects in the total U.S. construction pipeline. Each is expected to post its highest number of new hotel openings since 2022.

Hotel conversions also remained active, with 1,461 projects and 141,971 rooms, up 3% by projects and 4% by rooms year over year. Combined conversion and renovation activity reached 2,041 projects with 258,665 rooms.

Also in the first quarter, 126 new hotels with 14,614 rooms opened in the United States. Lodging Econometrics forecasts an additional 556 projects with 62,709 rooms will open during the remaining three quarters of 2026, bringing the projected 2026 total to 682 new hotels with 77,323 rooms. Lodging Econometrics says that would represent a 1.4% increase in new hotel supply.

Looking ahead to 2027, Lodging Econometrics analysts expect 750 new hotels with 81,199 rooms to open in the U.S., also representing a 1.4% supply increase.

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