HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee—The total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 2,752 projects totaling 293,850 rooms, according to the March 2012 STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report. This represents a 9.5-percent decrease in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared to March 2011. The total active pipeline data includes projects in the In Construction, Final Planning and Planning stages, but does not include projects in the Pre-Planning stage.
Among the Chain Scale segments, the Upper Upscale segment reported the largest increase in rooms in the total active pipeline, rising 17.8 percent over March 2011 to 16,772 rooms, followed by the Economy segment with an 8.6-percent increase in rooms to 4,397. The Upper Midscale segment reported the only double-digit decrease in rooms in the total active pipeline, falling 14.0 percent to 82,815 rooms.
“We continue to see an increase in the number of rooms In Construction as strength in travel and tourism gathers momentum,” said Duane Vinson, vice president Database Content and Integrity at STR. “Large meeting and conference hotel projects under the flags of Embassy Suites, Hyatt and Marriott are breaking ground again, as well as smaller projects under business-oriented brands such as Courtyard, Hilton Garden Inn, Residence Inn, Springhill Suites and Hyatt Place.”
The Unaffiliated segment ended the month with the largest increase in rooms in the In Construction phase, rising 62.6 percent to 12,036 rooms, followed by the Upper Upscale segment (+39.5 percent to 7,730 rooms) and the Luxury segment (+37.8 percent to 1,130 rooms).
Vinson continued, “There are a few large independent projects that have significantly impacted the overall number of non-branded rooms In Construction, namely the Revel Resort & Casino (Atlantic City, New Jersey) with 1,399 rooms, a new military lodging facility at Fort Benning, Georgia with 860 rooms, and the Margaritaville Casino Resort with 396 rooms being built in Bossier City, Louisiana.”
The Upper Midscale segment (18,200 rooms) and the Upscale segment (17,416 rooms) reported the largest number of rooms under construction among the Chain Scale segments.
U.S. pipeline by Chain Scale segment (number of rooms and percent change March 2012 vs. March 2011):
| Chain Scale |
Existing Supply |
% Change |
In Construction |
% Change |
Total Active Pipeline |
% Change |
| Luxury |
105,897 |
-0.6% |
1,130 |
+37.8% |
4,498 |
+4.1% |
| Upper Upscale |
549,646 |
-0.1% |
7,730 |
+39.5% |
16,772 |
+17.8% |
| Upscale |
577,377 |
+1.7% |
17,416 |
+23.7% |
71,433 |
-6.2% |
| Upper Midscale |
860,053 |
+4.5% |
18,200 |
+5.6% |
82,815 |
-14.0% |
| Midscale |
470,914 |
-7.0% |
3,168 |
-26.3% |
24,767 |
-6.4% |
| Economy |
786,774 |
+0.1% |
993 |
+13.4% |
4,397 |
+8.6% |
| Unaffiliated |
1,516,127 |
+0.2% |
12,036 |
+62.6% |
89,168 |
-13.7% |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
4,866,788 |
+0.3% |
60,673 |
+20.7% |
293,850 |
-9.5% |
Source: STR
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Jeff Higley
VP, Digital Media & Communications
jeff@str.com
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rurie@str.com
+1 (615) 824-8664 ext. 3305
