STR Reports US Hotel Development Pipeline for April 2011

According to the April 2011 STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report, the total active U.S. hotel development pipeline comprises 3,053 projects totaling 322,423 rooms.

This represents a 12.2% decrease in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared to April 2010. 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.

"The number of projects in the U.S. active hotel pipeline continues to moderate in 2011," said Lana Yoshii, VP of content management at STR. "Projects in the U.S. active hotel pipeline continues to moderate in 2011. Although the Upper Midscale segment has the most number of rooms in construction (15,536 rooms), this represents only 76% of the rooms that were under construction in April 2010. There are reductions in all chain scales for total active pipeline phases, ranging from a 4% decline (Upscale) to 36% (Economy). However, projects in the pre-planning phase is definitely on the rise, including 6,600 proposed Luxury rooms and 22,000 possible new Upscale rooms."

Among the Chain Scale segments, the Economy segment experienced the largest decrease in rooms in the total active pipeline, falling 36% to 4,243 rooms. Three other segments ended the month with a decrease of rooms in the total active pipeline of more than 15%: Luxury (-27.8% to 3,918 rooms); the Midscale (-22.3% to 28,162 rooms); and Upper Upscale (-19.9% to 14,994). The Upscale segment reported the smallest decrease in rooms in the total active pipeline, falling 3.5% to 77,090 rooms.

See recent travel news from: Travel News Asia, STR, April 2011