Lodging Econometrics (LE’s) Q1 2025 Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report for China reveals that the construction pipeline stands at 3,704 projects/670,185 rooms, which is down slightly from the peak project total China’s pipeline reached in Q3 2024.
At the close of the first quarter, China has 2,752 projects/490,897 rooms under construction, 316 projects/55,287 rooms are scheduled to start construction anytime within the next 12 months, while 636 projects/124,001 rooms are in the early planning stage.
Construction starts in China stood at 237 projects/38,775 rooms at the end of the first quarter, showing a 13% increase in projects and a 16% increase by rooms compared to the previous quarter (Q4 2024 with 210 projects/33,538 rooms). Meanwhile, hotel renovations and brand conversions in China at Q1 increased to 189 projects/34,797 rooms, up 12% by projects YOY.
The upper midscale chain scale continues to lead China’s hotel construction pipeline at the close of the first quarter with 1,161 projects/177,644 rooms. Upscale chain scale projects in China reached an all-time high project total at Q1, standing at 1,043 projects/223,499 rooms, and up 11% by projects YOY and 5% by rooms YOY. Together, these two leading chain scales account for 60% of projects and 60% of rooms in the country’s total pipeline.
Cities in China with the greatest number of hotel construction projects in the total pipeline at the close of the first quarter continue to be led by Chengdu, with 145 projects/25,898 rooms. Shanghai follows with 131 projects/24,733 rooms. Next is Guangzhou with 119 projects/24,384 rooms, up 8% by projects and 5% by rooms YOY. Guangzhou is followed by Hangzhou, with 96 projects/19,425 rooms, and Xi’an, with 89 projects/15,768 rooms.
During the first quarter, 144 new hotels/21,797 rooms opened in China, with an additional 1,009 new hotels/151,907 rooms forecast to open throughout Q2-Q4. LE analysts forecast a total of 1,153 new hotels/173,704 rooms to open in China by year-end 2025, while for 2026, 765 new hotels/133,332 rooms are forecast to open.
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For over 25 years, Lodging Econometrics (LE) has been the industry-leading provider of global hotel intelligence and decision-maker contact information. LE custom-builds business development database programs for hotel franchise companies looking to accelerate their brand growth, hotel ownership and management companies seeking to expand their real estate portfolios, and lodging industry vendors wanting to increase their sales. To learn more about our business development programs contact us: +1 603.431.8740, ext 0025 or [email protected].
