As seen in the Q1 2025 Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), the total pipeline in the Asia Pacific region, excluding China, (APEC) stands at 2,074 projects/408,213 rooms, representing a 3% year-over-year (YOY) increase in projects and a 1% YOY increase in rooms.
At the close of the first quarter, there are 872 projects/198,640 rooms under construction throughout the region, a 1% YOY increase in projects. Projects scheduled to start construction within the next 12 months stand at 328 projects/66,559 rooms. At Q1, the early planning stage reached a new record-high project total of 874 projects totaling 143,014 rooms, reflecting a 7% YOY increase in projects and a 3% YOY increase in rooms.
Standout chain scale segments in the APEC region at the Q1 close include the upscale chain scale with a new record-high room total of 519 projects/103,815 rooms, up 9% by both projects and rooms YOY. Next is the upper upscale segment, reaching a new record-high project count of 388 projects/83,070 rooms, and up 4% by projects and 2% by rooms YOY. These top two chain scales combined account for 44% of projects and 46% of rooms in the region’s total pipeline.
Construction starts in the region saw considerable growth in Q1 2025, with 115 projects/19,855 rooms breaking ground, marking a 55% increase in projects and a 70% increase in rooms YOY. The APEC region also recorded 124 new project announcements (NPAs) with 20,181 rooms at the close of the first quarter, while combined hotel renovations and brand conversions stand at 211 projects/43,230 rooms.
The top countries in the APEC region by project count are led by India with a new record-high project and room count of 693 projects/88,884 rooms, up 19% by projects and 27% by rooms YOY. Vietnam follows with 251 projects/90,738 rooms, up 5% by projects and 7% by rooms YOY, and Thailand with a new record-high room count of 170 projects/43,730 rooms, up 6% by projects and 18% by rooms YOY. Indonesia follows with 170 projects/29,797 rooms, and then Japan with 164 projects/27,572 rooms. These five countries combined account for 70% of the projects in the region’s total pipeline.
APEC cities with the largest pipelines by project count are led by Bangkok, Thailand with 71 projects/17,531 rooms, up 6% by projects and 13% by rooms YOY. Jakarta, Indonesia, follows with 45 projects/10,135 rooms, then Phuket, Thailand with 39 projects/9,810 rooms. Melbourne, Australia stands at 35 projects/6,655 rooms, and Bengaluru, India rounds out the top five with 32 projects/6,282 rooms, up 39% by projects and 46% by rooms YOY.
During the first quarter, 65 new hotels comprising 11,151 rooms opened in the APEC region, with an additional 296 new hotels/58,972 rooms forecast to open through Q2-Q4 2025. LE is forecasting a total of 361 new hotels and 70,123 rooms to open by year-end 2025. Looking ahead to 2026, LE analysts anticipate 311 new hotels and 63,544 rooms to open throughout the APEC region.
About Lodging Econometrics (LE)
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].
