NEWS: China’s Hotel Pipeline Hits Record Levels

The latest China Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE) reveals that China’s hotel development pipeline continues to expand, with brand conversions and renovations reaching historic highs.

As of the close of the fourth quarter of 2025, China’s total hotel construction pipeline includes 3,608 projects encompassing 644,938 rooms. Of these, 2,592 projects (458,734 rooms) are currently under construction, while 366 projects (62,119 rooms) are scheduled to start within the next 12 months, marking a 3% year-over-year (YOY) increase in projects. Early-stage planning accounts for 650 projects (124,085 rooms).

The upper-midscale segment remains the leading choice for developers, with 1,226 projects (182,937 rooms), up 2% YOY and representing 34% of the total pipeline. The upscale segment continues its strong growth, rising 5% by projects and 1% by rooms YOY to 1,066 projects (221,714 rooms), making up 30% of China’s pipeline. Combined, these two segments account for 64% of all projects, totaling 2,292 projects (404,651 rooms), up 7% by projects YOY.

Brand conversions and renovations reached record highs, with 265 projects (48,983 rooms), reflecting a 36% increase in projects and a 25% increase in rooms YOY. This trend underscores the growing emphasis on repositioning existing properties to align with evolving market demands.

City-level highlights show Chengdu leading the pipeline with 136 projects (24,216 rooms), followed by Guangzhou with 126 projects (25,329 rooms), Shanghai with 107 projects (20,203 rooms), Hangzhou with 100 projects (18,418 rooms), and Xi’an with 83 projects (14,777 rooms). Guangzhou demonstrated steady growth of 5% YOY in both projects and rooms.

China also experienced robust hotel openings in 2025, with 970 new hotels totaling 141,236 rooms. Looking ahead, LE forecasts 957 new hotels (147,474 rooms) in 2026, followed by 821 new hotels (139,038 rooms) in 2027, signaling continued confidence in the country’s hospitality market.

About Lodging Econometrics (LE)

Lodging Econometrics is a leading provider of global hotel development data and analytics, delivering actionable insights to support investment, development, and operational decision-making in the hospitality industry.