In Brief: China’s hotel construction pipeline totaled 3,507 projects with 621,201 rooms at the end of the third quarter of 2026, according to Lodging Econometrics. Upper midscale and upscale hotels accounted for most planned development, while hotel brand conversions reached a record 253 projects and 41,623 rooms.
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Brand Conversions Reach a Record-High Project Total in China’s Hotel Construction Pipeline at Q3 2026 – Image Credit Unsplash
Pipeline totals and construction stages
China had 2,482 projects totaling 433,183 rooms under construction at the end of the third quarter , according to Lodging Econometrics. Another 348 projects with 59,386 rooms were scheduled to begin construction during the following 12 months, while 677 projects with 128,632 rooms were in early planning.
Upper midscale and upscale projects dominate development
Upper midscale hotels led the pipeline with 1,264 projects and 185,074 rooms, accounting for 36% of projects and 30% of rooms. The upscale segment followed with 1,070 projects and 216,301 rooms, representing 31% of projects and 35% of rooms.
Together, upper midscale and upscale developments accounted for 2,334 projects and 401,375 rooms, or 67% of projects and 65% of rooms in the pipeline.
The upper upscale segment included 360 projects with 95,003 rooms. Midscale hotels accounted for 276 projects and 28,196 rooms, while luxury hotels represented 257 projects and 53,249 rooms.
Conversions set a record level
Brand conversions reached record project and room totals, with 253 projects and 41,623 rooms. New project announcements totaled 178 projects with 27,212 rooms, while construction starts reached 153 projects with 23,333 rooms.
Guangzhou leads major city pipelines
Guangzhou had the largest pipeline among the cities listed, with 123 projects and 25,231 rooms. Chengdu followed with 121 projects and 21,950 rooms, followed by Shanghai with 113 projects and 20,873 rooms.
Hangzhou had 95 projects with 17,662 rooms, while Xi’an had 78 projects with 14,011 rooms.
Hotel opening forecasts through 2028
China opened 685 new hotels with 96,036 rooms through the first three quarters of 2026. Another 327 hotels with 44,257 rooms are forecast to open in the fourth quarter, bringing the projected 2026 total to 1,012 hotels with 140,293 rooms.
Lodging Econometrics forecasts 939 hotel openings with 156,858 rooms in 2027 and 710 openings with 123,434 rooms in 2028.