In Brief: Europe’s hotel construction pipeline reached 1,765 projects and 260,385 rooms at the end of the third quarter of 2026, up 6% year over year in both measures, as early planning reached a record.
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Whitbread begins construction of new Vauxhall Premier Inn in London – Image Credit Whitbread
Early Planning Accounts for More Than a Third of Projects
Lodging Econometrics’ Q3 2026 Europe Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report recorded 647 projects with 92,655 rooms in early planning. That represented 37% of all pipeline projects and 36% of rooms.
Hotels already under construction accounted for the largest share of development activity, with 739 projects and 110,132 rooms. These represented 42% of both projects and rooms in the pipeline.
A further 379 projects, comprising 57,598 rooms, were scheduled to begin construction within the following 12 months. This category accounted for 21% of projects and 22% of rooms.
New project announcements totaled 151 projects and 21,339 rooms during the quarter. Separately, the report recorded 699 hotel renovation and brand-conversion projects involving 84,883 rooms.
Upscale and Luxury Segments Expand
The upscale segment led Europe’s construction pipeline with 406 projects and 63,791 rooms, increases of 10% and 12%, respectively, from a year earlier.
Upper upscale development reached a record 317 projects and 52,275 rooms. Project numbers rose 14%, while room numbers increased 17%.
Together, upscale and upper upscale hotels accounted for 723 projects and 116,066 rooms, representing 41% of projects and 45% of rooms across the regional pipeline.
The luxury segment also reached record levels, with 198 projects and 23,432 rooms. Those figures were up 18% by projects and 13% by rooms.
Upper midscale development totaled 305 projects and 43,177 rooms, while the midscale segment accounted for 186 projects and 26,040 rooms.
United Kingdom Leads Country Pipeline
The United Kingdom had Europe’s largest national pipeline, with 255 projects and 37,755 rooms. Turkey followed with 154 projects and 20,504 rooms, with its project count increasing 10% year over year.
Germany recorded 145 projects and 24,470 rooms. France had 128 projects and 12,943 rooms, up 12% by projects and 17% by rooms. Portugal’s pipeline stood at 116 projects and 14,341 rooms.
Combined, these five countries represented 45% of Europe’s pipeline projects and 42% of its rooms.
London Leads Cities as Lisbon and Madrid Set Records
London had the largest city pipeline, with 66 projects and 12,577 rooms, followed by Istanbul with 46 projects and 6,503 rooms.
Lisbon reached a record 44 projects and 4,863 rooms, increases of 16% and 15%, respectively. Tashkent recorded 29 projects and 4,459 rooms, while Hamburg had 27 projects and 5,189 rooms.
Madrid also reached record levels, with 21 projects and 3,333 rooms.
Hotel Opening Forecast Extends Through 2028
Through the first nine months of 2026, Europe recorded 176 hotel openings, adding 21,854 rooms.
Lodging Econometrics forecast another 85 hotels with 11,100 rooms would open during the fourth quarter. That would bring the full-year total to 261 hotels and 32,954 rooms.
For 2027, the firm forecast 307 hotel openings with 44,836 rooms. Its 2028 forecast called for 319 hotels and 40,747 rooms, indicating more hotel openings but fewer rooms than projected for 2027.