China’s ambitious hotel pipeline is inspiring optimism for the post-Covid19 era.
Exclusive research by TOPHOTELPROJECTS shows close to 300,000 rooms will launch across China in the coming years.
Within the next few years, 1,171 hotels with 286,388 rooms will open around China, once again making it one of the world’s most rapidly growing markets.
We dive into the TOPHOTELPROJECTS database to find out more about these upcoming properties – and pick out a few notable schemes worth keeping a close eye on.
Hundreds more hotels on the horizon
According to the TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION online database, 1,171 hotels are currently in China’s hotel pipeline:
Despite the Covid19 crisis bringing much development to a standstill in Q1 2020, another 358 hotels with 86,049 rooms are scheduled to open in China this year. With lockdowns and restrictions easing around the country, pre-opening plans are getting back on track and construction workers are returning to their sites in droves.
Looking further ahead, 295 hotels with 74,111 rooms will launch in 2021, while 216 properties are slated to bring a further 49,988 rooms in 2022. Last but not least, 302 additional hotels with 76,240 rooms are on the books for 2023 and beyond.
China’s top ten cities for hotel development
The distribution of hotel projects across the country varies considerably, with some cities emerging as particular hotspots. Chengdu takes the lead with 58 projects and 12,194 new rooms, followed by Shanghai with 48 openings and 11,859 rooms and Hangzhou with 35 hotels with 8,059 rooms.
Next up, the tropical destination of Sanya will see 31 new hotels, while Shenzhen and Xian will both get 30. Rounding out the top ten are Wuhan (29), Guangzhou (26), Beijing (25) and Nanjing (24).
The fastest-growing hotel brands in China
According to the data, Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International claim three spots each in the list of the ten fastest-growing hotel brands in China.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts takes the top spot overall with 52 projects and 14,737 rooms, DoubleTree by Hilton has 32 hotels with 8,709 rooms on the cards, while Hilton Garden Inn can boast 20 hotels with 4,209 rooms in its pipeline. Not to be left behind, Marriott is expanding its signature brand Marriott Hotels & Resorts by 43 hotels and 11,113 rooms, while Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is adding 32 properties and 9,194 rooms, and Four Points by Sheraton is contributing 31 projects with 7,998 rooms.
Elsewhere, IHG’s Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand will open 26 hotels with 6,172 rooms and the group’s signature InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand will add 20 new properties with 5,087 rooms.
Last but not least, Citadines apart’hotels is planning 24 openings with 4,303 rooms, while Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has 22 hotels with 3,517 rooms on the books.
Noteworthy hotel projects around China
The Galaxy Macau is the largest project currently under development in Greater China. Set on Macau’s Cotai Strip, the resort will consist of six hotels including the Galaxy Macau and the Broadway Macau, as well as properties managed by Banyan Tree and Marriott, among others. It will house several thousand rooms, vast casinos with a wide variety of gaming options, retail spaces, entertainment facilities and extensive MICE spaces. While part of the project is already completed and operational, the date for project completion is set at mid-2022.
Opening in late 2022, meanwhile, the Sanya Thanyapura Resort is set between the beautiful Yalong and Haitang Bay. The property was designed by Dallas-based architectural firm HKS and will offer 300 hotel rooms and 250 villas. Its world-class sports facilities will feature swimming, running, tennis, cycling, soccer and multi-sport fitness, a lifestyle medicine clinic focusing on chronic disease reversal programmes, a wellness centre, a members-only leisure club, multipurpose function rooms, and food and beverage and retail outlets.
Another project to look out for is the 550-room Le Méridien Yueyang Yangsha Lake Resort, which benefits from a natural setting offering stunning views. Two ballrooms and six meeting rooms total 2,600 sq m of contemporary function space, while state-of-the-art audiovisual technology, innovative design and a variety of F&B outlets promise to make this a particularly appealing destination for MICE customers.
Let’s take a look at some more outstanding hotel projects in China: