Hotel openings roundup: 2020 gathers steam with 290 global openings in March [Infographic]
The US and New York come out on top in both the country and city leader boards, with 82 and six projects due to open this month respectively. (Photo by Trent Szmolnik on Unsplash)
The global hotel industry is going strong with 290 openings in March despite growing concern over the coronavirus.
Anyone who thought 2020 was off to a slow start can think again, as numbers pulled from the TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION database tell us that there are almost 300 new hotels set to open their doors this month, bringing over 60,000 rooms to the international market.
We take a look inside the global pipeline for March.
Hospitality in good health around the world
Despite Brexit uncertainty last year and this year’s shock of the coronavirus outbreak, the international hospitality industry still looks like it’s in good shape, if the figures for March’s openings are anything to go by.
Statistics from the TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION database report that there will be 290 hotel openings in March, scattered across the world’s six main markets.
Asia Pacific continues to grow its tourism sector, boasting 113 openings this month, and developers are still investing in this market, although no doubt some of the openings for this month will be hit by the spread of the coronavirus, which has seen big-name brands such as Hilton and Wyndham shut up shop, at least temporarily, in several of their Chinese properties.
North America has seen its hospitality industry bouncing back after a few slow years, and this is confirmed by the fact that 93 new hotels will welcome guests across the region before the beginning of April.
Europe seems to be fairly stable too, and 55 openings in March points to a market in good health given the size of the region.
The Middle East, Latin America and Africa will welcome 12, nine and seven new projects respectively, putting them on the lower end of the development pipeline in the third month of the year.
Collectively, all of these new openings will bring an additional 60,343 rooms to the international hospitality market.
Top cities, countries and brands
The tug of war between China and the US continues, with the US and New York coming out on top in both the country and city leader boards, with 82 and six projects due to open this month respectively.
In recent months, China has prevailed in terms of its pipeline versus that of the US, but a strong domestic market in the US coupled with a weakened Chinese position, owing primarily to the ongoing trade war, and now also to the coronavirus, means that it is only coming in second to the US, with 35 properties opening across China in March.
As far as brands are concerned, international brands take up all five slots in the top five, with Hampton by Hilton garnering the most international openings in March with 11 projects underway.
Marriott and Hilton vie for the remaining four places, and this points to a trend seen lately on TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION, where Hilton brands outnumber Marriott in terms of openings.
Notable projects
The Dockside Inn and Suites Orlando will boast a staggering 2,050 rooms and form part of Universal’s Endless Summer resort. Guests at the property will no doubt be availing of the proximity to Universal Studios, and families will be able to experience the full Universal Resort adventure by staying in the generously proportioned six-bed suites.
Cinnamon Life Colombo is an 800-key property in the Sri Lankan capital. Slated to open in the first quarter of 2021, the property is a 5-star luxury new-build and will occupy an enviable location on the city’s waterfront. The hotel will form part of a new mixed-use development, which will also house retail units, commercial space and entertainment activities.
The Wyndham Soleil Danang is a 779-key new-build 5-star hotel in the Vietnamese city of Danang. Situated opposite the city’s East Sea Park, home to some of Danang’s most popular events and spectacles, the Wyndham Soleil Danang will define the skyline with its four soaring towers, one of which houses a hotel, and the other three apartments and residences.
