Stats from the TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION database reveal that Dubai, London, Chengdu, New York and Dublin are the world’s top five cities for hotel development – and show which groups are investing the most in these fast-moving markets.
444 hotels with 106,866 rooms will open across the top five cities for hotel development in the coming years, our research has shown. We find out more about what’s in store.
Top five cities for hotel development
By some distance, Dubai leads our rankings with a staggering 154 hotels and 48,365 rooms in its pipeline. The split between four- and five-star properties is nearly even at 49% versus 51%.
London is a distant second, however, with 107 new properties and 17,949 keys planned. Here, four-star hotels make up the majority (64%) of new developments in our database, with the rest (36%) involving five-star properties.
New York takes third place with 67 hotels and 17,463 rooms in its pipeline. With 40 properties less than London but a similar key count, it’s apparent that properties in New York will be larger than in the UK’s capital. Four-star hotels will make up almost three-quarters (72%) of all new properties.
The Chinese economic powerhouse of Chengdu follows with 59 projects and 13,565 keys. 46% of these will be in the four-star segment, and the rest will be in the five-star category.
Finally, Dublin concludes the list with 57 openings and 9,524 rooms. Here, 86% will fall into the four-star category and only 14% will be in the five-star sector.
All cities follow a similar pattern in terms of opening timelines. Overall, another 80 hotels will open in the remainder of 2020, and 160 launches are scheduled for 2021. With 76 new hotels, 2022 will see a drop in new projects, whereas for 2023 and beyond, a whopping 128 properties are already in the pipeline.
Hotel groups driving growth in the big five
Unsurprisingly, three of the world’s largest hotel groups find themselves on the list of the fastest growing hotel groups across the top five markets.
Marriott International takes the lead with 32 new hotels and 8,659 rooms in total: 15 of its projects are on the cards in New York, seven in Dubai, five in Chengdu, three in London and two in Dublin.
IHG is in second place with 31 projects and 7,130 rooms. Its focus is on Dubai, where the group will launch 12 hotels. Chengdu and New York are next with eight and seven properties respectively, while three new IHG hotels will open in London and one more is coming to Dublin.
Hilton Worldwide places third with plans for 30 hotels and 8,588 rooms. Ten upcoming openings make London Hilton’s top city, although Dubai follows close behind with nine launches. New York, Dublin and Chengdu get six, three and two properties respectively.
The big five’s most active hotel brands
IHG’s Hotel Indigo brand will grow by eight hotels and 1,334 rooms – three projects are in Chengdu, two each can be found in New York and London, and one is in Dubai. Hot on its heels, Hampton by Hilton will add seven properties with 1,616 keys: London will get three while New York and Dublin each get two.
Elsewhere, Marriott’s Aloft brand is getting six additional hotels with 1,450 rooms – three will open in New York, with one apiece in Dublin, Dubai and London.
Notable hotel projects in the world’s most active cities
Of course, each of these five cities has noteworthy hotel projects that are well worth highlighting. Let’s look at a few high-profile schemes that you need to know about.
In New York, the four-star Pendry Manhattan West will feature 164 guest rooms and suites, a signature restaurant, a lounge with a vibrant open-air terrace bar, and meeting and event space. The hotel will be part of the defining Manhattan West development that sits directly between the soon-to-be redeveloped Penn Station and the new seven-train station at Hudson Yards. The opening is scheduled for Q3 2021.
In the heart of London, on Merchant Square, a 90-room boutique hotel will open in the Cucumber, a new 42-story skyscraper overlooking London’s skyline. This four-star property will occupy the tower’s lower floors, and boast a sky bar and rooftop terrace. An opening date has not yet been confirmed.
Elsewhere, The Samuel in Dublin will offer business travellers a new and exciting place to stay from early 2021. Set near the Convention Centre Dublin, IFSC business district and 3Arena, its 200 rooms will no doubt be regularly booked full. The majority of the new hotel will be set within the former London and North Western Hotel dating back to the 1800s, but some rooms will be located in a modern eight-storey extension.
In the UAE, The Dorchester Dubai will offer 250 luxurious rooms and suites as well as 39 residences, which will be managed by The Dorchester Collection. When it opens in late 2021, the property will be the group’s first in the Middle East, and showcase the strong working relationship between Omniyat and Dorchester.
Last but not least, and by early 2023, the ultra-luxury Rosewood Chengdu will offer guests 180 rooms on the top floors of the city’s newest 300-metre mixed-use tower. Apart from its grand rooms and suites, the hotel will boast an exclusive Manor Club executive lounge, four dining and entertainment venues, a spa, a fitness centre and a pool. Moreover, The Pavilion, Rosewood’s signature residential-style meeting and function area, will be ideal for corporate and social events.
Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.
