Global Hotel Openings Pick Up in 2026, With New York City Leading the US
New pipeline data shows Shanghai, London, and Dubai set to deliver the most new hotel rooms next year, with New York City and Phoenix leading U.S. markets.
Photo: Luca Bravo / Unsplash
Hotel development is set to accelerate worldwide this year, with major global cities—including Shanghai, London, and Dubai—projected to deliver the most new hotel rooms, according to new pipeline data published by CoStar Group. In the U.S., New York City and Phoenix are expected to lead all domestic markets in new room openings.
Across regions, the scale of new supply varies sharply. In Europe, 123,789 rooms are projected to open in 2026, more than double the total in 2025. London leads the region with 5,822 rooms, followed by Istanbul at 3,017. Asia Pacific remains the largest growth engine by volume, with 251,234 rooms projected to open in 2026. Shanghai tops the list with 7,457 rooms, followed by Beijing at 3,991. In the Middle East and Africa, openings are expected to reach 54,238 rooms, led by Dubai with 5,053 rooms and Qatar with 2,406.
Against that global backdrop, the U.S. is projected to add 132,479 rooms in 2026, up from 99,056 in 2025. New York City is expected to deliver 4,852 rooms next year, the highest total of any U.S. market, followed by Phoenix with 3,650. Dallas ranks third with 3,558 rooms, followed by Orlando (1,988) and Miami (1,954) in the top five.
“For a second consecutive year, New York City leads the nation in expected new-build openings,” said Isaac Collazo, senior director of analytics at STR. “This shouldn’t be a surprise given that the market has also led the country in occupancy for the last three years. That said, both room supply and room demand are still lower today than they were in 2019, showing there is still opportunity for further growth.”
New York’s projected additions reflect a mix of projects paused during the pandemic and new builds moving forward in response to sustained demand across business, leisure, and international travel. Phoenix’s continued expansion aligns with longer-term population growth, convention business, and a diversified hotel mix that now caters to both corporate and resort-oriented stays.
Nationally, the development pace is regaining momentum after several muted years. The U.S. recorded 749 hotel openings totaling 79,116 rooms in 2025. For 2026, that figure is projected to rise to 891 hotels and 99,011 rooms. Looking ahead to 2027, current projections show a sharp increase, with 1,688 hotels and 191,926 rooms projected to open, though those figures remain more susceptible to shifts in financing and construction timelines.
“While U.S. hotel development has been slow, there is still optimism around the industry based on the record number of projects in the pipeline,” Collazo said. “It’s not surprising that 2025 saw the largest number of new openings since 2021, and 2026 openings are expected to be back to the pre-pandemic level.”
