Dallas and Atlanta Lead U.S. Hotel Pipeline to 2028

Dallas leads the United States hotel development pipeline with 183 projects and 22,840 rooms, closely followed by Atlanta with 157 projects and Nashville with 122 projects [3]. While Dallas dominates active building and near-term starts, Atlanta is forecast to deliver the most new hotel completions by 2028 with 25 projects totaling 2,345 rooms [3].

Which U.S. markets hold the largest total pipelines?

Dallas holds the top position nationwide with 183 projects comprising 22,840 rooms at the close of the second quarter of 2026, according to Hotel-Online [3]. Atlanta ranks second with 157 projects and 17,423 rooms [3]. Nashville secures the third spot with 122 projects and 16,281 rooms, followed by Austin with 116 projects representing 13,875 rooms, and Phoenix with 115 projects totaling 16,136 rooms [3].

Several secondary markets also reached all-time pipeline highs in the second quarter of 2026 [3]. Hotel-Online reported that Indianapolis reached a record 76 projects and 8,557 rooms, Tampa climbed to 61 projects and 8,370 rooms, St. Louis hit 59 projects and 6,373 rooms, and Oahu Island reached 11 projects and 2,850 rooms [3]. Lodging Magazine also confirmed that Dallas continues to lead overall national construction activity [2].

Where is hotel construction actively breaking ground today?

Dallas has the most projects under active construction across the country with 38 properties totaling 4,184 rooms [3]. Phoenix follows with 31 projects and 4,621 rooms under construction [3]. New York holds third place with 29 projects under active development, comprising the highest active room count at 5,811 rooms [3]. Atlanta and Indianapolis are tied with 22 active construction projects each, representing 3,020 rooms and 2,311 rooms respectively [3].

Nationally, active construction represents a fraction of the broader backlog [1]. Building Design+Construction reported that across the entire United States, 1,081 projects comprising 133,216 rooms are currently under active construction midway through 2026 [1].

Which markets will deliver the most new rooms through 2028?

Phoenix is forecast to lead new property openings by the end of 2026 with 26 projects and 3,615 rooms [3]. Behind Phoenix for 2026 deliveries are New York with 20 projects and 3,079 rooms, Dallas with 20 projects and 2,332 rooms, California's Inland Empire with 12 projects and 1,024 rooms, and Austin with 11 projects and 1,573 rooms [3].

For 2027, Dallas takes the top spot for completions with 27 projected openings comprising 2,486 rooms [3]. Atlanta follows for 2027 with 22 projects and 2,145 rooms [3]. Phoenix and Nashville tie for project count in 2027 with 16 projects each, delivering 1,989 rooms and 1,853 rooms respectively, while Indianapolis is projected to open 15 properties with 2,154 rooms [3].

Looking out to 2028, Atlanta is forecast to lead all U.S. markets with 25 hotel openings totaling 2,345 rooms [3]. Dallas follows in second with 19 projects and 2,042 rooms [3]. Saint Louis, Austin, and Memphis are tied with 14 projected openings each, delivering 1,438 rooms, 1,344 rooms, and 1,233 rooms respectively [3].

What is driving project timing across early planning and near-term starts?

Dallas tops the United States in projects scheduled to break ground within the next 12 months with 68 projects and 7,885 rooms [3]. Atlanta follows with 61 projects and 6,761 rooms [3]. Austin ranks third with 59 projects and 6,542 rooms, Nashville fourth with 49 projects and 6,623 rooms, and the Inland Empire fifth with 43 projects and 4,545 rooms [3]. Nationally, 2,147 projects comprising 245,871 rooms are scheduled to begin construction within the next 12 months, according to Building Design+Construction [1].

In the early planning phase, Dallas again leads with 77 projects and 10,771 rooms, followed by Atlanta with 74 projects and 8,351 rooms [3]. The Inland Empire and Orlando are tied with 54 projects each, accounting for 12,587 rooms and 5,474 rooms respectively [3]. Nashville rounds out early planning with 53 projects and 7,023 rooms [3]. Total U.S. early planning inventory stands at 2,747 projects and 323,914 rooms [1].

How are brand segments and conversions shaping developer appetite?

Upper midscale and upscale properties account for the majority of developer commitments nationwide [1]. Building Design+Construction reported that upper midscale totals 2,225 projects and 214,027 rooms, while upscale accounts for 1,282 projects and 159,252 rooms [1]. Combined, these two chain scales represent 59% of all projects and 53% of all rooms in the national pipeline [1]. Luxury and upper upscale projects also set records midway through 2026: luxury hit 103 projects and 25,496 rooms, up 12% in projects year-over-year, while upper upscale reached 367 projects and 65,021 rooms [1].

Conversions have surged to a record 1,567 projects and 152,044 rooms, an increase of 15% in projects and 18% in rooms year-over-year [1]. Combined hotel conversions and renovations stand at 2,097 projects and 255,834 rooms nationwide [1]. Regionally, Houston leads combined renovation and conversion volume with 35 projects and 4,841 rooms [3]. Washington, DC follows with 33 projects and 4,669 rooms, San Antonio has 32 projects and 3,041 rooms, while Chicago and Atlanta are tied at 31 projects each, accounting for 5,732 rooms and 5,258 rooms respectively [3].