This is the second quarter off the peak reached in Q2 ’20, where construction pipeline totals stood at 3,574 projects/647,704 rooms. However, due to its robust manufacturing and export industry, China’s GDP has remained strong throughout the pandemic, as has its construction industry.

China currently has 2,293 projects/413,874 rooms under construction, an increase of 3% by projects and 2% by rooms over last quarter’s totals. Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months stand at 641 projects/116,884. Projects in the early planning stage stand at 441 projects/109,053 rooms, down an incremental 1% YOY.

The country opened 910 hotels/114,502 rooms in 2020. In Q4 ’20, China saw 176 new hotels accounting for 25,442 rooms open. LE is forecasting another 840 projects/131,197 rooms to open in 2021 and 994 projects/169,716 rooms to open in 2022.

Chengdu leads China’s hotel construction pipeline with 133 projects/27,304 rooms. Next is Shanghai at 130 projects/25,215 rooms, followed by Guangzhou with 125 projects/25,139 rooms, then Wuhan with 103 projects/13,890 rooms and Xi’an with 89 projects/16,006 rooms.

Franchise companies topping China’s construction pipeline are Hilton with project and room record totals of 551 projects/109,254 rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), is also recording all-time high project counts with 425 projects/90,630 rooms, and Marriott International is setting record high project and room counts as well, with 381 projects/104,485 rooms. Next is JinJiang Holdings with 249 projects/24,865 rooms and AccorHotels with 196 projects/34,263 rooms.

Hilton’s top brand is Hampton by Hilton, at an all-time high, with 327 projects/49,909 rooms. Its second-largest brand, also with an all-time high project count, is Hilton Garden Inn with 70 projects/15,228 rooms. IHG’s leading brand in China is Holiday Inn Express with 198 projects/33,255 rooms and then Holiday Inn, with a record number of projects and rooms, at 71 projects/17,520 rooms. Marriott International’s top brands are Marriott Hotel & Resorts with 62 projects/18,831 rooms and Sheraton Hotel, at an all-time high, with 61 projects/18,633 rooms. Leading brands for JinJiang Holdings are 7 Days Inn with 106 projects/8,341 rooms followed by Vienna Hotel with 61 projects/5,962 rooms. AccorHotels’ leading brands are the Ibis brands with 75 projects/7,942 rooms and Mercure Hotel with 54 projects/9,004 rooms.