The Asia Pacific hotel development pipeline lead the world in May, comprising 1,613 hotels totaling 372,451 rooms, according to the latest data from STR Global.
Year-to-date 2012, 149 properties opened in the region with 29,667 rooms. For the remainder of the year, 359 more properties with 91,281 rooms are expected to open. The upper upscale segment is expected to open the most rooms with 23,954 within 69 properties, followed by the unaffiliated segment with 19,710 rooms in 88 properties and the luxury segment with 17,247 rooms in 59 properties.
In 2013, the region is planning to open 526 properties with 116,632 rooms. In 2014, 344 properties with 87,486 rooms are expected to open. The upscale segment has the most rooms planned to open in 2013 with 34,067 rooms in 149 properties.
The Caribbean/Mexico hotel development pipeline comprises 133 hotels totaling 19,201 rooms.
Among the chain scale segments, the upscale segment represented the largest portion of rooms in the total active pipeline with 25.2% and 4,836 rooms. Three other segments each made up more than 15% of rooms in the total active pipeline: the upper midscale segment at 20.9% with 4,015 rooms, the luxury segment at 19.6% with 3,767 rooms and the unaffiliated segment at 19.4% with 3,734 rooms.
The Central/South America hotel development pipeline comprises 224 hotels totaling 31,625 rooms.
Year-to-date 2012, 15 properties with 2,977 rooms opened in the region. For the remainder of the year, 38 properties with 5,497 rooms are scheduled to open. The upscale segment is expected to open the most rooms with 1,299 rooms in 10 properties, followed by the upper midscale segment with 1,063 rooms in seven properties.
In 2013, the region is expecting to open 83 properties with 12,243 rooms. The most rooms are planned to open in the upscale segment with 3,419 rooms in 22 properties, the midscale segment with 3,171 rooms in 25 properties and the upper upscale segment with 2,482 rooms in 12 properties. In 2014, 59 properties are planned to open in the region with 7,286 rooms.
The Europe hotel development pipeline comprises 895 hotels totaling 143,998 rooms.
Among the chain scale segments, the upscale segment accounted for the largest portion of rooms in the total active pipeline with 20.8% and 29,996 rooms, followed by the unaffiliated segment, representing 20.6% of rooms in the total active pipeline with 29,701 rooms. The midscale segment made up the smallest number of rooms in the total active pipeline with 6.5% and 9,349 rooms.
Three segments each accounted for more than 15% of rooms under construction: the upper upscale segment at 23.2% with 11,802 rooms, the upscale segment at 22.8% with 11,597 rooms and the upper midscale segment at 18.9% with 9,628 rooms.
The Middle East/Africa hotel development pipeline comprises 492 hotels totaling 125,235 rooms.
Among the countries in the region, the United Arab Emirates, reported the largest number of rooms in the total active pipeline with 35,683 rooms. Five other countries ended the month with more than 5,000 rooms in the total active pipeline: Saudi Arabia with 26,594 rooms, Egypt with 8,931 rooms, Qatar with 6,863 rooms, Morocco with 5,928 rooms and Oman with 5,331 rooms.