Bangkok Leads as the City in Asia Pacific with the Most Hotel Construction Pipelines Involving 68 Properties and 16,641 Rooms

Thailand Hotel News: Asia Pacific Pipeline Hits Record High

The Asia Pacific hotel development landscape, excluding China, has reached unprecedented levels, underscoring strong investor confidence and sustained travel demand across the region. According to the latest Construction Pipeline Trend Report by Lodging Econometrics (LE), the total construction pipeline in the Asia Pacific region excluding China (APEC) climbed to a record 2,323 projects comprising 433,241 rooms at the close of the fourth quarter of 2025. This represents an 11 percent increase in projects and a 5 percent rise in room counts year over year.

At the end of the quarter, 890 projects were already under construction, accounting for 38 percent of the total pipeline and 189,271 rooms, or 44 percent of total rooms in development. This Thailand Hotel News report notes very clearly that the momentum is not slowing. Projects scheduled to break ground within the next 12 months rose 8 percent by project count and 15 percent by room volume year over year, reaching 398 projects with 77,767 rooms. Even more striking is the surge in early planning stage developments, which grew 19 percent by projects and 12 percent by rooms, setting new records at 1,035 projects totaling 166,203 rooms.

Higher-End Segments Drive Growth

The expansion is being led primarily by higher-end chain scales, reflecting a shift toward premium offerings across major urban and resort destinations. Luxury developments achieved record highs with 398 projects totaling 75,190 rooms, marking a 14 percent annual increase. The upper upscale segment also hit new peaks, climbing 17 percent by project count and 13 percent by room volume to reach 422 projects with 88,958 rooms.

Upscale properties posted equally strong results, rising 12 percent in projects and 9 percent in rooms to stand at 568 projects totaling 111,296 rooms. Meanwhile, upper midscale hotels increased 7 percent year over year to 376 projects with 74,749 rooms. Notably, the upscale and upper midscale categories combined account for 990 projects and 200,254 rooms, representing 43 percent of all projects and 46 percent of total rooms in the APEC pipeline.

India Leads Countries, Bangkok Tops Cities

At the country level, India continues to dominate the development landscape. The nation reached record highs with 906 projects comprising 118,334 rooms, surging 31 percent in project count and 35 percent in room numbers year over year. India alone represents 39 percent of all projects in the region’s total pipeline.

Vietnam follows with 248 projects and 84,079 rooms, while Japan stands at 200 projects and 32,209 rooms, posting impressive growth of 23 percent by projects and 12 percent by rooms year over year. Indonesia ranks fourth with 181 projects totaling 30,761 rooms, and Thailand secures fifth place with 167 projects and 43,067 rooms.

Among cities, Bangkok emerges as the undisputed leader, boasting 68 projects with 16,641 rooms in the pipeline, the highest in the Asia Pacific region excluding China.

Jakarta follows with 46 projects and 10,159 rooms, while Bengaluru reports 45 projects and 9,199 rooms, reflecting remarkable growth of 45 percent in projects and 55 percent in rooms year over year. Tokyo registers 42 projects with 5,497 rooms, and Phuket stands strong with 41 projects totaling 9,583 rooms, highlighting Thailand’s dual-city presence in the top five.

Future Openings Signal Sustained Momentum

The pipeline growth is already translating into tangible openings. In 2025, the APEC region welcomed 334 new hotels with 50,002 rooms. Forecasts indicate continued acceleration, with 338 new hotels and 67,317 rooms expected to open in 2026, followed by 349 new hotels delivering 64,491 rooms in 2027.

The scale and pace of development signal that Asia Pacific’s hospitality sector remains firmly on an upward trajectory. With Bangkok leading city-level activity and Thailand maintaining a strong national presence, the region is poised to further strengthen its position as one of the world’s most dynamic hotel investment markets. Continued expansion across luxury and upscale segments suggests that developers are betting confidently on premium travel demand, urban growth, and resilient tourism flows in the years ahead.

The Construction Pipeline Trend Report by Lodging Econometrics (LE) for Asia-Pacific can be found here:https://lodgingeconometrics.com/purchase-reports/region-construction-pipeline-trend-reports/

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