The national hotel development pipeline has remained muted in recent years. However, hotel construction activity in Florida shows no signs of stopping.
As of January 2026, the Sunshine State had more than 48,000 rooms in the construction pipeline, with nearly 30% of these under construction. Orlando has the highest number of pipeline rooms in the state, at just over 11,000, although rooms under construction only represent about 20% of the pipeline inventory.
Development pipeline by hotel class
Upper-midscale and upscale hotels continued to drive development activity, accounting for nearly 60% of the overall pipeline, or roughly 29,000 rooms. However, over three-quarters of the rooms in the mid-tier class pipeline are in final planning, indicating that groundbreaking remains a challenging feat despite the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by 75 basis points in 2025.
Luxury and upper-upscale properties are gaining momentum, particularly in markets such as Miami, Orlando and Palm Beach. Approximately 5,900 hotel rooms are under construction in these segments, up 40% from a year ago and only trailing the under-construction mid-tier rooms by fewer than 500.
Development pipeline by market
Melbourne has the highest percentage of rooms under construction relative to its inventory. Four hotels with nearly 950 rooms are being built, representing roughly 8.3% of the market’s existing supply. Another smaller market, Naples, has four hotels under construction, totaling about 570 rooms, or 6.7% of the market’s inventory.
Miami contains a robust development pipeline, with over 4,100 hotel rooms under construction, or about 6.1% of the existing inventory. Approximately two-thirds of the hotels being built belong to the luxury and upper-upscale classes, highlighting Miami’s strength as a top luxury market in the country.
One example of a recent, high-end groundbreaking was the 167-room Dream Hotels Miami at Riverside Wharf in downtown Miami. The hotel took many years to plan, with project approvals dating back to 2022. Developed by a partnership between Driftwood Capital and MV Real Estate Holdings, the upper-upscale hotel is part of a larger $350 million hospitality-driven entertainment complex named Riverside Wharf.
The nine-story development includes a 30,000-square-foot nightclub, a rooftop pool day club, a 12,000-square-foot event hall, multiple dining concepts and 16,000 square feet of signature restaurants. The Dream hotel is anticipated to debut in fall 2028.
Development pipeline by hotel chains
Branded properties account for approximately 72% of the state’s construction pipeline, up from a year ago. Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide top the number of branded rooms under development. Marriott edges out Hilton in hotel rooms under construction and doubles the number of rooms in final planning.
Traditional brands, such as TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn and Home2 Suites, remain the cornerstone of franchise signings for national chains, while newer brands such as Hyatt Studios, StudioRes and Everhome Suites are gaining traction among developers.