Nearly half of the 75,747 new hotel rooms projected to open in the United States last year failed to materialize as the U.S. hotel industry saw a modest 0.5 per cent increase in its existing room supply, data from the STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report has revealed.

The report found that, during 2011, the industry opened some 38,409 rooms across 373 new properties, only 50.8 per cent of those anticipated.  

This year, 70,291 rooms across 649 properties are expected to open, with 40,371 rooms currently under construction.

The Upper Midscale segment, which saw the largest number of rooms open in 2011 (172 projects and 15,579 rooms), is again expected to open the most rooms this year, anticipating 24,269 rooms in 249 properties.       

“With a significant number of rooms in Final Planning (110,836) and a 7.9 percent increase in Pre Planning rooms from last month, we continue to closely monitor overall development for a pickup in supply in the next few years,” STR vice president, database content and integrity Duane Vinson commented.

In Canada, 34 new properties comprising 3,377 rooms opened last year, reflecting a 1.0 increase in new supply over 2010.

Although the Upper Midscale segment opened the most new accommodation in 2011, unveiling 1,328 rooms in 14 properties, the Economy segment reported the largest increase in new rooms, recording a whopping 135.8 per cent rise in lodgings, with 408 rooms across six properties.