Canada's Hotel Construction Pipeline Dips 3.8 Percent Year-over-Year in March

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According to the March 2011 STR/McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report, Canada's hotel development pipeline comprises 193 projects totaling 20,715 rooms. This represents a 3.8-percent decrease in the number of rooms in the total active pipeline compared to March 2010.

"Canada's pipeline has held steady in the first-quarter 2011 as compared with the same time last year," said Lana Yoshii, VP of content management at STR. "Upscale projects in the active pipeline account for more than a quarter of the total in 2011 with 5,507 rooms when last year there were 5,941 rooms. There is a notable difference in Unaffiliated projects in the In Construction phase. As of March 2011, there are 1,745 rooms In Construction while in 2010 there were just 825. This is a difference of 111 percent and 920 rooms. While some of these projects might eventually become brands we could see a large percentage of independent rooms in the future."

Among the Chain Scale segments, two segments reported an increase in rooms in the total active pipeline: the Upper Midscale segment (+28.6 percent with 4,797) and the Unaffiliated segment (+7.2 percent with 9,274 rooms). The Luxury segment reported a 66.3-percent decrease in rooms in the total active pipeline with 200 rooms. The Upper Upscale segment ended the month with no rooms in the total active pipeline.

Canadian pipeline by Chain Scale segment (number of rooms & percent change March 2011 vs. March 2010)

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