Europe's hotel construction pipeline now stands at 1,736 projects, according to Lodging Econometrics, the US-based hotel research firm that has become the benchmark source for global supply-side data. The same release carries a first for the European market: LE has published its inaugural new hotel openings forecast running through 2028.

Both datapoints matter for operators and investors tracking continental supply pressure. The project count gives the most current read on how many properties are in active development across Europe's markets. The extension of LE's openings forecast to a 2028 horizon gives owners, lenders and brands a dated forward curve for when that pipeline converts into trading rooms.

Why does a 2028 openings forecast matter?

LE already publishes long-horizon openings forecasts for the United States. Extending the format to Europe signals that the region's development cycle now supports multi-year visibility — enough committed construction, financing and brand agreements to project completions four years out.

For European operators, the forecast arrival matters on three fronts:

• Revenue planning. New-opening schedules feed directly into budget assumptions for competitive-set supply growth, RevPAR pressure and staffing needs in gateway and regional markets alike.
• Investment timing. Private equity and hotel real estate funds use openings curves to sequence acquisitions, refurbishments and exits against expected supply waves.
• Brand strategy. International chains ramping European expansion can benchmark their signed-and-opened conversion rates against the aggregate market.

The 1,736-project figure is the denominator behind all of that planning. It captures hotels in construction as well as those in planning and final planning stages, the standard structure of LE's pipeline reporting across its global coverage.

What does the pipeline number tell the market?

A pipeline of 1,736 projects across Europe indicates sustained developer appetite despite the financing conditions that have constrained hotel construction since interest rates rose. Supply growth remains the key variable in Europe's revenue equation: markets with thin pipelines have held pricing power through the post-pandemic recovery, while heavy-pipeline cities face compression as new stock arrives.

The openings forecast through 2028 lets operators map exactly when that stock lands, market by market and year by year, rather than inferring timing from raw project counts. That distinction — between what is being built and what will actually open — is where LE's forecast adds analytical value for the investment community.

Who uses this data?

Lodging Econometrics counts hotel chains, owners, developers and lenders among its clients for pipeline intelligence. Its quarterly reports are standard reference material in European hotel transaction documents and brand expansion reviews. The decision to publish a dedicated European openings forecast through 2028 reflects demand from that client base for longer-dated supply visibility on the continent.

What happens next?

LE updates its pipeline data on a recurring schedule, so operators should expect revisions to both the 1,736-project count and the 2028 openings curve in forthcoming releases. Market watchers will be looking at whether the forecast confirms steady delivery or flags construction and financing delays pushing openings to the right — the single biggest swing factor for European RevPAR outlooks through the end of the decade.