Carolinas Hotel Development, Construction & Transactions

The Carolinas region, encompassing North Carolina and South Carolina, shows a substantial development pipeline with 115 projects tracked by Lodging Development totaling 15,410 rooms. Upscale properties lead the pipeline with 39 projects, followed by upper midscale at 27 and upper upscale at 21. Over the past 24 months, 47 hotels have opened across the two states, adding 6,063 rooms to the regional supply. Transaction activity has been equally active, with 58 hotel sales tracked over an 18-month window, reflecting sustained investor interest throughout both North Carolina and South Carolina.

Among the projects currently tracked by Lodging Development across the Carolinas, the 600-room Omni Hotel Raleigh Convention Center stands out as the largest by room count, currently in construction and developed by Omni Hotels & Resorts. Auro Hotels is planning the 335-room JW Marriott Greenville in the historic Bowater Building, representing one of only three luxury projects in the pipeline. Drury Hotels Company is planning a 400-room Drury Plaza Hotel in Myrtle Beach, while Daly Seven has the 249-room Courtyard | Residence Inn Cary at the Arboretum under construction. The pipeline is anchored by upscale properties with 39 projects, followed by upper midscale at 27 and upper upscale at 21, reflecting broad-based development activity totaling 115 projects and 15,410 rooms across both states.

Over the past 24 months, 47 hotels have opened across the Carolinas, totaling 6,063 new rooms. The most recent is the 124-room Hilton Garden Inn Steele Creek Charlotte, which opened in August 2026. The upper upscale Cooper Hotel debuted in March 2026 with 191 rooms, and The Balladeer Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio property, opened in May 2026 with 70 rooms. Marriott's StudioRes brand has been notably active, with openings in Fayetteville, Columbia, and Leland. Additional recent openings include a dual-brand Hampton Inn | Home2 Suites in Aiken with 160 rooms and the 118-room Courtyard Sugar Mountain Banner Elk.

Over the 18-month period ending six months prior to September 2026, Lodging Development tracked 58 hotel transactions across North Carolina and South Carolina. For transactions of $10 million and above, documented sale prices total approximately $950 million. Combining these with an estimated $205 million from loan-derived values, total estimated transaction volume reaches roughly $1.15 billion. Three transactions lacked sufficient pricing data for inclusion in the volume estimate. Notable individual sales include the SpringHill Suites Raleigh Apex, acquired by The Focus Properties for $18.7 million in December 2025, and the Staybridge Suites Durham-Chapel Hill-RTP, which sold for $11.25 million in February 2026. Paragon Hotel Company also acquired the Courtyard Salisbury for $7.85 million in late 2025.