North Carolina Hotel Development, Construction & Transactions

North Carolina's hotel development pipeline is concentrated in the upscale and upper midscale segments, which together account for the majority of projects currently tracked across the state. Lodging Development is monitoring 82 hotel projects totaling 10,787 rooms at various stages of planning and construction. Transaction activity has been steady, with 39 deals of $10 million and above recorded over the most recent 18-month window. Meanwhile, 34 hotels delivering 4,307 rooms have opened statewide over the past 24 months, reflecting sustained demand across urban and resort destinations alike.

Among the projects currently tracked by Lodging Development, the 600-room Omni Hotel Raleigh Convention Center stands out as the largest in the state by a wide margin. Developed by Omni Hotels & Resorts, the upper upscale property is currently in construction. Also in the Raleigh area, Summit Hospitality Group is building the 138-room TownePlace Suites Raleigh Downtown, while the 264-room City Gateway Hotel & Parking Facility is in planning under Capital City Urban Development. In Cary, Daly Seven is constructing the 249-room dual-branded Courtyard and Residence Inn at the Arboretum.

The pipeline is led by upscale projects, which represent 32 of the 82 properties tracked and account for 4,187 rooms. Upper midscale hotels make up the next largest segment at 23 projects and 2,746 rooms. Eleven upper upscale developments contribute 2,386 rooms, with the balance spread across midscale, economy, and undetermined scale tiers.

North Carolina has seen 34 hotel openings totaling 4,307 rooms over the past 24 months. Among the most recent is The Balladeer Hotel, Tribute Portfolio, an upper upscale 70-room property that opened in early May 2026. Also debuting in May was the 124-room StudioRes Leland, a midscale addition. The 118-room Courtyard Sugar Mountain Banner Elk opened in late April 2026, expanding upscale options in the mountain resort area. Other notable arrivals include the 105-room Compass by Margaritaville Beaufort, which opened in late February 2026, and the 184-room dual-branded Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton Concord Charlotte, which opened in late November 2025.

Over the 18-month period ending in late November 2025, Lodging Development recorded 39 hotel transactions of $10 million and above across North Carolina. Among deals with disclosed pricing, recorded sale prices totaled approximately $354.2 million across 18 transactions. An additional 17 transactions lacked disclosed prices but had associated loan data, contributing an estimated $137.1 million in derived value based on recorded loan amounts. Four transactions lacked sufficient data for inclusion in volume estimates.

Notable recent activity includes the acquisition of two Asheville-area Marriott-branded properties by Milan Hotel Group in November 2025. The firm purchased the 78-room Courtyard Asheville and the 88-room SpringHill Suites Asheville. Also in the fall of 2025, the 152-room Sonesta Select Raleigh Durham Airport Morrisville changed hands. These transactions reflect continued investor interest in both the state's mountain and Triangle markets.