15 Major American Cities With the Most New Hotels

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Luxury Link.

After facing its sharpest decline on record in 2020, U.S. travel spending rebounded sharply as pent-up demand drove consumers back to planes, cars, and hotels.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, consumer spending on domestic accommodations surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and reached record highs in both 2023 and 2024.

Amid this surge in demand, the number of hotel establishments nationwide continued to grow. While the industry experienced steep revenue losses during the pandemic, the total number of hotels remained relatively stable.

Since then, hotel development has accelerated, with thousands of new properties opening across cities of all sizes. From major urban centers to smaller regional markets, many areas have seen a renewed wave of investment in the hospitality sector.

This analysis, conducted by Luxury Link — a luxury hotel booking platform — identifies the major U.S. cities that have added the most new hotels since 2019, highlighting where the sector has expanded most significantly.

For travelers, the following locations may offer some of the best opportunities to find newly built or recently opened places to stay.

15. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +12.8%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +159
• Total hotels: 1,398
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -1.9%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -650
• Total hotel employment: 33,628

14. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +13.6%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +70
• Total hotels: 585
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): N/A
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): N/A
• Total hotel employment: N/A

13. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +14.0%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +153
• Total hotels: 1,243
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -11.1%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -6,074
• Total hotel employment: 48,646

12. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +16.4%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +71
• Total hotels: 503
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -9.8%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -1,829
• Total hotel employment: 16,820

11. Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +16.8%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +75
• Total hotels: 521
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -4.6%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -709
• Total hotel employment: 14,598

10. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +17.5%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +96
• Total hotels: 645
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -4.9%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -3,196
• Total hotel employment: 62,224

9. Tulsa, OK

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +17.5%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +31
• Total hotels: 208
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -21.1%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -672
• Total hotel employment: 2,517

8. Jacksonville, FL

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +17.6%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +51
• Total hotels: 341
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -11.5%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -1,070
• Total hotel employment: 8,215

7. Tucson, AZ

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +18.3%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +23
• Total hotels: 149
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -10.3%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -715
• Total hotel employment: 6,224

6. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +19.0%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +87
• Total hotels: 546
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -0.5%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -136
• Total hotel employment: 25,355

5. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +21.7%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +43
• Total hotels: 241
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): +0.9%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): +51
• Total hotel employment: 5,877

4. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +22.0%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +212
• Total hotels: 1,174
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -12.3%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -3,186
• Total hotel employment: 22,744

3. Raleigh-Cary, NC

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +23.6%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +45
• Total hotels: 236
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): +0.5%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): +24
• Total hotel employment: 4,843

2. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +24.0%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +96
• Total hotels: 496
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): -6.1%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): -676
• Total hotel employment: 10,465

1. Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI

• Change in the number of hotels (percentage): +32.4%
• Change in the number of hotels (total): +35
• Total hotels: 143
• Change in the number of hotel employees (percentage): +5.0%
• Change in the number of hotel employees (total): +214
• Total hotel employment: 4,486

Methodology

The analysis uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), focusing on NAICS sector 7211, “Traveler Accommodation.” This sector includes hotels, motels, casino hotels, bed and breakfasts, and similar establishments. For clarity, all are referred to collectively as “hotels.”

The percentage change in the number of hotel establishments was calculated between 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2023 (the most recent year with complete data). Where available, changes in employment within the hotel sector over the same period were included.

However, employment figures are not published for all areas. In many cases, the BLS withholds data either due to high sampling error or to avoid disclosing information about specific employers.