Caribbean, Mexico Have 129 Hotels in Development

Smith Travel Research says 129 hotels totaling 18,715 rooms are scheduled to open in the Caribbean and Mexico in the next two years. Mexico reported 10,615 rooms in development, followed by Puerto Rico with 1,633 and the Bahamas with 1,448.

Among hotel chains, the upper-upscale segment (right below luxury) has the largest portion of rooms planned or under construction (4,318), followed by mid-market (3,692 rooms). Economy rooms accounted for the smallest portion with 1,125 under development.

Among independent hotels, 2,501 rooms are scheduled to open in the next two years. Independent hotels currently account for the highest number of rooms (252,359) in the Caribbean and Mexico.