Pictured: rendering of W Buenos Aires.
The direction of Argentina’s premium hotel pipeline looks to be in stark contrast to a recent rebound in international visitors.
With the South American nation lifting all covid restrictions for global travellers in recent months, tourism is almost back to pre-pandemic levels.
Visitor influx
Argentina’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports recently reported that 5.6 million visitors from abroad entered the country between 1 January and 31 October 2022. Of that number, 3 million were tourists.
The trajectory is upwards, with October itself representing the highest influx, totalling 410,000 tourists – 76% of the amount during the same month in 2019.
Shrinking pipeline
According to TOPHOTELPROJECTS statistics however, the country’s high end hotel pipeline has been gradually shrinking over the past couple of years. Our latest data shows that at least 34 high end hotels comprising 3,993 keys are currently in the offing.
Last year this was 42 hotel projects numbering 4,174 rooms and in 2020 the figures totalled 49 sites and 5,038 keys. In hotel site percentage terms, this represents a reduction of firstly 17% and then 24% year on year between 2020 and now, with room total percentages cut by 21% and 5%, respectively.
Leading brands
Hotel chains may therefore want to up their Argentinian development rates if the country’s tourism industry continues to expand. Brands already leading the charge are Hilton Worldwide’s Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton, with four and three sites on the slate, respectively.
Lifestyle brand Selina, Marriott International’s Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Accor’s Mercure Hotels make the high end hotel podium too, with two sites each.
Hotel hotspots
In terms of high end hotspots, capital city Buenos Aires heads the list with nine developments, with the country’s third most populous city, Rosario, coming in as runner up with three sites.
Sharing third place, with two hotels each, are Ushuaia, Bariloche and Cordoba.
Segments and deliveries
Premium segment composition shows a slight lean towards upscale four star sites, with 20 properties, equivalent to 59% of the total. The remaining 14 hotels/41% are luxury five star constructions.
2023 is currently the pipeline peak, with 13 hotels – 38% of the whole – due for delivery next year. 2024 will see another nine openings, (26% of the total) and 2025 will welcome a further five. Just one more site is due to complete by the end of this year, while the remaining six records in our database are yet to be scheduled.
Upcoming additions
Projects to watch out for in Argentina include W Buenos Aires, a 150 key hotel and residences which will be located within a $100 million, 34-storey, mixed-use tower. Amenities include a mix of meeting spaces, restaurants and a rooftop bar, with project delivery scheduled for 2024.
Plus, the 110-room Hampton by Hilton Rosario will appear in the heart of Rosario’s downtown in Q1 2024. The eight storey hotel will form part of a mixed use complex and will feature the brand’s amenities including a 24-hour business centre and fitness centre, while each guestroom will include an HDTV and coffeemaker.