The number of US hotels in the pipeline for January 2011 fell by 16.1% compared with the previous year, according to the latest STR / McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Pipeline Report.

US hotels in the pipeline for January comprised 2,997 projects, totalling 317,157 rooms, a 40% drop compared with January 2010.

The luxury and economy segments were the hardest hit with room decreases of 74% and a 73%, respectively.

Among the chain scale segments, economy experienced the largest decline in rooms, falling 59.8% to 3,668 rooms, followed by the luxury segment, which fell by 36% to 4,115 rooms and the upper upscale segment, which dropped 22.3% to 15,246 rooms.