How Much Does It Cost to Build a 250 Room Hotel? Complete 2026 Budget Guide

A comprehensive breakdown of 250-room hotel construction costs, from select-service to luxury properties, including per-room costs, land, financing, and regional market variations

By Clear House Lending Team | Published February 2, 2026 | 12 min read

Building a 250-room hotel represents a significant commercial real estate investment, with total project costs ranging from $50 million for a select-service property in a secondary market to over $125 million for a luxury hotel in a gateway city. At 250 rooms, you're entering the mid-to-large hotel development category, which brings both economies of scale and increased complexity.

This guide provides a detailed cost breakdown for 250-room hotel development, helping you understand the capital requirements, market variables, and financing structures necessary to bring your project from concept to completion.

250-Room Hotel Cost Overview (2026)

The cost to build a 250-room hotel varies dramatically based on three primary factors: hotel segment (service level and brand tier), market location, and amenity package. Here's what you can expect across different hotel types:

Why 250 Rooms? The Economics of Mid-Size Hotels

A 250-room hotel occupies a strategic position in the hospitality development landscape. This room count is large enough to achieve operational efficiencies and support full-service amenities, yet manageable enough to finance through conventional commercial lending channels.

Operational Advantages

Staffing Efficiency: At 250 rooms, you can fully optimize departmental structures. A general manager oversees multiple department heads (rooms, food and beverage, engineering, sales), each managing appropriately sized teams. Per-room labor costs decline compared to smaller properties.

Revenue Diversification: The room count supports multiple revenue streams: room revenue, food and beverage (often 20-30% of total revenue for full-service properties), meeting and event space, and ancillary services.

Brand Flexibility: Most major hotel brands have prototypes or approval pathways for 250-room properties across select-service, full-service, and upscale tiers.

Financing Considerations

At the $50-125 million total cost range, 250-room hotels typically exceed SBA loan limits and require conventional commercial construction financing, CMBS loans, or structured capital with mezzanine debt and equity components.

Explore our hotel and motel financing solutions to understand the loan products available for mid-size hotel development.

Detailed Cost Breakdown for a 250-Room Full-Service Hotel

Let's examine a representative 250-room full-service hotel in a major metropolitan market with a total development cost of $85 million ($340,000 per room).

Land Acquisition: $8.5 Million (10%)

Land costs for a 250-room hotel depend heavily on market and site requirements. A full-service hotel typically requires 2.5-4 acres for surface parking or 1-1.5 acres for structured parking configurations.

Land Cost Variables:

• Urban infill sites: $3-10 million per acre (higher costs, smaller footprints)
• Suburban commercial corridors: $500,000-2 million per acre
• Airport and highway locations: $1-3 million per acre

Site-Related Costs Within Land Budget:

• Purchase price and closing costs
• Site preparation and demolition (if applicable)
• Environmental remediation (if required)
• Off-site improvements (road widening, utility extensions)

Hard Construction Costs: $45.9 Million (54%)

Hard construction represents the largest single cost category, covering all physical building work.

Construction Cost Per Square Foot (250-room full-service):

• Building shell and structure: $120-$160 PSF
• MEP systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing): $80-$110 PSF
• Interior finishes: $70-$100 PSF
• Site work and parking: $35-$50 PSF
• Total: $305-$420 PSF

For a 250-room full-service hotel averaging 650 gross square feet per room (162,500 total SF), hard construction costs range from $49.6 million to $68.3 million, with $45.9 million representing a mid-market scenario.

Key Construction Cost Drivers:

• Building Height: Low-rise (3-4 stories) costs less than mid-rise (5-8 stories) or high-rise (9+ stories) due to structural requirements
• Construction Type: Wood-frame where permitted costs 15-25% less than steel or concrete
• Union vs. Non-Union Labor: Union markets add 20-35% to labor costs
• Site Conditions: Difficult soil conditions, high water tables, or sloped sites increase foundation costs

Learn about vertical construction financing for complex hotel structures requiring specialized construction approaches.

FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment): $9.35 Million (11%)

FF&E for a 250-room full-service hotel covers guest rooms, public spaces, food and beverage outlets, meeting rooms, and back-of-house areas.

Guest Room FF&E (per room):

• Case goods (beds, dressers, desks, nightstands): $6,000-$10,000
• Soft goods (mattresses, linens, curtains, carpet): $4,000-$7,000
• Bathroom fixtures and accessories: $3,000-$5,000
• Technology (TV, phone, WiFi infrastructure): $2,000-$4,000
• Lighting and electrical fixtures: $1,500-$2,500
• Total Guest Room FF&E: $16,500-$28,500 per room

For 250 rooms at $22,000 average: $5.5 million guest room FF&E

Public Area and F&B FF&E:

• Lobby and public space furniture: $500,000-$800,000
• Restaurant/bar equipment and furnishings: $600,000-$1,000,000
• Meeting room furnishings and A/V: $400,000-$700,000
• Pool/fitness equipment: $200,000-$400,000
• Kitchen equipment: $700,000-$1,200,000
• Laundry equipment: $150,000-$250,000
• Total Public Area FF&E: $2.55-$4.35 million

Soft Costs: $9.35 Million (11%)

Soft costs encompass all professional services, permits, fees, and non-construction expenses.

Architecture and Engineering (5-7% of hard costs): $2.3-$3.2 million

• Architectural design and documentation
• Structural, MEP, and civil engineering
• Interior design
• Landscape architecture
• Brand prototype adaptation fees

Permits and Impact Fees: $800,000-$1.5 million

• Building permits and plan review
• Development impact fees (vary widely by jurisdiction)
• Utility connection fees
• Environmental permits

Legal, Accounting, and Consulting: $600,000-$900,000

• Entity formation and partnership agreements
• Franchise agreement negotiation
• Tax planning and structuring
• Hotel consulting and asset management setup

Third-Party Reports and Studies: $200,000-$350,000

• Market feasibility study
• Appraisal
• Phase I/II environmental
• Geotechnical and survey
• Traffic and parking studies

Development Management (2-3% of project cost): $1.7-$2.55 million

• Development fee (if using third-party developer)
• Owner's representation
• Project management software and administration

Financing Costs: $4.25 Million (5%)

Construction and pre-opening financing costs represent a significant but often underestimated category.

Loan Fees: $1-1.5 million

• Origination fee (1-1.5% of loan amount)
• Commitment and exit fees
• Legal fees for loan documentation
• Inspection and draw administration fees

Interest Reserve: $3-4 million

• 24-month construction period at average 55% draw: ~$2.3 million
• 12-month post-opening interest carry: ~$1.7 million

Use our commercial mortgage calculator to model interest costs for your specific project timeline and loan terms.

Pre-Opening and Contingency: $7.65 Million (9%)

Pre-Opening Expenses (2-3% of project): $1.7-$2.55 million

• Executive team hiring (6-12 months before opening)
• Staff recruitment and training (90-120 days)
• Sales and marketing launch
• Technology implementation (PMS, POS, revenue management)
• Operating supplies and inventory
• Soft opening operations

Contingency Reserve (5-10% of hard costs): $4.6-$9.2 million

Contingency is essential for managing the inevitable cost increases during a 24-month construction period. Material price escalation, design modifications, unforeseen site conditions, and schedule delays regularly consume contingency budgets.

Best Practice: Fund 10% contingency at closing; unused funds can offset ramp-up operating losses or return to investors.

How Market Location Affects Your 250-Room Hotel Budget

Location is the single largest variable in hotel development costs. The same 250-room full-service hotel can cost $60 million in a secondary market or $120 million in Manhattan.

Gateway Cities (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami)

Characteristics:

• Land: $15-30 million (often requiring air rights or ground leases)
• Construction: $450-650 PSF (union labor, complex logistics)
• Total project: $100-125 million+
• Per-room cost: $400,000-500,000+

Considerations: Higher costs are partially offset by higher ADR potential ($250-400+) and stronger occupancy. However, projects require longer development timelines (permitting can take 2-3 years) and deeper capitalization.

Major Metropolitan Markets (Denver, Austin, Nashville, Seattle)

Characteristics:

• Land: $8-15 million
• Construction: $350-450 PSF
• Total project: $75-95 million
• Per-room cost: $300,000-380,000

Considerations: These markets offer attractive risk-adjusted returns with more manageable development complexity. Strong growth fundamentals support premium branding and full-service amenity packages.

Secondary Markets (Boise, Raleigh, Tampa, Charlotte)

Characteristics:

• Land: $4-8 million
• Construction: $280-350 PSF
• Total project: $55-70 million
• Per-room cost: $220,000-280,000

Considerations: Lower costs enable earlier stabilization and stronger cash-on-cash returns. Ideal for select-service or focused full-service concepts. Limited luxury demand constrains upscale positioning.

Tertiary and Resort Markets

Characteristics:

• Land: $3-6 million (or significantly higher for premium resort locations)
• Construction: $250-320 PSF (non-union markets)
• Total project: $50-62 million (select-service) to $100M+ (resort)
• Per-room cost: $200,000-250,000 (select-service) to $400,000+ (resort)

Considerations: Resort properties in premium locations (beachfront, ski access) command luxury pricing but require specialized amenities and seasonal operating strategies.

Financing Your 250-Room Hotel Development

Securing capital for a $50-125 million hotel project requires sophisticated financing structuring. Most 250-room developments use some combination of senior debt, mezzanine financing, and sponsor equity.

Senior Construction Debt Options

Bank Construction Loans

• Loan-to-cost: 60-70%
• Interest rate: Prime + 2-3.5% or SOFR + 350-450 bps
• Term: 24-36 months construction + 12-month extension
• Recourse: Full or limited recourse to sponsors
• Best for: Experienced developers with bank relationships

CMBS Construction Loans

• Loan-to-cost: 65-75%
• Interest rate: Treasury + 400-500 bps
• Term: 3-5 years with extension options
• Recourse: Non-recourse with standard carve-outs
• Best for: Projects $50M+, institutional-quality sponsors

Mezzanine and Preferred Equity

To achieve 80-85% total capitalization, many developers layer mezzanine debt or preferred equity behind senior construction loans.

Mezzanine Debt:

• Position: 65-80% of capital stack
• Pricing: 12-16% current pay or accruing
• Term: Co-terminus with senior or slightly longer
• Reduces sponsor equity to 15-20%

Preferred Equity:

• Position: 70-85% of capital stack
• Pricing: 10-15% preferred return + participation
• Structure: Equity (not debt), subordinate to all loans
• Common with family office and private equity investors

Equity Requirements by Structure

For an $80 million 250-room hotel:

Sources of Equity Capital

Developer/Sponsor Equity: Experienced developers typically contribute 5-15% of total equity from personal or company resources.

Private Investors: High-net-worth individuals invest alongside developers, typically expecting 8-12% preferred returns plus profit participation.

Institutional Equity: Private equity funds, REITs, and family offices provide equity for larger projects, usually requiring proven sponsor track records.

EB-5 Financing: Foreign investors contribute $800,000-$1,050,000 each through the immigrant investor program. A 250-room hotel creating 1,000+ jobs can support $15-25 million in EB-5 capital.

Development Timeline and Carrying Costs

Understanding the full development timeline helps you budget for carrying costs that accumulate before revenue generation begins.

Pre-Development (12-18 months)

• Site identification and acquisition: 3-6 months
• Feasibility analysis and brand selection: 2-4 months
• Franchise approval process: 3-6 months
• Design development and permitting: 6-12 months
• Financing arrangement: 3-6 months (overlapping)

Pre-Development Costs: $1.5-3 million (design, studies, deposits, legal)

Construction (20-30 months)

A 250-room hotel typically requires 22-28 months of construction, depending on building type, weather, and market conditions.

• Site work and foundations: 3-5 months
• Structure and building envelope: 8-12 months
• MEP rough-in and interior framing: 4-6 months
• Finishes and FF&E installation: 5-7 months

Interest Carry During Construction: $4.5-6 million on $60M loan

Ramp-Up to Stabilization (18-24 months)

New hotels don't immediately achieve target occupancy. Realistic ramp-up projections:

Year 1: 50-58% occupancy, likely operating losses Year 2: 62-68% occupancy, approaching breakeven Year 3: 68-74% occupancy, stabilized operations

Ramp-Up Carrying Costs: $2-4 million (operating losses plus debt service shortfall)

Key Takeaways for 250-Room Hotel Developers

Building a 250-room hotel requires $50 million to $125 million in total capital, with the specific amount depending on brand tier, market location, and amenity scope. Key budgeting considerations include:

1. Per-room costs range from $200,000 to $500,000+ depending on service level and market
2. Hard construction represents 50-55% of total development cost
3. Location can double or triple your project budget between secondary and gateway markets
4. Sponsor equity requirements range from 15-35% depending on financing structure
5. Plan for 36-42 months from groundbreaking to stabilized operations
6. Budget $8-10 million in carrying costs from construction through stabilization

Ready to Finance Your 250-Room Hotel Development?

At Clear House Lending, we specialize in financing mid-size and large hotel developments. Our team has structured construction financing for hundreds of hotel projects across all major brands and markets.

Our Hotel Financing Capabilities

• Construction loans from $20 million to $150 million+
• Multiple capital sources: banks, CMBS, debt funds, and mezzanine lenders
• Experience across all segments: select-service to luxury
• National reach with regional market expertise

Next Steps

1. Initial Consultation: Contact our hospitality finance team to discuss your 250-room hotel concept

2. Preliminary Underwriting: We'll review your project summary, market, and sponsor qualifications to provide early feedback on financing feasibility

3. Capital Structuring: Our team will recommend optimal debt and equity structures based on your project specifics and investment objectives

4. Lender Introductions: We'll connect you with construction lenders actively financing hotel development in your target market

Don't navigate complex hotel financing alone. Contact Clear House Lending today to discuss your 250-room hotel development with an experienced hospitality finance professional.

Ready to move forward? Apply now and let's build your hotel together.

Tags: 250 room hotel cost, hotel construction budget, mid-size hotel development, hotel building costs, hospitality construction financing

Category: Construction Lending Guides

Last Updated: February 2, 2026