Wake County Hotel Development Summit Highlights Regional Growth, Pipeline Plans

Visit Raleigh, in partnership with JLL and Wake County Economic Development, hosted the 2026 Wake County Hotel Development Summit at the Raleigh Convention Center on March 2, 2026, convening economic development teams from all 12 Wake County municipalities and more than 30 hotel development companies in an invitation-only, sector-focused meeting intended to accelerate hotel projects across the county. Organizers described the summit as a full day of curated conversations designed to connect seasoned hotel developers and investors with municipal pipeline opportunities aligned to the county’s Destination Strategic Plan.

Visit Raleigh framed the gathering as a rare moment of alignment. “The 2026 Wake County Hotel Development Summit provided a rare alignment of opportunity, timing and access that seasoned developers recognize as truly uncommon,” the organization wrote, adding that “with all 12 Wake County municipalities prepared to move swiftly with the right partners, the summit created an ideal environment for initiating conversations that often spark transformational projects.” The blog post said the event focused on surfacing the region’s most promising hotel opportunities and strengthening municipal collaboration.

The summit took place against a tourism backdrop that is both robust and transitional. The 2025 Wake County Tourism Industry Report showed the county drew about 19 million annual visitors and generated over $3.4 billion in tourism spending, even as hotel occupancy in 2025 dipped by about 3% while remaining above state and national averages. Organizers and municipal leaders noted a simultaneous uptick in local food and beverage tax collections, a municipal revenue signal that can support downtown and amenity-focused development.

Dennis Edwards, president and CEO of Visit Raleigh, highlighted shifts in demand toward free cultural assets and family destinations, saying, “If you look at the number of museums that we have here that are free of charge and what's happening just at Dicks Park and and the Trolls and between the Trolls and the Gibson play area and the amount of visitors that that's bringing into the market, I think we just are changing our focus a little bit more.” That emphasis on quality-of-place assets aligns with the Destination Strategic Plan’s goal to increase overnight visitation substantially through 2028.

The Destination Strategic Plan was a recurring touchpoint at the summit: organizers referenced DSP tools such as the Interlocal Fund, the Blue Ribbon Task Force charged with implementation, and the People-First Tourism initiative each municipality is expected to engage. Municipal recommendations featured in the DSP — Apex’s breweries and farm-to-table branding, Cary’s meetings district and amateur youth sports focus, Fuquay-Varina’s Freedom Balloon Festival, and quality-of-place branding for Garner and Holly Springs — were presented as ready-made hooks for hotel developers targeting niche demand segments. A visual caption noting Knightdale’s train appeared among municipal materials; attendees also referenced the CVB’s prior hotel summit materials, including a June 13, 2019 presentation, to trace pipeline progress.

Organizers pledged follow-up resources: a dedicated landing page will remain live year-round and be updated quarterly for developers seeking the latest Wake County development insights. Visit Raleigh said the summit’s immediate outcome was tangible connections. “The connections formed and insights shared throughout the day set the stage for future collaborations that will shape the next chapter of hotel development throughout Wake County,” the CVB wrote, signaling an active push to translate growing visitation and municipal strategies into concrete hotel projects before the DSP’s 2028 horizon.