Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 16, 2025
News Summary
Moss has started construction on The Dunes Fort Lauderdale, a 16-story, 205-room oceanfront hotel at 441 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard to be managed by Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The roughly 206,000-square-foot project, developed by G. Holdings (Granite) and costing more than $175 million, includes ocean-facing dining, a mezzanine event venue, a third-floor pool deck, a rooftop bar, and subterranean valet parking. The groundbreak comes amid a cooling national hotel pipeline driven mainly by higher financing costs, prompting more renovations and conversions while many planned projects remain stalled.
Moss Breaks Ground on The Dunes Fort Lauderdale as U.S. Hotel Pipeline Slows Amid High Rates
Moss has started construction on The Dunes Fort Lauderdale, a new 16-story, 205-room hotel being built for developer G. Holdings Group and to be operated by Marriott International under its Autograph Collection. The project is moving forward even as the nationwide hotel development pipeline shows growing congestion, with high borrowing costs and tight lending conditions delaying many planned projects.
Project details: what is being built
The Dunes Fort Lauderdale will rise at 441 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard along A1A. The building is roughly 206,000 square feet and is estimated at more than $175 million. The design was led by FSMY Architects & Planners, with interiors by Studio Munge. Key features include an ocean-facing restaurant, a mezzanine-level event venue, a third-floor pool and bar deck, a rooftop bar and dining venue with panoramic views, and a valet-operated subterranean parking garage. No public construction timeline was released.
Why this project matters now
The Dunes represents the first Autograph Collection hotel in Fort Lauderdale and is part of a smaller set of projects that are pushing ahead despite wider industry caution. Moss has regional experience, with offices in Florida, Texas and Hawaii, and has overseen other Florida hospitality projects including The Opal Sol Resort in Clearwater, the St. Regis Resort and Residences in Longboat Key, and the JW Marriott Beach and Resort in Clearwater.
National picture: construction slows, planning grows
At the end of the second quarter, roughly 139,000 hotel rooms were under construction across the U.S., a drop of about 15,000 rooms compared to the same time last year. At the same time, the number of rooms stuck in planning and final planning stages has swelled to more than 615,000 rooms, with rooms in the final planning stage rising nearly 10% year over year. That combination — fewer rooms actively being built and more sitting in the pipeline — is creating congestion and raising the risk that overall supply growth could stall further.
Main headwinds: interest rates and lending
Industry analysis points to elevated interest rates as the primary factor slowing new construction. Many hotel deals have become difficult to finance because development costs remain high while lenders are cautious. Although labor shortages and higher material prices are challenges, they have not been the main drivers of the recent slowdown. Instead, tight lending and higher borrowing costs have pushed developers to pause or delay breaking ground.
How developers are adapting
Faced with financing constraints, many owners and brands are shifting focus away from ground-up construction toward conversions and renovations of existing properties, which can be less capital-intensive and easier to finance. Nevertheless, brands continue to push new products and many developers remain hopeful that financing conditions will ease, with several expecting improvement around 2026.
Broader implications
The current pipeline congestion signals that the country’s already slow hotel supply growth may slow further. A large backlog of projects in planning could keep construction activity muted if lending conditions and interest rates do not improve. At the same time, projects like The Dunes show that select developments with committed financing and experienced partners can still move forward.
What to watch next
- Movement of projects from final planning into active construction.
- Changes in interest rates and bank lending policies that affect construction financing.
- Whether renovation and conversion activity continues to outpace ground-up starts.
- Construction timelines and any public updates for The Dunes Fort Lauderdale.
FAQ
Q: Where is The Dunes Fort Lauderdale located?
A: The hotel is planned for 441 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard along A1A in Fort Lauderdale.
Q: How large is the project and what are its main features?
A: The Dunes is a 16-story, roughly 206,000-square-foot hotel with 205 rooms. Planned amenities include an ocean-facing restaurant, mezzanine event space, third-floor pool and bar deck, rooftop bar and dining with panoramic views, and an underground valet parking garage.
Q: Who is building and operating the hotel?
A: Moss is the construction manager on behalf of developer G. Holdings Group, and the hotel will be operated by Marriott International under the Autograph Collection brand.
Q: Why are so many hotel projects delayed nationwide?
A: The primary cause is high interest rates and tighter lending, which have made many development deals hard to finance. Labor and material costs add pressure but are not the main reason for the recent slowdown.
Q: What is the status of hotel construction across the U.S.?
A: About 139,000 rooms were under construction at the end of Q2, down roughly 15,000 from a year earlier. Meanwhile more than 615,000 rooms remain in planning stages, including a near 10% rise in rooms in final planning year over year.
Q: When might conditions improve?
A: Many developers expect financing and lending conditions to improve by 2026, though that timeline depends on broader economic and interest rate trends.
Key Project and Pipeline Features
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project name | The Dunes Fort Lauderdale |
| Developer / Construction manager | G. Holdings Group / Moss |
| Operator / Brand | Marriott International – Autograph Collection |
| Address | 441 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard (A1A) |
| Size | 205 rooms; 16 stories; ~206,000 sq ft; >$175 million |
| Main amenities | Ocean-facing restaurant; mezzanine event venue; 3rd-floor pool/bar deck; rooftop bar/dining; subterranean valet parking |
| Design teams | FSMY Architects & Planners (architecture); Studio Munge (interiors) |
| National pipeline – under construction | ~139,000 rooms (end of Q2), down ~15,000 year-over-year |
| National pipeline – planning | >615,000 rooms in planning/final planning; final planning up nearly 10% year-over-year |
| Primary headwind | Elevated interest rates and tight lending; developers shifting to conversions/renovations |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- MSN: Construction Commences on The Dunes Fort Lauderdale Hotel
- Wikipedia: The Dunes Fort Lauderdale
- Hotel News Resource: Moss Breaks Ground on The Dunes Fort Lauderdale
- Google Search: The Dunes Fort Lauderdale
- REBusinessOnline: Moss Begins Construction on $175M Dunes Fort Lauderdale Hotel
- Google Scholar: Fort Lauderdale hotel construction
- ConnectCRE: New $175M Fort Lauderdale Hotel to Carry Marriott Brand
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Fort Lauderdale
- Hotel Online: Moss Breaks Ground on The Dunes Fort Lauderdale — An Autograph Collection Hotel
- Google News: The Dunes Fort Lauderdale
