The survey by Costa Mesa-based Atlas Hospitality Group says that five new hotels comprising 518 rooms have opened in the Inland Empire thus far this year, compared with four hotels totaling 805 rooms for the same period last year. The new properties include three in Riverside with 331 rooms and two in San Bernardino with 187 rooms.

The Atlas study shows that Indian casinos remain a big force in the Inland hospitality industry, with two of the largest properties now under construction being casino hotels. Overall, hotel construction in the two-county region remains at about the same level this year as last, with 875 rooms under construction this year compared to 907 for the first half of 2002.

The new hotels opened in 2003 include the Hyatt Grand Champion Resort at Indian Wells a 139-room expansion; an ExtendedStay America Palm Springs, 104 rooms; the Hampton Inn & Suites Palm Desert, 88 rooms; the Holiday Inn Express Barstow, 110 rooms; and a 77-room Comfort Suites in Victorville.

In terms of new hotels under construction, Riverside County has three hotels with 627 rooms, and San Bernardino County also has three hotels with 248 rooms. In the same period last year, Riverside County had six hotels under construction with 682 rooms and San Bernardino County had three hotels with 225 rooms.

The hotels in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties under construction include the 310-room Casino Morongo Hotel, the 250-room Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, the 67-room Comfort Suites Murrieta, the 105-room Baymont Inn & Suites Ontario, the 105-room Hampton Inn & Suites Ontario and the 53-room La Quinta Hesperia.