Steadily expanding demand, in line with a moderately growing U.S. economy and a still low rate of new room construction, bodes well for the U.S. hotel industry in the near term, leading executives in the business said on Monday. A surge in deals for U.S. hotels, driven in part by Chinese money seeking investment abroad, has led to worries of a market that might be getting expensive. Sales volume was up 81 percent to $13.3 billion in the first four months of the year in the Americas, driven by U.S. deals, according to Jones Lang LaSalle.