IHG opens its second Holiday Inn Express in Japan, a three-way renovation deal in Sapporo's Susukino

IHG Hotels & Resorts has opened Holiday Inn Express Sapporo Susukino, a 223-room hotel in Sapporo's Susukino entertainment district, according to a company release dated 18 July. It is only the second Holiday Inn Express in Japan and the first in Hokkaido, IHG said — and the first in the country built to the brand's newest ‘Generation 5’ design.

The hotel sits a five-minute walk from Susukino subway station, close to Odori Park, the Sapporo Clock Tower and Nijo Market, according to the release, and offers a fitness centre, self-service guest laundry and a complimentary ‘Express Start’ breakfast at its Express Café.

"Susukino never stops — it's a neighbourhood full of energy, flavour and discovery," said Kotake Seiichi, general manager of Holiday Inn Express Sapporo Susukino, in the release.

The building itself is not new. According to a separate release from Tokyo Tatemono dated 27 April, the 223-room, 13-storey property was an existing hotel that Mitsubishi Corp Urban Development, Tokyo Tatemono and Sankei Building jointly renovated, then rebranded under IHG's globally deployed Holiday Inn Express flag.

That structure — three Japanese property companies buying into an existing hotel and re-flagging it, rather than building new — is a cheaper, faster way to plant an internationally recognised budget brand in a market where both construction costs and land are tight. Sapporo is also the main gateway into Hokkaido's ski country, and a reliably priced hotel carrying a globally trusted name looks like a sound bet on rising inbound demand there. IHG's top end in Japan is already covered, including a Six Senses retreat in Kyoto that floortok has reported on; what a market like this still needs filling out is the budget and midscale tiers, and this is where IHG is now putting its next Japan openings.