IHG Hotels & Resorts has opened the Holiday Inn Express Sapporo Susukino, marking the brand's debut on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The 223-room hotel, located in what IHG calls the largest entertainment district in northern Japan, is only the second Holiday Inn Express in the entire country.

General manager Kotake Seiichi noted that Susukino 'never stops' - which is convenient, because neither do the guests, who apparently come for the city's legendary food scene, business, or just to explore. The hotel is also the first in Japan to feature the Generation 5 (Gen 5) design, which focuses on flexible spaces that adapt to how guests move, work, and relax. Because nothing says 'smart simplicity' like a fifth-generation hotel design.

Guests can enjoy a fitness centre, Wi-Fi, and self-service laundry - all the essentials, plus the joy of doing your own laundry on vacation. This opening follows IHG's recent signing of three franchise deals for Holiday Inn Express hotels in Spain, adding 653 rooms in Madrid, Málaga, and Barcelona. Clearly, IHG is on a mission to ensure no continent is left without a reliably mediocre place to sleep.