IHG to unveil second Holiday Inn & Suites in Japan

IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announced today an agreement with Minami Nijo Operations, a wholly-owned subsidiary of World Brands Collection Hotels & Resorts, to open Japan’s second Holiday Inn & Suites later this year, which will be owned by a fund managed by Goldman Sachs.

The 195-room Holiday Inn & Suites Sapporo Odori Park will open in late 2025 following an extensive renovation which includes all guest rooms, the addition of a new gym, and the introduction of a lobby café as part of Holiday Inn’s Open Lobby concept, a design-led and versatile space where guests can choose how they connect and relax.

When it opens, Holiday Inn & Suites Sapporo Odori Park will join more than 1,200 Holiday Inn hotels and resorts around the world and eight Holiday Inn hotels in Japan. The brand has consistently evolved over the years, placing guests at the centre of its innovation and earning the reputation as one of the world’s most loved, trusted and recognised hotel brands.

Abhijay Sandilya, CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan and Managing Director of IHG Hotels & Resorts Japan & Micronesia, said: “We’re excited to be working in partnership with World Brands Collection Hotels & Resorts and Goldman Sachs to bring the Holiday Inn & Suites brand to the centre of Sapporo and lead this hotel into an exciting new chapter.

“At IHG, we have developed the brands, enterprise platform and excellent capabilities needed to successfully attract conversion opportunities and have them open in short time frames offering guests new experiences and options whether they are travelling for leisure, business or blended travel.

“This agreement adds to what will be the biggest year ever for the Holiday Inn brand family in Japan. Since the start of 2025 we have returned the brand to Kyoto and are set to open three more hotels under the Holiday Inn brand this year, including in Tokyo.”

Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, is a bustling metropolis surrounded by incredible nature. It is renowned for beautiful seasonal scenery, great food experiences including fresh seafood and a year-round calendar of events including the annual Sapporo Snow Festival.

The Hokkaido area continues to grow in popularity with a 40% increase in international travellers in 2024 versus 2019. Also, international weekly flight numbers have continued to increase during the first quarter of 2025 exceeding 2019 levels for the first time.

Hiroshi Komoto, Representative Director and President of World Brands Collection Hotels & Resorts said: “Following our successful collaboration with IHG on the debut of the Six Senses brand in Japan, it’s wonderful to be expanding our partnership into a new segment and new destination.

“The Holiday Inn brand is globally recognised and enables visitors to stay with a brand they know and trust. We believe this property will be a fantastic choice for travellers to explore the beauty and wonders of Sapporo when it opens.”

Holiday Inn & Suites Sapporo Odori Park will offer a choice of rooms or suites as well as a range of facilities including a gym, meeting spaces, a restaurant and a large public bath on an upper floor of the hotel.

Located at the end of the well-known Tanukikoji Shopping Street in the popular downtown Susukino area, and a short walk to Odori Park, which is host to many events, the hotel will cater to both international and domestic travellers.

IHG Hotels & Resorts operates five hotels in Hokkaido across three brands – Vignette Collection, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts and looks forward to the debut of the InterContinental brand later this year with the opening of InterContinental Sapporo.

Across Japan, IHG operates 52 hotels across 10 brands, with 14 hotels in the pipeline.

With a family of 20 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes with over 145 million members, IHG has more than 6,600 open hotels in over 100 countries, and a development pipeline of over 2,200 properties.

• Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo
• Premium: voco hotels, Ruby, HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, EVEN Hotels
• Essentials: Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Garner hotels, avid hotels
• Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites
• Exclusive Partners: Iberostar Beachfront Resorts

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 385,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG One Rewards. To download the new IHG One Rewards app, visit the Apple App or Google Play stores.

For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn.