IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) today reveals the future-ready Holiday Inn Express Generation 5 public space design set to attract and excite travellers and owners across Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa (EMEAA) when it’s launched later this year.
Holiday Inn Express – the world’s biggest hotel brand – has blazed a trail for simple, smart travel since 1990, when it was created to challenge convention in the industry.
Now, the brand’s new Generation 5 concept will once again redefine the segment, reinforcing Holiday Inn Express as the category leader across EMEAA, where it is set to reach 500 open and pipeline properties in the next three years. Generation 5 once again shows the brand’s commitment to delivering more where it matters most, with its innovative flexible design elevating the guest experience while continuing to offer great value.
Born from significant investment into research* on guest behaviour, the future of work, entertainment, wellbeing, food and drink, and digital experience, this striking, fresh design anticipates the needs and desires of travellers and owners through to 2030 – and beyond.
By introducing experiential zones, it is responding to insights showing that travellers are increasingly looking for inspirational, vibrant, and dynamic spaces. The rising demand for sensorial experiences is also met, with the concept encouraging guests to connect and unwind in cool and energising social areas such as the EXPRESS Café & Bar.
Embracing a more lifestyle-oriented experience, Generation 5 will bring to life the diversity of EMEAA’s markets. Each hotel will offer a sense of its destination with a nod to the local aesthetic and vibe, while always remaining true to the Holiday Inn Express brand.
Reflecting the brand’s continued commitment to meeting the diverse needs of guests, the development of the Generation 5 concept included working with a disability task force** to understand the challenges of navigating public spaces with a disability.
The new design also meets the needs of hotel owners by allowing design flexibility and scalability in a way that’s mindful of cost and remains financially competitive, while continuing to drive performance and returns in the time-honoured fashion of the much-loved brand.
Holiday Inn Express Next Generation 5 will make its debut in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when Holiday Inn Express Riyadh opens its doors in 2026, with 10 projects in the UK and Continental Europe confirmed as early adopters, and a further 20 having expressed interest.
John Wright, Vice President, Mainstream Brands, EMEAA, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “At IHG, we are continually evolving and investing in our brands to meet the needs of our guests and owners, and our new Holiday Inn Express Generation 5 design is a great example of this.
“Generation 5 is a premium, vibrant, and dynamic design that leans into a lifestyle vibe that’s on trend. Its playful and distinctive nature defines the witty personality of Holiday Inn Express, while its flexibility ensures each hotel reflects a sense of place, with contemporary artwork and nods to its location.
“Generation 5 will ensure the Holiday Inn Express brand continues to meet the needs of mainstream travellers through experiential zones which are designed around their lifestyles – from Focus Studio with quiet areas to the energising and enlivening EXPRESS Café & Bar. This will increase guest dwell time outside of their rooms, while the efficient layout will boost performance and owner returns.”
The Generation 5 concept continues the dynamic evolution of the Holiday Inn Express brand and follows the 2016 introduction of its ‘Next Generation’ design that revolutionised its hotel public spaces and guest rooms, improved service delivery, and introduced new technology to enhance the guest experience.
Holiday Inn Express guest rooms will continue to offer the perfect balance of comforts with smart design features, such as flexible workspaces, ergonomically designed chairs, ample USB ports and plug sockets, higher quality bedding, and Smart TVs that enable them to stream media from a personal device.
There are 3,206 (340,054 rooms) Holiday Inn Express hotels open around the world, with 644 properties (79,079 rooms) in its growing pipeline.
