InterContinental Hotels Group has unveiled the next evolution of the prototype for its Holiday Inn Express brand which has been developed for the brand’s portfolio of hotels in the U.S. and Canada.

The newly-evolved prototype will build on this successful track record of the brand and accelerate growth in the key markets where our target guests travel.

“Our guests are at the heart of what we do, and the updates we’ve made to our already successful prototype design are deeply rooted in guest insight,” said Jennifer Gribble, Director, Head of Americas Holiday Inn Express Brand, IHG.

“The Holiday Inn Express® brand target guest travels for both business and leisure, values efficiency and simplicity, and wants a great ‘base camp’ when they travel, and the updated prototype includes purposeful design features to deliver on those needs.”

The updates seek to embody a fresh, dynamic, and focused design features that enable an efficient and engaging stay, creating a distinctive style that is evident at every touch point of the Holiday Inn Express brand experience.

The guest room provides a revitalized, contemporary space with comforts and features such as flexible work space, functional storage units and moveable seating.

The Great Room, a multi-purpose area in the lobby of the hotel, encompasses the Holiday Inn Express brand’s Express Start breakfast bar, dining area and additional seating areas. The room provides an environment where guests can tailor their experience, whether interacting with an individual or group, working or taking a break.

“We worked very closely with a number of our key owners to develop the updated prototype design for Holiday Inn Express to ensure that it is efficient to build and operate and will deliver strong financial returns,” said Joel Eisemann, Chief Development Officer, IHG. “Engaging with both our owners and our guests is a key part of our strategy as we evolve our brands.”

To create greater efficiencies and optimize return on investment for new and existing Holiday Inn Express hotel owners, the updated prototype design will also provide owners with a full set of architecture, engineering and interior design construction documents for the first time, which will be available late Q2 2014.

Additionally, some of the operating efficiencies for the evolved prototype include a modular design, durable materials and finishes with low/easy maintenance, flexible use of space in great room, and LED lighting to reduce energy costs.  For both new construction and renovations, a complete design solution to drive consistency and guest satisfaction will be available.