Given how global travellers are struggling to wake up fresh on the road, IHG Hotels & Resorts brand Holiday Inn Express introduces a playful new way to get up and go with The Breakfast Alarm Clock.

Now available for a limited time at participating Holiday Inn Express hotels in Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, the in-room device is the world’s first scent-based alarm clock created and designed by a hotel brand, waking guests not with loud beeps, but with the irresistible aroma of breakfast favourites.

Guests will be gently roused each morning by their chosen scent, a fragrant reminder of one of the brand’s most loved hallmarks: the Express Start Breakfast, included with every stay.

According to IHG Hotels & Resorts’ vice-president of commercial in East Asia and the Pacific, Dean Jones, the experience was designed to help guests reclaim their mornings and how even small comforts can make a big difference when travelling.

Jones stated, “We know from the research that travellers across the Asia Pacific region are struggling with sleep, and many skip breakfast when they travel: sometimes to save money. We’ve intentionally designed the Holiday Inn Express experience with the best of both worlds: everything needed for a proper night’s sleep, plus a free hot breakfast. We want guests to maximise their stay with us, whether it’s for work or leisure, or both, and the research has been a great way to direct our attention to do more of what matters most.”

All in the numbers

In Holiday Inn Express’ commissioned study The Great Asia Pacific Wake-Up, experts found that restless sleep, chronic snoozing, and skipped breakfasts are common themes across the region.

Indeed, even with the best intentions, travel can throw well-established routines off track. The research revealed 73 percent of travellers across Asia Pacific lose part of their morning routine when away from home, with the most commonly dropped habits being exercise, catching up on emails or news, and eating breakfast.

The Breakfast Alarm Clock concept was inspired by insights from the study, which found that 58 percent of Asia Pacific travellers felt a pleasant smell helps, or would help, them feel better when they wake up.

When asked which scents would lift their morning mood, respondents named coffee or tea, baked goods, and fresh fruit. These top picks have now been bottled into three deliciously familiar wake-up scents available with The Breakfast Alarm Clock: Coffee, Blueberry Muffin, and Mango.

As Jones puts it, “Waking up and maintaining a routine while travelling can be harder than it sounds, which is something the research underscored for us. But we also know the power of scent: that first whiff of coffee or smell of fresh pastry can work wonders especially when it’s free.”

Where to experience The Breakfast Alarm Clock

The Breakfast Alarm Clock experience is rolling out in Singapore, Japan and Australia, and participating hotels in Thailand. For a burst of local flavour, guests in Singapore and Thailand will be woken with a buffet of coffee, blueberry muffin or mango scents to choose from, while guests in Japan will have the choice of coffee, nashi pear and blueberry muffin. When in Australia and New Zealand, guests may opt for the scent of bacon, blueberry muffin, or coffee.

These scents have been inspired by local research that also found fresh fruit and pastry were among the top three favourite buffet items in the region. The experience adds to the brand’s commitment of delivering a sensational sleep experience, including everything from the choice of soft and firm pillows to black out blinds, power showers and bedside charging ports so guests are sure to receive an Express Recharge, every stay.

The Breakfast Alarm Clock experience is available for a limited time till 22nd October in Singapore and from 6th to 27th November in Thailand.