Holiday Inn Express adds scent-based alarm clocks to rooms

Beeps and buzzers, be gone — the Holiday Inn Express Breakfast Alarm Clock is a brand-new device that wakes guests up with the sweet and savory smells of breakfast instead.

The Holiday Inn Express Breakfast Alarm Clock is a new device that will wake guests up with the smell of breakfast.IHG

All Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia and New Zealand, as well as participating hotels in Singapore, Thailand and Japan, will offer patrons the chance to trial the new experience.

Guests will be able to pick the wake-up scent of their choice, with options including Coffee, Bacon and Blueberry Muffin in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Nashi Pear in Japan, and Mango in Singapore and Thailand.

The alarm itself acts like a diffuser, releasing the delicious scent of your favorite breakfast item when it’s time to wake up.

The concept was inspired by research commissioned by Holiday Inn Express that found that 58% of travelers in the Asia Pacific said a pleasant smell would help them feel better when they wake up — especially while traveling.

“We know from the research that travelers across Asia Pacific are struggling with sleep, and many skip breakfast when they travel – sometimes to save money,” Dean Jones, Vice President of Commercial, East Asia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said in a statement.

Respondents also shared which scents would help elevate their mornings: coffee or tea (56%), baked goods (38%), fresh fruit (30%), and bacon and eggs (43% in Australia).

“Waking up and maintaining a routine while traveling 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 fresh croissant can work wonders — especially when it’s free,” Jones added.

The Breakfast Alarm Clock experience is available for a limited time starting Oct. 20, 2025.

By Brooke Steinberg