SINGAPORE, 26 SEPTEMBER 2025: From Singapore to Japan and Australia, travellers are struggling to wake up fresh on the road. The Great Asia Pacific Wake-Up, commissioned by Holiday Inn Express, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts' essentials portfolio, found that restless sleep, chronic snoozing, and skipped breakfasts are common themes across the region. 

Even with the best intentions, travel can throw well-established routines off track. The research revealed 73% 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. 

To help make mornings easier and tastier, Holiday Inn Express is introducing a playful new innovation: 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. 

The concept was inspired by insights from the study, which found that 58% 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 (56%), baked goods (38%), and fresh fruit (30%). 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.  

Dean Jones, Vice President of Commercial, East Asia & Pacific at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the experience was designed to help guests reclaim their mornings and how even small comforts can make a big difference when travelling. 

“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.   

Holiday Inn Express is about offering guests more of what matters, so we wanted to take this to new heights with something that we know guests will never forget. 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.” 

The Breakfast Alarm Clock experience is rolling out at 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 stays from 1 to 22 October 2025 in Singapore and 6 to 27 November 2025 in Thailand and guests can book their stay, choose their wake-up scent, and experience mornings like never before at: hiexpress.com/freebreakfast.  

Participating hotels in Singapore include Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Singapore Novena, Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay, Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road, and Holiday Inn Express Singapore Serangoon. In Thailand, guests can enjoy the experience at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bangkok Central Pier, Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sathorn, Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Siam, Holiday Inn Express Pattaya Central, and Holiday Inn Express Rayong. 

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*Survey Methodology 

The research was conducted by YouGov Plc on behalf of IHG Hotels & Resorts, among a sample of 4165 adults (aged 18+). The figures have been weighted and are representative of all travellers aged 18+ in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore. The survey was carried out online, and data was collected between 30 June to 7 July 2025.  

About Holiday Inn Express: 
For travellers on the go, Holiday Inn Express provides more where it matters most – a great night's sleep with our Express Recharge program, focused service from genuine people, and the Express Start Breakfast™ included in the rate, all designed to help guests feel more than ready for their day. As the fastest growing brand for IHG Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express aims to enable real, human connections for our guests by providing a simple, smart travel experience. For more information, visit www.holidayinnexpress.com, and connect with us on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. 

[FOR SINGAPORE] 

Appendix A: The Great Asia Pacific Wake-Up – Singapore Results 

Survey conducted by YouGov for IHG Hotels & Resorts, 30 June – 7 July 2025, n=1,031 Singapore travellers 

Key Sleep and Wake-Up Habits in Singapore 

• 93% of Singapore travellers report difficulties falling or staying asleep in a typical week 

• 59% hit the snooze button more than once when waking up 

Morning Routine Disruptions 

• 37% of Singapore travellers find it harder to wake up on time, and tend to oversleep or snooze more when travelling 

• 75% of Singapore respondents say they lose part of their morning routine when travelling 

• Top skipped habits include: 

• Exercise (33%) 

• Checking news or emails (30%) 

• Breakfast (25%) 

Breakfast and Wake-Up Preferences 

• 74% admit to skipping breakfast while travelling, with 10% of respondents citing time or cost 

• Scents most likely to improve their morning mood: 

• Coffee/Tea (62%)  

• Baked goods (34%) 

• Fresh fruit (24%)  

Generational and Lifestyle Insights 

• Gen Z (72%) and Millennials (74%) are more likely than Gen X (51%) and Boomers (38%) to snooze multiple times 

• Full time students (94%) and full-time workers (74%) more likely to skip breakfast compared to those working part time (60%)