Drift off dreaming of brekkie: Holiday Inn Express launches the world’s first Breakfast Pillow in Australia

• 8 in 10 Australians (80%) say familiar breakfast sounds help them feel calm while travelling
• 87% of travellers rely on something to help them fall asleep when away from home
• The world’s first Breakfast Pillow by Holiday Inn Express transforms Australians’ most comforting breakfast sounds into breakfast-inspired white noise tracks
• The Breakfast Pillow is part of the brand’s continued mission to help guests sleep better, wake easier and never miss brekkie again

Holiday Inn Express by IHG in Australia has launched the world’s first Breakfast Pillow for a limited time, inviting travellers to drift off to the soothing sounds of a free hot breakfast through four brekkie-inspired sleep tracks. Designed to help guests rest better, wake easier and start the day ready for whatever’s next, the custom-designed and built pillow features hidden speakers that transform comforting breakfast sounds into a unique sleep experience.

Building on the success of last year’s Breakfast Alarm Clock, Holiday Inn Express is once again putting breakfast at the heart of the guest experience. Available to trial through a new stay package at all Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia and New Zealand, the Breakfast Pillow will give guests a playful new way to switch off at night before waking up to enjoy the real thing.

Guests can choose from four breakfast white noise tracks, each inspired by the breakfast sounds Australians ranked as the most comforting while travelling. Created from sounds recorded during a real Holiday Inn Express breakfast service, the tracks feature coffee brewing, the sound of sizzling bacon, fresh juice being poured and the ambience of everyday breakfast buffet chatter – each transformed into calming white noise to help guests relax, unwind and drift off. The Breakfast Pillow also features customisable buttons for guests to adjust the sound and select their preferred length of play.

The idea was inspired by new research commissioned by the brand, which found nearly three-quarters of Australians (72%) find breakfast sounds comforting or relaxing while travelling, while 80% say familiar breakfast sounds help them feel calm away from home.

The findings come as Australians increasingly rely on familiar comforts to switch off when they’re away, with 87% relying on something to help them fall asleep in hotels and more than a quarter (26%) turning to background noise to drift off. And, with one in five (20%) admitting they’re already thinking about breakfast before they’ve even fallen asleep, brekkie became a fitting sleep soundtrack.

Dean Jones, Vice President of Commercial, East Asia & Pacific at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the Breakfast Pillow was born from a simple question: if breakfast can help guests wake up happier, could it also help them fall asleep?

“Last year we helped guests wake up to the smell of breakfast. This year we started wondering whether breakfast could actually help them fall asleep, too,” said Jones.

"Holiday Inn Express has always believed a great day starts with a great night’s sleep, so creating a pillow inspired by our free hot breakfast felt like a playful but surprisingly meaningful way to bring those two things together.

“Breakfast is one of the most familiar, enjoyable rituals of the day – and it was surprising how comforting the everyday sounds of breakfast were for so many Australians, especially when they’re away from home. A free hot breakfast has become one of Holiday Inn Express’ most recognisable brand experiences, making it the natural inspiration for the latest innovation by the brand.”

The Breakfast Pillow builds on Holiday Inn Express’ long-standing focus on helping guests recharge through a great night’s sleep and a simple, smart stay experience. As the latest addition to the brand’s Express Recharge experience, it complements a suite of thoughtful sleep-focused touches – from comfortable beds and a choice of firm or soft pillows to blackout blinds, power showers and a free hot breakfast.

The Breakfast Pillow experience will be available for a limited time from 19 August 2026 to 30 November 2026, with their choice of accommodation, a Breakfast Pillow for the duration of the stay and free breakfast. Guests can book their stay and experience sleep like never before at holidayinnexpress.com/freebreakfast.

Holiday Inn Express is one of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ fastest-growing brands globally and continues to expand across Australia and New Zealand, where guests can now stay at 8 hotels, with new destinations continuing to join the portfolio including Holiday Inn Express Perth Cockburn opening later this year.

IHG Hotels & Resorts (tickers: LON:IHG for Ordinary Shares; NYSE: IHG for ADRs) is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.

With a family of 21 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes with over 160 million members, IHG has more than one million rooms across 7,000 hotels in over 100 countries, and a development pipeline of a further 2,400 properties.

• Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Vignette Collection, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo
• Premium: Noted Collection, voco, Ruby, HUALUXE, Crowne Plaza, EVEN
• Essentials: Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Garner, avid
• Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites
• Exclusive Partners: Iberostar Beachfront Resorts

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 400,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG One Rewards. To download the IHG One Rewards app, visit the Apple App or Google Play stores.

For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn.

^*Survey Methodology

The research was conducted by YouGov Plc on behalf of IHG Hotels & Resorts, among a sample of 1,016 Australian adults (aged 18+) who travelled for at least one night in the past 12 months. The data was collected between 1st May - 5th May 2026.