The Breakfast Pillow. Photo: IHG Hotels & Resorts Holiday Inn Express by IHG has launched what it describes as the world’s first Breakfast Pillow, a limited-time sleep innovation designed to help travelers relax at night using the familiar sounds of breakfast.
The pillow is being introduced across Holiday Inn Express hotels in Australia and New Zealand from August 19 through November 30, 2026, as part of a new stay package that includes accommodation, the Breakfast Pillow for the duration of the stay and the brand’s free hot breakfast.
The Breakfast Pillow. Photo: IHG Hotels & ResortsThe unusual concept follows the success of Holiday Inn Express’ Breakfast Alarm Clock introduced last year. This time, instead of using breakfast to encourage guests to wake up, the hotel brand is turning breakfast sounds into soothing white noise designed to help them fall asleep.
The custom-designed pillow contains hidden speakers and offers guests a choice of four breakfast-inspired tracks. The sounds were recorded during an actual Holiday Inn Express breakfast service and include coffee brewing, sizzling bacon, fresh juice being poured and the general ambience of a breakfast buffet.
Guests can use built-in buttons to adjust the sound and choose how long the tracks play.
The Breakfast Pillow. Photo: IHG Hotels & ResortsThe idea is based on research commissioned by Holiday Inn Express examining the role familiar sounds play in helping travelers relax while away from home.
According to the research, 72% of Australians find breakfast sounds comforting or relaxing when traveling, while 80% say familiar breakfast sounds help them feel calm when they are away from home.
The research also found that 87% of Australians rely on something to help them fall asleep in hotels, while 26% use background noise to drift off. Meanwhile, one in five respondents said they are already thinking about breakfast before falling asleep.
For Holiday Inn Express, those findings provided an unusual opportunity to connect its signature free breakfast with the sleep experience.
“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 Dean Jones, Vice President of Commercial, East Asia & Pacific at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
He said the Breakfast Pillow was inspired by the idea that a great day begins with a good night's sleep, while breakfast remains one of the brand's most recognizable guest experiences.
The Breakfast Pillow forms part of Holiday Inn Express' wider Express Recharge concept, which focuses on helping guests rest and recharge during their stays.
The experience combines the new pillow with the brand's existing sleep-focused features, including comfortable beds, firm and soft pillow choices, blackout blinds and power showers, followed by a free hot breakfast in the morning.
The limited-time Breakfast Pillow package will be available at Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia and New Zealand until November 30, 2026.
Holiday Inn Express currently has eight hotels across the two countries, with further expansion planned, including the upcoming Holiday Inn Express Perth Cockburn.