Could breakfast in a pillow help you sleep better?

Holiday Inn Express wants you to fall asleep to the sound of breakfast- literally.

Holiday Inn Express by IHG has rolled out the Breakfast Pillow – a limited run of custom pillows with internal speakers of audio tracks built entirely from breakfast sounds and the newest addition to their Express Recharge sleep platform.

Dean Jones, vice president of Commercial, East Asia & Pacific at IHG Hotels and Resorts, says, “The Breakfast Pillow was developed as a playful extension of Holiday Inn Express’ focus on helping guests sleep better and wake easier.”

But guests don’t need to worry about falling asleep to the sounds of clanging cutlery or slamming of cupboard doors.

Dean says, “The four tracks were created using familiar breakfast sounds, including coffee brewing, bacon sizzling, juice being poured and breakfast ambience, and transformed into calming white-noise.”

The sounds were carefully curated and Dean says, “These sounds were the top-rated breakfast sounds in a recent consumer survey.”

This isn’t a wellness programme either.  Dean says, “The pillow is designed as a relaxation experience rather than a clinical sleep treatment.”

With sleep tourism and the quest to get the best nights’ sleep taking on a life of it’s own in recent years, IHG isn’t trying to follow the trend.

Dean says, “Express Recharge predates the current sleep tourism trend; helping guests sleep well and make the most of their stay has been part of the brand’s DNA since it launched globally in 1991.” He says, “The Breakfast Pillow is the latest, more playful expression of that focus.”

The basics of a hotel are already there and Dean says, “Our guests know that they can rely on Holiday Inn Express for a great sleep experience – with every hotel featuring blackout blinds, pillow choice and power showers.”

The basics are already there and so is the numbers.  Dean says, “Our research for this particular campaign found that 88% of Kiwis rely on something to help them fall asleep when staying away from home, highlighting the importance of familiar comforts and routines when travelling.”

The figure sits inside a wider piece of consumer research.

Dean says, “The findings are part of ‘Between Check-In and Lights Out,’ an insights-led report commissioned by Holiday Inn Express by IHG to better understand the evolving habits shaping the way Kiwis stay and travel, including their hotel settling-in rituals, sleep habits and the familiar comforts they rely on when staying away from home.”

He says, “The research was conducted by PureProfile on behalf of IHG Hotels & Resorts, among 1,018 New Zealand adults aged 18+ who had travelled for at least one night in the previous 12 months. “Data was collected between 18 and 22 May 2026.”

He says respondents were asked about their hotel arrival and settling-in rituals, sleep routines, and the sounds, behaviours and comforts that help them relax when travelling.

“The Breakfast Pillow brings that insight to life in an unexpected way, while adding a distinctive element to the guest experience.” says Dean.

The Breakfast Pillow is currently a limited time experience, with 30 pillows available as part of bookable packages.

Dean says the package is available to book from August 19 to November 30 at all eight Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia and New Zealand.”

While there is no plans to make it a permanent part of the hotel experience, Dean says, “Who knows what the future holds.”