'How this hotel's bizarre room feature gave me the best sleep I've had in months'
It's 6.40am, and I'm gently woken up in my hotel bed by the smell of coffee wafting over to me.
But the aroma isn't coming from an espresso machine, or even from the hotel's breakfast buffet - it's coming from the clock on the nightstand.
I'm trying out a brand-spanking new invention: the breakfast alarm clock. And despite my initial scepticism, I'm now fully on board.
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The alarm clock wakes you up with a gentle smell. Supplied
IHG's Holiday Inn Express knows that there's nothing worse than the blare of an alarm clock first thing in the morning.
But you know what is good? Slowly being roused as the smell of coffee and breakfast fills the room. And so, their Breakfast Alarm Clock was born.
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Upon checking into my room at Holiday Inn Express Sydney Airport, I'm given options for which scent I'd like to be woken with: bacon, blueberry muffin, and coffee.
All I have to do is put a few drops of scented oil into the diffuser, set the time I wish to be woken, and drift off to sleep.
Holiday Inn Express rooms are designed to maximise sleep. Supplied
If you're worried that waking up to the delicious smell of breakfast will make you too hungry, don't worry - all Holiday Inn Express bookings come with free breakfast.
The hotel chain's new alarm clocks are a nod to that much-loved perk, and were inspired by feedback from travelling Aussies.
Through research, they found 60 per cent of Australians say a pleasant smell helps, or would help, them feel better when they wake up, especially when travelling.
Respondents cited coffee, baked goods, and bacon as the scents that would best lift their morning mood.
You could also be woken by the smell of bacon. Getty
Dean Jones, Vice President of Commercial, East Asia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts, says "the experience was designed to help guests reclaim their mornings."
The new alarm clock adds to the IHG's commitment of delivering a sensational sleep experience, the brand says.
Rooms at Holiday Inn Express properties, for example, have power showers, the choice of firm or soft pillows, blackout blinds, and bedside charging ports.
I can definitely vouch for all of those things - during my stay, I had one of the best sleeps I've had in months.
There are two types of pillows available. Supplied
Recently, every morning I've been woken up at 4am by my baby, who thinks that's when the day is supposed to start.
But even if I weren't a sleep-deprived mum, I know I'd really appreciate the gentle wake-up provided by the scented alarm clock.
The Breakfast Alarm Clock experience is available for a limited time from October, at all Holiday Inn Express hotels across Australia and New Zealand, as well as participating hotels in Singapore, Thailand, and Japan.
The writer stayed as a guest of IHG.
