Waking up to Breakfast Alarm Clock Scents at Holiday Inn Express

That jarring ringtone on alarm clocks can be especially annoying in the early mornings.
IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Holiday Inn Express has stepped up their morning game with an innovative twist, introducing their all-new Breakfast Alarm Clock.

Instead of sounds, the clock releases your chosen scent, filling the hotel room with the aroma of breakfast.

We had our stay at Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay – Queen Standard Top Floor with Free Breakfast for a night and it was quite a pleasant experience. The rooms were clean and tidied, with decent facilities for a basic stay. Of course, the most interesting part was their newest concept.

Experience of the Breakfast Alarm Clock

It took us a little while to figure out how to set up the alarm clock, but there was an instruction card beside it, and a housekeeping staff even came into our room to assist. The steps were actually quite straightforward – just open the lid, pour water into the box, add a few drops of essential oil, set the time, and you’re all set!

Choose from 3 different scents:

Coffee
Blueberry
Mango

Personally, my favourite was Coffee as it reminded me of cafes.

I found this concept really cool and unique as it offered a completely different way to wake up. Honestly, I wished I could take one home!

Love breakfast? Check out our ultimate breakfast cafe guide in Singapore!

If you ever get to try this alarm clock, I’d still recommend setting a backup alarm on your phone as not everyone’s sensitive enough to wake up just from the breakfast scent.

Free Breakfast at the hotel

The breakfast buffet offered a decent spread, with muffins and pastries kept warm in a heated display to stay crisp. There was a good mix of meat and rice/noodle dishes, alongside classic breakfast staples like scrambled eggs, sausages, tater tots, cereal, and yogurt.

But if you’re in a rush, you can also opt for the grab-and-go option.

Other features of the hotel

Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay also features a gorgeous 40-metre rooftop swimming pool with a transparent glass finish for that perfect picture moment. There is also a jacuzzi at the side for relaxing.

The lobby features a cafe and bar for convenient bites, and for more budget-friendly options, there are a few vending machines located just outside the hotel.

Participating hotels

Australia & New Zealand:
On Sale: 24 September 2025 to 30 September 2026
Valid Stay Dates: 20 October 2025 to 31 October 2026

Singapore:
On Sale: 25 September to 21 October 2025
Valid Stay Dates: 1 to 22 October 2025

Thailand:
On Sale: 30 October to 26 November 2025
Valid Stay Dates: 6 to 27 November 2025

Japan:
On Sale: 18 October 2025 to 29 March 2026
Valid Stay Dates: 20 October 2025 to 31 March 2026

Book your stay here.

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Monice Cheung

A passionate baker at day and blogger at night, Monice’s life revolves around nothing less than food and cakes. Despite facing cakes all day, her true love is in fact sushi and steamboat. Her passion for food and travel has also sparked her initial interest in penning down her experiences on her personal blog – m0nice.com