10.04 pm 'Eureka' moment may spell the end of early nights

Crowne Plaza, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has found that staying up that little bit later could help to inspire your most inventive ideas.

Twenty-five per cent of people questioned stated that they preferred to 'burn the midnight oil' in order to bring out their inner Einstein and recognized 10.04pm as the time when they felt most imaginative.

The humble shower has been cited as the most creative space with 44% of those questioned revealing that the constant flow of fresh water helps stimulate the mind and get their creative juices flowing.

Nearly a third of people questioned felt that removing themselves from the traditional daytime office environment let their creativity run wild - a thought that is shared by Crowne Plaza innovator and award-winning designer Stefan Sagmeister who believes that experiencing a new environment, especially when travelling away from home, is conducive to formulating new ideas unhampered by familiarity. Indeed, much of Sagmeister's work has been conceived whilst staying in hotels around the world.

58% of respondents admitted to forgetting their best ideas when failing to write them down immediately - something that the team behind Crowne Plaza hopes the Think Note can curb. Interestingly, four out of five people questioned found that when they did note down an idea they would never lose it.

Whilst 10.04pm proved to be a crucial time of day in terms of creativity, the results also uncovered 4.33pm as the time when we are feeling at our least creative. A huge 92% of us admitted feeling uninspired in the afternoon.

The survey also found that women are the most effective at recording their best ideas with 37% of them choosing to scribble notes on the back of a tissue or napkin. This narrowly beat the back of receipts, the back of the hand and cigarette packets as the most preferred means of on-the-go note-making for both sexes.

Perhaps surprisingly, the research has found that nearly a third of those over the age of 35 years old still choose to jot notes and ideas on the back of their hands.

Mindful that the best ideas often come up when you may least expect them, Crowne Plaza has teamed up with Grammy award-winning designer and typographer, Stefan Sagmeister, who has produced Think Notes for the hotel's executive rooms.

Each Think Note will feature a piece of his artwork on the front with a blank space on the back for business travellers to capture their own musings and ideas. The playing card sized Think Notes will be available throughout the autumn in 47 selected hotels across Benelux, Germany, Italy, Middle East and UK.

Crowne Plaza Innovator and award-winning artist, Stefan Sagmeister said:

"The Think Notes mirror my own creative process. I find that being away from familiar surroundings offers me a new perspective which alters how I am inspired. I hope to pass that inspiration onto all those who interact with the art at Crowne Plaza hotels."

Stefan Sagmeister is the second innovator to be revealed as part of this year's Think Tank campaign, which sees the hotel brand sign up a number of creative and business leaders as 'Crowne Plaza innovators'. Each innovator is working with the hotel brand to create a different product or service which directly benefits business travellers staying at Crowne Plaza hotels.

"The best ideas tend to come we least expect them and that's often late at night. With this simple Think Notes device we can help ensure creativity is not restricted to the traditional work environment and that our business guests can get the most out of their time in our hotels,"

concluded Gavin Hawthorn, Crowne Plaza spokesperson.