Staking A Place In Singapore's Booming Hotel Sector

Polished and professional, Odette Huang is evidently a long-time veteran of the hospitality industry. She has paced the marbled floors of five-star chain hotels in critical markets like Manila, Beijing, Hong Kong and Malaysia overseeing their sales and marketing functions. But what drew her to Singapore in late 2004 was something a little different–an independent property that was on the verge of a major transformation.

“The job scope went beyond marketing functions,” she explained. “I was responsible for ensuring that everything we do is aligned to delivering the hotel’s brand promise.”

As the new Director of Marketing and Brand Development for Royal Plaza on Scotts , Odette relished the exciting challenge of repositioning of the hotel into a five-star brand.

Moving to Singapore meant that she would once again have to live apart from her husband, who is based in the Philippines. But the strong support from her management, the ‘can do’ work ethic in Singapore and the robust economy convinced her of success ahead and she felt she could not pass up the opportunity.

Getting into the Singapore groove

“It was very easy for me to settle in and there really were no major challenges,” she recalls. She admits that she was a little concerned about stories like the chewing gum ban, of life being regimented here and that ‘big brother is always watching’.

“I soon found that it has changed tremendously and has become much more open,” she laughs. A simple pleasure for the avid reader is the thrill of being able to lay her hands on the latest bestseller in bookstores here almost as soon as it is launched in the United States.

The one thing that threw her off in the beginning, she said, still laughing from the memory, was the ‘Singlish’ that some of her colleagues spoke. ‘Singlish’ is a localized form of English with words and influences from mostly Malay and Chinese dialects, and can be hard for newcomers to understand. She recalls nodding politely as she struggled to comprehend what was being said at a meeting. She then ingeniously suggested that her colleague drop her an email to “summarize” the points of their discussion!

While she is used to the long hours of the hospitality industry, Odette has found a good balance in Singapore. With her network of close friends, she goes to the theatre, art shows and concerts. They also enjoy discovering the burgeoning fine dining scene in Singapore.

Life is good but she makes clear that her purpose here is for her career.

The Singapore economy is on the upswing and visitor arrivals are up. Hotel occupancy reached 91% in July 2007, and rates for high-end hotels are expected to rise even more due to a limited supply of rooms.

The scene is expanding rapidly to keep apace, with the launch of several new establishments ranging from the branded luxury of St. Regis to exclusive boutique settings like The Naumi, and even quirky niche hotels like The Link Hotel, which is set in two refurbished pre-WWII apartment blocks in the Singapore heartland.

“It is the best time for hoteliers to be part of this industry and ride on the buoyant economy,” Odette observed.

Robust Growth in Tourism Sector

Across the hospitality industry, there is a heady optimism stemming from a host of tourism projects like the Singapore Flyer–the world’s largest Giant Observation Wheel, the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix next year, and a multi-million dollar revamp of Orchard Road.

But the most high profile of tourism-related investments are the upcoming Integrated Resorts, or IRs–the Marina Bay Sands, in the heart of the new Marina Bay financial district, and Resorts World Sentosa. Together, they represent over S$10 billion in investments in Singapore.

Both are iconic mega-complexes with a casino, a vast collection of restaurants, hotel accommodation, and retail and entertainment outlets.

The government has announced targets to double visitor arrivals to 17 million and create another 100,000 jobs in the service sector by 2015. A S$2 billion Tourism Development Fund has been set up to fuel the growth.

“Because of this, the economy is growing by leaps and bounds and has contributed to the enormous demand for hotels,” she enthused.

A Cosmopolitan Environment

“Singapore is a regional hub for a number of multi-nationals, so naturally, there are a lot of opportunities to be tapped,” Odette said. “Working here has also allowed me to build my contacts with various blue-chip companies.”

Compared to previous postings, she has found that working with the multinational and multicultural staff here creates very interesting dynamics. But what she appreciates most is that ‘the workforce is efficient, observes a good work ethic and is results-driven.’

When she suggested jazzing up a site inspection by having her own sales team role-play as guests to demonstrate new room features like the Simmons bed, the rain shower in the bathroom and the free Internet access, she found her staff quick to follow her lead.

‘Everything works!’

“Life here is predictable and safe,” she said. “Believe it or not, traffic predictability does improve quality of life!” She also cites the civilized environment, so there is less worry about personal safety. What surprises her was the 90% return rate of personal belongings that hotel guests leave behind in taxis. “To have that peace of mind is incredible.”

For this, Odette believes that Singapore is an ideal place for professionals, including those with families, especially now, when the economy is booming and there is a lot of demand for experienced hoteliers. While the trend of escalating rents and space crunch at international schools may be daunting for would-be expatriates, she feels that they need to consider these in the light of the high quality of the education system here and the better standard of living.

“There is no better time than now to consider the prospect of living in Singapore.” she enthuses. “Everything works!”