Hospitality Resource Solutions: Standing Out as one of Singapore’s Market Leaders

The Rise Of Hospitality Resource Solutions

John Sartain, the Managing Director of Hospitality Resource Solutions, had a successful career in hotel management in the UK and arrived in Singapore as the General Manager of the Grand Copthorne Waterfront in September 2007. He then later became the General Manager of the famous Mandarin Orchard Singapore.

The inspiration for his business came while working at Mandarin Orchard, he encountered difficulty in hiring enough staff to clean the hotel’s 1100 guest rooms. To address this challenge, he sought to transform the fixed housekeeping cost into a variable cost by finding staff only when needed. Although outsourcing was a prevalent solution globally, it was not widely used in Singapore at the time.

In 2013, John resigned from his position as General Manager and started Hospitality Resource Solutions Pte Ltd (HRS Pte Ltd). Their objective was to find a hotel that could trust them and work with their Process Compression system, which could potentially help him build a serious business. Their first customer was the world-famous Fullerton Singapore. Despite facing difficulties, they slowly managed to convince other hotels to work with them, providing them with a cost-effective service, and gained recognition as a market leader.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it caused the majority of their hotel clients to cancel their contracts. With prudent cost management and diversification, they managed to weather the storm and eventually rebounded in 2021, resulting in a record year in 2022 with 30 clients and around 100 cleaning staff. The business continues to grow and improve in 2023, solidifying its position as one of Singapore’s market leaders.

Overcoming Challenges

Hospitality Resource Solutions

From the beginning of HRS, they have faced numerous challenges, and according to John, he prefers to focus on the future rather than dwell on hardships. Nevertheless, recruiting enough experienced and suitable workforce has been one of their major challenges. Despite that, they now have employed more than 30 local individuals, but cleaning jobs are generally unpopular among locals which is why they are ensuring to have enough foreign workers to fulfill their requirements.

The Impact Of The COVID-19 Pandemic

Transforming the Hospitality Industry with Innovative Solutions

HRS was thriving in January 2020, but within a month, most of their hotel clients experienced a significant decline in occupancy rates, resulting in reduced demand for their services. Their revenue fell by 90%, but they were aware that maintaining their business relationships was crucial during this challenging time, and they were confident that the situation would eventually improve. To stay afloat, they made a decision to expand their services into HSS (Homecare cleaning) and other areas of cleaning services. Thanks to the support of the government, particularly JSS, they were able to remain in operation.

As soon as the COVID-19 situation eased, their clients quickly returned to them for assistance. Now, in 2023, they are continuing to make strides and grow their business at full speed ahead. HRS remains committed to running a dedicated and enthusiastic team of skilled hotel cleaners, constantly exploring new ideas that will enable their hotel clients to convert their fixed housekeeping costs into variable ones.

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