Singapore hotels, F&B and retail businesses gear up for F1 race weekend surge

SINGAPORE: As preparations rev up for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix this weekend, some hotels are boosting their staff numbers and tightening security to handle an influx of guests.

Businesses near the F1 circuit at Marina Bay are also shifting into high gear, with some restaurants already seeing a rise in bookings of about 20 per cent.

The F1 street race will take place on Sunday (Oct 5), with practice sessions scheduled for Friday and Saturday. 

Adding to the excitement, iconic acts like Elton John, American rock band Foo Fighters, and K-pop star G-Dragon will take the stage over the three days. 

MORE MANPOWER, TRANSFORMING ROOMS

Occupancy at boutique hotel 21 Carpenter, which is located in Clarke Quay close to the Singapore River, has jumped 14 per cent year-on-year.

The hotel’s chief of guest satisfaction Glynn Tay noted that guests who travel to Singapore for the F1 weekend will typically start booking rooms up to six months ahead, once they secure their flight tickets.

This helps the hotel with leave planning for its staff, such as by letting them know not to book trips during this period or hiring more part-timers.

“Manpower is probably a huge challenge at the moment … because as much as the guests are incoming, there's the day-to-day operations. (The staff) need to be the one who sustain the occupancy, to deliver the guest experience,” Ms Tay said.

“In that sense, everything from housekeeping (to) the front office (which) is a 24-hour operation.”

She said the hotel has increased its manpower pool by about 20 per cent. Housekeeping and F&B staff are also putting in longer hours, which means some have to work overtime.

Similar to last year, guests checking into 21 Carpenter are from countries like Australia, Canada, China and the United Kingdom.

At Fairmont Singapore hotel, it has gone one step further – transforming several rooms that have a prime view of the track into hospitality suites.

The beds have made way for a bar station and buffet station. The bathtubs have also become ice buckets for bottles of champagne.

“We have additional staff as well in security, even though Singapore is a super secure city. We don't need more security due to safety, but more for crowd control, because there will be a lot of people around the hotel,” said managing director William J Haandrikman.

Patrols will now take place every hour, instead of every three hours during regular non-peak periods.

Experts said that growing regional economies are helping to sustain demand for events in Singapore like the F1 race.

Professor Lawrence Loh of the National University of Singapore's Business School said, however, that there is still room for hotels to innovate, as visitor numbers are expected to remain strong. 

“Singapore, going forward, can be a key destination of offering packages for visitors to engage in wellness or even the total wellbeing. For example, this could be in services such as spas or even beauty, and even as specific as manicure, pedicure,” he added.

SURGE IN BOOKINGS

Like hotels, businesses like F&B outlets and nightclubs near the F1 circuit have been preparing to cash in on one of the busiest weekends of the year.

Craft brewery and restaurant LeVel33, which has an outdoor seating area on the 33rd floor of Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 in Marina Boulevard, has consistently drawn customers due to its panoramic view of the Singapore skyline.

Earlier this year, it received a Guinness World Records certification for being the world’s highest micro-brewery in a building.

About 20 to 25 per cent of the track can be seen from the restaurant.

Its founder Martin Bem said bookings for this weekend have surged 20 per cent compared with regular weekends, with many reservations made weeks in advance.

Much of this demand comes from international guests, especially from countries like Australia and the US, he noted.

"We also see an interesting shift in demographics … How it was pre-COVID, it was mostly finance, hedge funds, banks and investment groups that took corporate functions here. (There is) a deep shift now to tech and maybe crypto companies and platforms,” he added.

LeVel33 is running a special menu this weekend, and has expanded its drinks menu over the last two years to cater to younger clientele with slightly different tastes.

“I think events like this are extremely important, especially in a challenging overall macroeconomic environment … it helps to keep Singapore relevant as a tourist and experience destination,” said Mr Bem.

Meanwhile, nightlife operator Zouk has brought in a lineup of DJs like Don Diablo and Wukong to appeal to their global fan base.

It is expecting a wave of regional visitors from countries like Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and China, said Mr David Long, Zouk Group’s senior director of operations for Asia-Pacific.

“There's more overall footfall - I would say anywhere from a 15 to 20 per cent increase,” he added.

“The spending profile of those individuals, especially the international guests, is also higher. So from a top line revenue standpoint, (we get) anywhere from 30 to 50 per cent increase in overall sales.”

F1 APPAREL IN DEMAND

The F1 fever is also spilling over to retail shops, with some saying younger consumers and women are snapping up F1-related merchandise.

To capture race week excitement, racing simulators are available at selected pop-ups and stores, with those on the leaderboard receiving a 10 per cent discount.

Adidas, which rolled out its first motorsports collection in several years, has also been setting up pop-up booths across town.

With crowds pouring in, Adidas has also had to increase its manpower by about 10 per cent, said Ms Fanny Lanctot Fortier, the brand’s senior brand director for Southeast Asia.

“We've definitely had to hire a lot of help to help sustain everything we're doing across the city. So for example, we have additional staff in retail. We have additional security for some of our activations, like the show car here in Raffles City and some of our other pop ups, like at JW Marriott,” she added.

According to Adidas as well as athletic apparel maker Puma, younger fans - especially Gen Z ones - are driving the buying frenzy.

Sales have doubled across Puma’s outlets. To cope with the increase in customers, the company has increased its manpower pool by 15 per cent and extended opening hours at its Singapore stores by 30 minutes every day.

Puma said the number of female shoppers snapping up F1-related clothing at its outlets has nearly doubled compared to the year before.

To meet growing demand from this new demographic, fresh designs are in the pipeline, including pink crop tops for next season.

Mr Sanjay Roy, Puma’s managing director for Southeast Asia and Oceania, said the brand previously did not reach out to women through its products as they usually were not fans of the sport.

“They were accompanying their boyfriends or their husbands, but they were not really inclined for motorsport. Now, we'll have to adapt in terms of both product and marketing in the way we treat the consumers,” he said.