Service robotics is moving from hotel lobby demonstrations into live back-of-house operations: YYForce Inc. (NASDAQ: YFOR) has signed an agreement with Novotel Singapore on Stevens and Mercure Singapore on Stevens to deploy specialized service robots across the two hotels' combined 772-room precinct, with a second phase planned for humanoid robotics research in housekeeping and banquet workflows.
The Phase 1 rollout covers four operational areas — in-room amenity and dining delivery, food-and-beverage logistics (including transport and clearing in the Food Exchange restaurant and Winestone bar), scheduled cleaning of public areas and guest corridors, and concierge wayfinding support. Deployment preparation includes lift integration, robot route mapping, network configuration, and guest arrival notifications before any units go live.
Projected Operating Impact
An initial pre-deployment cost model projects approximately 10% lower monthly operating costs across the selected housekeeping, concierge, and F&B functions when robot costs are factored in. A separate planning assumption estimates a potential 5% reduction in rooms-department overtime. YYForce and the hotels are careful to note these are model projections; actual productivity and guest-service outcomes will be measured after rollout. Proposed performance metrics include delivery turnaround time, tasks completed per labour hour, unit reliability, staff workload, and guest feedback scores — a scorecard that operators and foodservice automation specifiers will recognize as a meaningful baseline for any robotics business case.
For the food-and-beverage operation specifically, the robots are expected to handle item transport, service support, and clearing tasks — relieving kitchen and floor staff of repetitive logistics runs that consume time without adding direct guest value. Singapore's hotel sector recorded 81.9% average occupancy in 2025 and 16.9 million international visitor arrivals, according to the Singapore Tourism Board, giving this precinct a high-throughput environment in which robot reliability will face a genuine stress test.
Humanoid R&D in Phase 2
The more forward-looking element of the deal is a second phase in which YYForce's humanoid robotic systems will train alongside hotel staff in agreed settings. Selected room-attendant workflows will be observed to map movements, spatial requirements, and physical task sequences — data intended to inform future automated room-cleaning hardware and software. Banquet workflows will similarly be used to help researchers understand movement requirements and service-protocol adaptability in event settings.
"Working in an operating hotel environment gives us the opportunity to move robotics development from controlled demonstrations toward real-world workflows," said Mike Fu, Chief Executive Officer of YYForce. The company's stated 2030 Vision targets an integrated workforce combining human staff, AI, autonomous service robots, and humanoid robots across hospitality and facility management — making this hotel partnership a live testbed rather than a pilot in isolation.
Piotr Kupiec, General Manager of Novotel Singapore on Stevens and Mercure Singapore on Stevens, framed the hotel's rationale around staff reallocation rather than headcount reduction: "We want to use robotics thoughtfully, so our teams can focus their attention where it matters most to the guest."
For equipment consultants and foodservice automation observers tracking robotics adoption in hospitality, the YYForce model — purpose-built service robots first, humanoid R&D second — reflects a pragmatic sequencing. Lift integration and route mapping requirements mean facilities teams will be as central to the rollout as IT, and the agreement's data-use and IP provisions (hotels retain operational protocols and brand assets; YYForce retains robotics datasets developed from permitted research) could become a template for similar deployments across the region.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
