MALLORCA — RIU Hotels & Resorts has unveiled a new brand image to reflect the company’s steps toward modernization.
Starting today, the new look will be introduced in its hotels through major renovation projects and property openings. The campaign follows a record year in investment, during which RIU reached €600 million in hotel construction, renovation and acquisition. New hotels that made its debut in 2017 include the Riu Dunamar in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, and the newly expanded Riu Republica in Punta Cana.
Moreover, five hotels were completely renovated last year: the ClubHotel Riu Guarana in the Algarve; the ClubHotel Riu Costa del Sol in Torremolinos; the Riu Festival in Playa de Palma; the ClubHotel Riu Bambu in Punta Cana; and the Riu Palace Paradise Island in the Bahamas, which became a luxury adults-only property following a renovation in November.
RIU closed out the year with €2.156 billion in revenue, a 7% increase over 2016. As of Dec. 31, 2017, RIU had 92 hotels, which represent more than 43,000 rooms in 19 countries.
According to Pepe Moreno, member of the board of RIU who presented the new brand in Madrid on Jan. 15, the hotel chain foresees rolling out the brand image in two phases throughout its hotels over the next two years. In 2018, 50% of its properties will be updated, with the remaining 50% rolling out in 2019.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, four new hotels and five major renovations are in the pipeline, the first being ClubHotel Riu Chiciana in Sancti Petri, Cádiz. The hotel will reopen in time for Easter following a complete renovation, featuring new amenities and a water park. This will be followed by the Riu Santa Fe in Baja California, Mexico, which will open in April, and the ClubHotel Riu Tequila in Playa del Carmen in June. The Riu Palace Punta Cana will reopen in July, followed by the Riu Palace Tropical Bay in Negril, Jamaica, which will be presented in October.
The Riu Astoria in Golden Sands, Bulgaria will make its debut in June with 530 rooms, followed by the remaining openings towards the end of the year. These include the Riu Palace Boavista in Cape Verde in November; the Riu Palace Costa Mujeres in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, also in November, and lastly the Riu palace Baja California in Los Cabos in December.
Over the year, RIU will continue to look for expansion opportunities in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia for its Riu Plaza line of urban hotels. The brand already has two new projects in progress: the first hotel on the Spanish peninsula, located in the heart of Madrid, and its second hotel in New York, to be located close to Times Square.
