Palma de Mallorca, 25 October 2018

More than one hundred guests at the Riu Palace Oasis launch party

  • The event was attended by the CEOs of RIU Hotels, Carmen and Luis Riu, as well as representatives of official bodies from the local area and across the islands.

  • The finishing touch was the brilliant performance by Ara Malikian, who RIU invited to help celebrate the completion of this iconic project.

RIU Hotels held an elegant party yesterday, 23 October, to present the new Riu Palace Oasis in Gran Canaria. The event, which more than one hundred guests attended, was hosted by the CEOs of the hotel chain from Mallorca, Carmen and Luis Riu, and it was attended by representatives of the local authorities, Gran Canaria institutions and the Government of the Canary Islands. After the dinner provided by RIU, the Spanish violinist of Lebanese origin Ara Malikian delighted all the guests with a magnificent concert, accompanied by his band.

The event opened with the arrival of over one hundred guests who, from 8 p.m., began exploring the facilities of the new Riu Palace Oasis and experiencing first-hand the many improvements and changes that have been made over the period of nearly five months in which the renovation work was carried out. They all enjoyed the welcome cocktail that was on offer in the Spanish restaurant Botánico, a unique space in the hotel, because respect for every one of the garden’s palm trees has resulted in several of them now being indoors, living harmoniously among the tables and the space’s carefully designed décor.

Carmen Riu, CEO of the company, expressed how satisfied both she and Luis Riu were to present this new hotel, Riu Palace Oasis, in which more than 40 million euros has been invested for its modernisation. In an emotional speech, she thanked the hotel staff and the legal team for their hard work, as well as the architects and designers who have exceeded all expectations and created new spaces whilst meeting all the challenges posed by the refurbishment of a building that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. For RIU, this hotel is emblematic of the company and the challenge now for the whole team is to position it once again as one of the best 5-star hotels in the area.

After the word from RIU, the Mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Marco Aurelio Pérez, emphasised how the significant investment made by RIU will have a very positive impact on tourism in the area. Then, Pablo Rodríguez, Vice-President of the Government of the Canary Islands, closed the speeches by thanking RIU for their solid commitment to quality and to the Canary Islands.

Dinner was served in the garden, in a unique scene under the palm trees. The design and preparation of the meal, as well as the careful selection of wines and cava, was in the hands of the hotel’s Food and Drink team, supported by colleagues from the other RIU hotels in the region.

After the banquet, the guests proceeded to the theatre to enjoy the night’s most brilliant performance: violinist Ara Malikian. Internationally acclaimed for his outstanding command of the instrument and his unique style, he is capable of interpreting the classics and absorbing the influence of the best of popular music, from the Arab world to flamenco. Ara Malikian and his band, made up of seven excellent musicians, stunned the audience with their performance and provided the perfect finishing touch to this night of celebration.

About RIU Hotels & Resorts

The international RIU chain was founded in Mallorca by the Riu family in 1953 as a small holiday firm and is still owned by the family's third generation. The company specialises in holiday resorts and over 78% of its establishments offer its acclaimed All Inclusive by RIU service. With the inauguration of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU is expanding its range of products with its own line of city hotels called Riu Plaza. RIU Hotels & Resorts now has 97 hotels in 21 countries. In 2023, the chain welcomed 6,4 million guests and provided jobs for a total of 35,808  employees. RIU is currently the world's 36th ranked chain, one of the Caribbean's most popular, the largest in Spain in terms of revenue and the fourth largest in number of rooms.