Austria
- The party, which is already a classic of the RIU hotel chain’s calendar, brought together more than 400 guests, including notable figures from the international tourist industry and numerous celebrities
RIU Hotels & Resorts held its great annual celebration at Riu Plaza Berlin yesterday, for the fourth consecutive year, coinciding with the German capital hosting the ITB Berlin International Tourism Fair which, year after year, brings together the key players in global tourism and numerous political figures. More than 400 guests attended the event, eager to be part of a celebration that is already a classic for the hotel chain. Carmen Riu, CEO of the company, presided over the celebrations, together with Joan Trian, member of the RIU board.
Every year, the chain holds the celebration for a different reason. And this year, quite rightly, Riu Plaza Berlin was decked out in celebration of the new hotel Riu Plaza España, which opens next spring in Madrid and which will be the company’s first urban hotel in Spain and the chain’s first in Madrid. As a nod to this opening, the event shone with images of the new hotel’s most striking places, as well as stunning photographs of the city of Madrid.
Guests could also taste magnificent dishes and tapas, all Spanish specialities, where there was no shortage of the most iconic products, including acorn-fed Iberian ham, salmorejo soup, Spanish omelette, paella and, of course, Madrid-style stew. The party continued with live music from “Joe’s Band”, who cover the best international hits and, following the success of last year, played again this year and got all the guests moving to the beat of great music. One of the starring moments with regard to the cuisine was the nod to the great gypsy tradition of churros when, at midnight, the party was re-energised with a late-night snack that included hot chocolate to accompany the famous Spanish sweet treat. As is now traditional, guests could also enjoy a great selection of drinks and cocktails. The party-goers danced and enjoyed the celebration until the early hours of the morning.
The event brought together a multitude of guests, from leading tour operators and travel websites, to major airlines, international media outlets and other partners and friends, including traditional and online agencies, as well as diverse political figures from the destinations where RIU operates.
The star of the night, Hotel Riu Plaza España, will open its doors in late spring this year, and will have a total of 585 rooms, 17 meeting rooms and a restaurant, as well as a sky bar on the 25th and 26th floors, with a spectacular terrace which offers panoramic views of the city and which will be open to everyone in Madrid. Its design and renovation have fully respected the grandeur of the building the hotel is in, maintaining its most characteristic historic features and a style and décor that evokes the 1950s.
The host hotel Riu Plaza Berlin opened at the end of 2015 and it has 357 rooms, including doubles and suites. The hotel is located in Ku’Damm, one of the city of Berlin’s most iconic avenues and just 350 metres from KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens), Germany’s most famous shopping centre.
You can see the complete gallery of photos of the event here.
For more information or reservations, please visit: www.riu.com
