Ocho Rios, 15 June 2020

RIU continues to reopen its hotels in the Caribbean: the next is the Riu Ocho Rios in Jamaica

  • The hotel will be open for business again on 15 June, applying all the protocols established in the RIU Post-COVID Manual for the hotel
  • Following the opening of the Riu Cancun, this will be the second establishment the hotel chain opens on Caribbean coasts

RIU Hotels resumes its activity in Jamaica with the reopening of its first hotel after the COVID-19 crisis. On 15 June, the Riu Ocho Rios opens its doors again, and it will do so while offering its customers and staff maximum safety and hygiene assurances. The opening of the Riu Ocho Rios is RIU’s second in the Caribbean, following the reopening of the Riu Cancun on 8 June, and it joins a long list of openings around the world that the chain has already announced for coming weeks.

To carry out these openings, the chain spent weeks preparing a Post-COVID Manual for the hotel with 17 protocols with the consulting firm Preverisk. It covers all the details involved in operating the hotel in a comprehensive and meticulous way, encompassing everything from safety and hygiene for guests to the delivery of goods by suppliers, and includes thorough and methodical disinfection of the rooms and common areas. Application of these protocols requires specific training by departments of their staff members, who will be returning to work gradually.

The Riu Ocho Rios was fully renovated at the end of 2019 and, as a result, has totally refurbished facilities. Its 24-Hour All-Inclusive service is complemented by its varied and complete gastronomic offering prepared to satisfy the most demanding palates with its range of restaurant options. In addition to the main restaurant, the hotel offers Asian- and Italian-themed ones, a steakhouse and one with fusion cuisine. Likewise, in addition to its various bars, the hotel also has a Jamaican jerk-style grill, “Pepe’s Food,” in the pool area.

The opening of the Riu Ocho Rios takes place on the same day that Jamaica is opening its borders, which will allow the island to start receiving tourists as of 15 June. They will have to follow a strict health protocol provided by the authorities. Meanwhile, as it has always done in Jamaica, RIU will maintain its firm commitment to Jamaican internal tourism, which is expected to bring arrivals from other parts of the country as soon as the hotel opens its doors.

With this opening, RIU continues its hotel reactivation worldwide and hopes to be able to continue reopening its properties in Jamaica gradually. RIU Hotels opened its first hotel in Jamaica in 2001 and now has six resorts with a total of 3,000 rooms. Two are located in Negril, three in Montego Bay and one in Ocho Rios. RIU’s plans for this year include renovation of the Riu Montego Bay, making it so all of its properties in country will be fully refurbished or of recent construction.

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.