Riu Plaza is 10 years old
- RIU opened its first urban hotel in Panama City in 2010. Today, with another seven hotels in the portfolio, the chain is continuing to grow around the world, with future openings in London, Toronto and a second hotel in New York
“When we finally decided to open our first city hotel, I dare say it was a surprise to many, including our own staff. I remember the hard work of investigating, adapting, the many trips and the nerves. But I look back today and I think we did very well. Ten years have gone by in which RIU has shown that it is possible to run a good urban hotel whilst staying faithful to its tradition and service. If we compare ourselves with brands who have a long tradition in cities, we are in an excellent position. That is also what our customers say, and in the end they are the ones who determine whether you’ve got it right or wrong”. explains Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts.
“Riu Plaza has proved a source of great satisfaction. Opening our first hotel in Manhattan was a dream come true for me, as was the most recent one in San Francisco, not to mention Riu Plaza España, of course, which became the brand’s flagship as soon as it opened. Riu Plaza is growing slowly but steadily. It is very hard to find the perfect location in the world’s premier cities, but when you do, it is the main key to success,” Luis Riu affirms. He also pointed out that “RIU’s brand image has grown hugely thanks to its presence in these great capitals.”
In 2010, and with more than 50 years of experience in sun and beach hotels, RIU Hotels opened its first urban hotel, Riu Plaza Panama, with 644 rooms and magnificent conference rooms. It was a major corporate challenge for RIU, because it entailed a totally new product and an unknown customer profile for the company: urban tourists and guests more focused on conferences and events. After months of adaptation, the team’s hard work came to fruition and Riu Plaza Panama emerged as one of the city’s best hotels. Since then, it has had more than 700,000 customers, it has organised 9,700 events and it has hosted stars such as Alejandro Sanz, Marc Anthony, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
We had to wait three more years for the Riu Plaza line to reach Spain, but when it did, it did it in style. The chain acquired the iconic Edificio España and converted it into the hotel Riu Plaza España, the urban line’s flagship hotel. With no less than 130,000 guests in its first year, it has become one of Madrid’s must-see places thanks to its 360° viewpoint terrace on the 27th floor. This unique space in Madrid, together with its suspended glass walkway at a height of more than 100 metres, has welcomed 680,000 people since it opened, with an average of 2,500 visits each day. In addition, its 3,000 m2 of multifunctional spaces were venue to more than 400 events in its first year and showcased celebrities from the worlds of music, fashion, cinema and television.
In the next few years, the Riu Plaza brand will also find its home in Canada and the United Kingdom. In London it has acquired a building next to Victoria Station, where construction works have already begun to convert it into a 4-star hotel with 350 rooms. Meanwhile, in Canada it has selected Toronto, the fifth largest city in North America, which will be the home of the newly-built Riu Plaza Toronto hotel, with 350 rooms, meeting rooms, gym, bar and restaurant. In addition to these new projects, a second hotel is being built in New York, the Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, located just metres from its older brother. It will offer the same services, but it will have more rooms: no less than 656 of them.
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 74% 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 98 hotels in 21 countries. In 2024, the chain welcomed 6,7 million guests and provided jobs for a total of 38.055 employees. RIU is currently the world's 40th ranked chain, one of the Caribbean's most popular, and the fourth largest in Spain in number of rooms.
