RIU Hotels
A Spanish, family-owned hotel group specializing in all-inclusive beach resorts and urban hotels.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
RIU Hotels, also known as RIU Hotels & Resorts, is a Spanish family-owned hospitality group headquartered in Palma de Mallorca. Founded in 1953 by members of the Riu family, the business began with the acquisition of the Hotel San Francisco in Mallorca and gradually developed from a Balearic Islands hotel operator into an international chain focused on resort and city accommodation. The brand is best known for large-scale all-inclusive resorts in sun-and-beach destinations. Its resort portfolio covers Spain's Balearic and Canary Islands, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Cape Verde, Morocco, Senegal, Zanzibar and other tourism markets. RIU also operates urban hotels under the Riu Plaza name, providing a separate city-centre format in destinations such as Panama City, Berlin, New York, Madrid, London, Dublin and cities in North America. The group combines accommodation with restaurants, bars, entertainment, pools, wellness facilities, conference services and destination-based leisure activities. RIU's expansion occurred in stages. It built a base in the Balearics during the 1960s and 1970s, expanded to Gran Canaria in 1985 and entered the Americas in 1991 with the Riu Taino in Punta Cana. Its relationship with German tour operator TUI began as a commercial partnership in 1977 and was formalized in 1993 through Riusa II S.A., a joint venture responsible for the commercial operation and management of RIU-branded hotels. The partnership has been an important element of RIU's distribution and international growth model. The company remained controlled by the Riu family through changes in leadership. After the death of Luis Riu Bertrán in 1998, his children Carmen Riu Güell and Luis Riu Güell jointly led the group for more than two decades. In 2024, Carmen Riu Güell left the executive management team and Luis Riu Güell became sole chief executive, while Carmen continued as chair of the board. In 2025, members of the fourth generation joined the board and assumed responsibilities spanning operations, finance, marketing, commercial activities, philanthropy and regional management. RIU's urban expansion began in 2010 with the first Riu Plaza hotel in Panama City. The format subsequently expanded to major European and North American cities, complementing the group's traditional resort business. The company has also continued developing new resort markets, including Asia, where it opened Riu Sri Lanka in 2016 and announced a future Riu Palace Phuket project. The group places increasing emphasis on environmental and social programmes. Its Proudly Committed strategy, launched in 2024, establishes goals for emissions, energy use, waste, environmental certification and community investment. RIU has also supported child-protection initiatives through the ECPAT Code of Conduct, partnered with UNICEF after the 2017 Mexican earthquakes, signed a workplace anti-sexual-harassment framework agreement with the IUF in 2021 and funded education, healthcare, biodiversity and local-development projects. The chain reported more than €3.17 billion in social investment? No financial figures are included here unless independently sourced with applicable time context; therefore this entry emphasizes the documented programmes rather than unsupported estimates. RIU is privately controlled and is not publicly listed. Its business structure includes property-holding companies owned by the Riu family and the Riusa II operating joint venture with TUI. The group serves international leisure and business travellers through resort, urban and all-inclusive hospitality formats.
History
RIU Hotels traces its origins to 1953, when Juan Riu Masmitjà, María Bertran Espigulé and their son Luis Riu Bertrán acquired the Hotel San Francisco in Mallorca. The property provided the foundation for a family hotel business that expanded throughout the Balearic Islands during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1977, RIU entered a commercial partnership with the German tour operator TUI, establishing a relationship that later became central to the group's international distribution and operating model. The group expanded beyond the Balearics in 1985, opening the Riu Palmeras on Gran Canaria. International expansion began in 1991 with the Riu Taino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, RIU's first hotel in the Americas. In 1993, the relationship with TUI was reorganized through Riusa II S.A., a joint venture focused on the commercial operation and management of hotels carrying the RIU brand. Following Luis Riu Bertrán's death in 1998, his children Carmen Riu Güell and Luis Riu Güell became the group's principal leaders. They jointly directed the company as it expanded its resort portfolio across the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Africa and Europe. The business retained its family-owned character while using its TUI relationship to support sales, tour-operator distribution and international reach. In 2010, RIU diversified beyond resort destinations by creating the Riu Plaza urban hotel brand. Its first property opened in Panama City. Riu Plaza Berlin, opened in 2015, was the first European hotel in the format, followed by city properties including New York in 2016 and Madrid in 2019. RIU also entered Asia in 2016 with Riu Sri Lanka in Ahungalla. Later city and resort developments extended the brand to markets including London, Dublin, North America and additional Indian Ocean destinations. The group's corporate and social agenda broadened alongside its geographic growth. RIU created a corporate social responsibility department in 2011, began a hotel sustainability certification process in 2012 and signed the ECPAT Code of Conduct for the protection of children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism that same year. It later introduced its 12 CSR Commitments, signed the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, published sustainability reporting and developed the RIU Method to assess social investment against the Sustainable Development Goals. RIU's social initiatives have included child protection, vocational training, healthcare, childhood-cancer research, biodiversity conservation and support for communities near its hotels. After the 2017 earthquakes in Mexico, the company worked with UNICEF on a programme that provided temporary classrooms and learning materials. The group has also developed coastal and biodiversity projects in Cape Verde and signed a 2021 framework agreement with the IUF addressing the prevention and eradication of sexual harassment in the workplace. In 2021, the Riu family acquired TUI's 49 percent interest in Riu Hotels S.A., giving the family full ownership of that asset-holding company. Riusa II remained a jointly held operating structure. In 2024, RIU launched Proudly Committed, a strategy covering environmental performance, resource efficiency, waste, certification and community impact. Carmen Riu Güell left executive management in May 2024, with Luis Riu Güell becoming sole chief executive while Carmen became board chair. In 2025, five members of the fourth generation entered the board and took on defined executive portfolios, marking a further transition of family leadership. RIU continues to operate a mixed portfolio of all-inclusive resorts and urban hotels. Its identity remains associated with family ownership, large international leisure properties, resort destinations and the Riu Plaza city-hotel concept.
- 2025
Fourth-generation leadership expansion
[1]Five fourth-generation family members joined the board and assumed operational, financial, philanthropic and commercial duties.
- 2024
Proudly Committed strategy launched
[1]RIU introduced a sustainability framework covering environmental and social targets for 2024–2026.
- 2021
Riu family acquires TUI's stake in Riu Hotels S.A.
[1]The family became the sole owner of Riu Hotels S.A., while the Riusa II operating partnership continued.
- 2016
First hotel in Asia
[1]Riu Sri Lanka opened in Ahungalla, marking RIU's entry into Asia.
- 2010
Launch of Riu Plaza
[1]RIU opened its first urban hotel under the Riu Plaza name in Panama City.
- 1993
Creation of Riusa II
[1]RIU and TUI created Riusa II S.A. to manage commercial operations for RIU-branded hotels.
- 1991
Entry into the Americas
[1]Riu Taino opened in Punta Cana, becoming the chain's first hotel in the Americas.
- 1985
Expansion to Gran Canaria
[1]The opening of Riu Palmeras marked RIU's first major move beyond the Balearic Islands.
- 1977
Commercial partnership with TUI
[1]RIU formalized a commercial relationship with German tour operator TUI.
- 1953
First hotel acquired in Mallorca
[1]The Riu family acquired the Hotel San Francisco, establishing the foundation of the RIU hotel business.
Products and positioning
Upper-midscale to upscale international hospitality, with a strong emphasis on all-inclusive resorts and destination leisure.
Resort hotels · 1953
RIU all-inclusive resorts
RIU's core offering consists of large resort hotels in beach and sun destinations. These properties commonly combine accommodation, multiple restaurants and bars, pools, entertainment, family facilities and leisure activities in an all-inclusive package. The format is prominent in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Cape Verde, Morocco, Senegal and Indian Ocean destinations.
Upscale resort hotels
Riu Palace
Riu Palace is an upscale resort format within the RIU portfolio. Properties generally emphasize a broad food-and-beverage offer, extensive leisure facilities, beachfront or destination locations and all-inclusive service. The format is used across several of RIU's major resort markets.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Proudly Committed
Global
A sustainability strategy addressing emissions, energy efficiency, waste, environmental certification, biodiversity and social investment.
Outcome. Established the group's 2024–2026 sustainability framework.
- 2017Mexico Back to School Fast programme
Mexico
Following earthquakes in Mexico, RIU partnered with UNICEF on temporary classrooms and school equipment to help children continue their education while damaged schools were restored.
Outcome. Supported continuity of education in affected communities.
- 201412 CSR Commitments
Global
RIU introduced a structured set of corporate-responsibility commitments covering social, environmental and community priorities across its operations.
Outcome. Provided a framework for later sustainability reporting and destination programmes.
Brand decisions
2024
Adopt the Proudly Committed sustainability frameworkStrategyBackground
RIU developed a more integrated approach to environmental performance, certification and social impact across its hotel network.
Action taken
The company launched Proudly Committed with targets for the 2024–2026 period.
Aftermath
The strategy became the main umbrella for RIU's environmental and social programmes.
2021
Acquire TUI's stake in Riu Hotels S.A.M&ABackground
The Riu family and TUI had shared ownership of the asset-holding company, separate from the continuing Riusa II operating relationship.
Action taken
The Riu family acquired TUI's 49 percent interest in Riu Hotels S.A.
Aftermath
The family became the sole owner of Riu Hotels S.A., while Riusa II remained jointly operated.
2010
Launch the Riu Plaza urban hotel brandProduct launchBackground
RIU sought to complement its established beach-resort business with hotels in major cities.
Action taken
The group opened the first Riu Plaza hotel in Panama City.
Aftermath
Riu Plaza expanded to cities in Europe and North America, including Berlin, New York and Madrid.
1993
Create a joint operating venture with TUIStrategyBackground
RIU's commercial relationship with TUI had developed since 1977 and required a more formal operating structure as the hotel group expanded internationally.
Action taken
RIU and TUI established Riusa II S.A. to handle the commercial operation and management of RIU-branded hotels.
Aftermath
The joint venture became a continuing part of RIU's international operating and distribution model.
Sources2 sources
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