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• Juventino Ramos: “At RIU, you know that when you need it, you will always be supported. By your family”

Juventino Ramos: “At RIU, you know that when you need it, you will always be supported. By your family”

Nayarit is one of the most beautiful holiday destinations in Mexico, a country where you already know that we are celebrating our 25th anniversary. In fact, this year we are also celebrating two decades since our first hotel opened in Bahía de Banderas, the Riu Jalisco. It is the perfect opportunity for you to meet Juventino Ramos, a native of Nayarit (Tepic, 1976) and RIU’s Regional Sales Manager for the Pacific region, where he has been for 15 years.

Juventino Ramos, RIU Pacific Regional Sales Manager.

– It has been 25 years since RIU arrived in Mexico and you have been with the company for more than half of that time. What is the key factor in a company like RIU that defines itself as a family?

For me, the most important thing is the commitment of each and every member of our different teams, day in and day out. What we do is not just for personal gain, we each feel a sense of belonging that drives us to show support for each other and be understanding. And in the end, at RIU, you know that when you need it, you will always be supported, by your family.

– How would you define the working model of a RIU hotel?

As an employee, I think it’s a company where if you do your part, are motivated and take advantage of the opportunities it gives you, you can develop and express your abilities to the full.

RIU gives you the freedom you need to become an expert in your area, as well as the opportunities I mentioned before to grow professionally.

Motivation and the desire to grow are the hallmarks of many RIU employees.

– What is your fondest memory of your time at RIU or what specific moment most inspired you in your growth?

It is very difficult to choose just one beautiful moment or memory from these 15 years, there have been so many, but if I had to pick something, it would be every new opening or reopening after a refurbishment. This is a real example of how the company, over the years and decades, always seeks to surpass itself and make us part of it.

The Riu Vallarta in Nayarit was renovated in 2019.

– Over these 15 years you will have met hundreds, if not thousands, of RIU collaborators. If you had to single out three people who have been exemplary for you or who have left their mark on you, who would they be?

Again, it is very difficult to choose just three. In terms of proximity, interaction and of course professionalism, I would like to highlight Barbara, who works in the dining room at the Riu Jalisco; and also two people who, although they are no longer at RIU, have left a great impression on me over the years: Rosy Domínguez, who was the Director of Groups America; and Sylvia Hofmann, my former direct boss and at the time the Pacific Regional Sales Manager. They are all excellent people and great professionals with many years of experience at RIU.

– You have been able to watch how RIU has adapted to Mexico and its different destinations almost from the beginning. How did a chain like RIU adapt its business model and product to Mexico?

The main drivers behind this adaptation have been the successful combination of: RIU’s range of services, which includes everything from its all-inclusive model to enormous culinary variety and facilities designed in detail for our guests; the locations and destinations that have been carefully and wisely chosen for the development of the business model; and, for me, one of the most important things, is the excellent and welcoming service that the Mexican staff provides in each and every one of RIU’s hotels.

The smiles and kindness are what distinguish the staff in Mexico.

– What do you think RIU has learned from Mexico in these 25 years? What has it taught us?

I think that one of the major lessons I have learned is that although Mexico is a vast country, with so much cultural, gastronomic and historical variety, if you listen and learn, you can be successful in every region, because each one has its own peculiarities and thousands of attractive features.

I think it has also been possible to see first-hand, and therefore appreciate, how committed people are to their work and to the company, all those of us who make up the RIU family in Mexico in each of these regions.

Then there are examples that may seem very trivial or irrelevant, but they are key to understanding this learning process. For example, we realised the need to build car parks in the hotels, something we did not do in the beginning. When we realised the influence and importance that the local and national market was beginning to have, we had to act and adapt our areas for everyone who arrived in their own car from the various parts of the country.

– Going back to the celebration, how important is the local and national market in RIU’s Mexican destinations?

In some destinations it is vital and RIU’s presence and business could not be understood without the participation of the Mexican market. In others, even if these are not the most popular with local tourists, they still play an important role when it comes to filling last minute vacancies.

– How has this importance increased over the years?

Its influence is constantly growing and it has also shown us that we can count on this market at the most difficult times. After so many years and with all the work that has been done, the RIU brand is becoming better and better positioned in the country and it is very well received.

In each global crisis or downturn in our source countries, it has been the local market that has made us strong and has allowed us to continue working. During the current COVID pandemic, the participation of the Mexican market has been vital, as Luis Riu pointed out when he said that Mexico was our lifeline in this deep crisis. RIU cannot be understood without its Mexican clientele.