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When my sister Carmen and I were children, our family only talked about work at home. Every lunch, every dinner. Our grandparents and our parents had been through the war and the post-war period. Hobbies and free time were something that simply didn’t exist. Their life was work. When Carmen and I built our own families, we were clear that we wanted something different. That’s why I’ve never talked about work at home.
I always dreamed that my children would want to pursue the family business, just as I always wanted to. But I avoided encouraging, urging, or expecting it because sometimes doing that has exactly the opposite effect. The three of them, Luis, Naomi, and Roberto, have been free to decide and I couldn’t be happier that they decided to work at RIU Hotels. And it’s not just a father or an uncle’s love, if I say I firmly believe in the talent of the fourth generation to be the leaders of the future. Today, I want to introduce Luis Riu Rodríguez, my oldest son, who is responsible for Engineering and Maintenance (Helpdesk) and Atlantic Operations, and who continues in Works and Design and Renewable Energy. He is a quick-witted, reliable professional with a great capacity for work.
Luis Riu Rodríguez: part of the fourth generation, bringing education and experience to the future of RIU Hotels
Physically, he looks a lot like his mother, which is lucky because she is the most beautiful member of the family, but I think he is more like me in his way of thinking. He is able to get the measure of things very well and to be cautious in his reactions. What I like most about working with him is that he’s very quick. He understands things the first time and doesn’t waste time on unnecessary arguments. This is the main difference in working with real professionals, just a few words are enough.
There is a part that’s innate, but it’s also true that new generations are very well trained and have work experience when they come to the company. Luis studied Economics at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. He earned a Master’s in Economics in California (UCSB) and in Marketing at EAE Business School in Barcelona. Prior to joining RIU, he worked in investment banking with BBVA London. “Yes, I thought it was very healthy not to start at RIU straight away. I worked on the Options Desk and that means you start when the markets open, around 6:00 a.m., and don’t leave until 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. It is a very competitive environment with very tough conditions. But you adapt and learn. I think it was a good experience”, says my son Luis.
Hands-On learning at RIU’s American hotels
Then, at RIU, he has gained experience in both Operations and in Works and Design. From his time in Operations, he is very fond of remembering his work in Jamaica. “It was very complex. It’s a destination that’s far from everywhere else and very different from working in Latin destinations. But that’s exactly why a great community forms and I still have a lot of friends from those years. I was also with Alejandro Sánchez, not only in Jamaica but also in New York and Miami. He is a great teacher with a huge heart”, Luis recalls.
There is no doubt that Operations is very complex work. They are the ones who are face to face with the customer every minute of every day. The work is more repetitive than in Works, where it is more creative, but it requires a lot of talent for management and a lot of tact. I think it is very important that all family members get that experience. We are hoteliers and need to understand the day-to-day workings of our business.
“I also learnt a lot in Punta Cana, where I was the assistant to Pedro Santamarina for a while, who has another responsibility in addition to hotel management as Director of Operations. RIU Party had just been set up and it was there that I took over supervising the project. I proposed a lot of changes and improvements, such as the style of music, the times, the wow moments, as well as its expansion to Guanacaste, to Riu Republica, and to all the other destinations. It came to me a bit by chance in its early days, but now I am very happy to lead its expansion and evolution”, says my son Luis. RIU Party is a well-established and forward-looking project. One of those initiatives that differentiates us from the competition. I am very happy with the way it has progressed, even more so when I can play at one of the parties. Luis leads it very well, along with the RIU Party team. He has a perspective from the party side of the experience that party-goers have. On the other hand, the side I like most is the one behind the DJ table.
“My father is very clear about things and as he doesn’t get much wrong, we all follow him”, explains my son Luis. “During these five years, my brother and I have worked hard to observe and learn rather than suggest innovations. And when it comes to introducing new things, we’ve done it little by little. We’ve never proposed anything crazy”, says Luis.
Luis and Roberto Riu Rodríguez: a highly effective duo offering new ideas for RIU
Young people bring very positive things to the company. They bring clear minds and they have other sources of information. In some respects, they are very clear about what they want and I recognise that I’m resistant to change. There are innovations that are a risk. If they go well, it’s fantastic, but if they go wrong, they are difficult to reverse. Despite this, the hands of Luis and Roberto, who in the Works and Design area have formed a team, can already be seen in our hotels. Luis recalls that “since the Riu Palace Tropical Bay hotel project in 2018, there have been more than 25 new hotel works or renovations we have taken part in, and I think our touch can very much be seen in the interior design, especially in the lobbies and restaurants”.
And this journey has culminated in the refurbishment of the Riu Palace La Mola hotel where Luis and Roberto have made all the decisions. Even I am surprised by the result. The hotel is beautiful. Now we have to see if the numbers justify the gamble. I’d love for it to go well. But I’m clear about one thing: if it is a success, as it is already, it will be down to Luis and Roberto, but if it doesn’t go well, the responsibility is mine. And I don’t say that with bitterness. The job of young people is to do things and make mistakes. And a leader’s job, especially in the family business, is to do things, teach people how to do things, let people do things, and as long as you continue as the leader, take full responsibility.
Creativity, instinct & vision: leading the future of RIU Hotels
And it’s precisely on the last point that I’ve been focused over the last five years, because there’s little point in knowing how to do things if you don’t pass it on to the next generation. Joan and Naomi have been closer to Carmen, and she has a completely different style. She believes more in letting people be free to make their own mistakes. I, on the other hand, wanted to be very close to them, for them to be involved in everything, for them to listen, see, and share their opinions. And to spend long enough like that before striking out on their own. I think it’s the opposite process to what Carmen and I went through at the time. She, being in Mallorca, was very close to our father Luis Riu Bertrán. She was able to see, hear, and absorb a lot of knowledge. I went to the Canary Islands first and then to Punta Cana. I spent very little time with him before his death and I have always missed that. I had a bad time on my own, and if I could, I wanted to prevent that from happening again.
And it’s not that I want them to do things exactly like I would. With what they know now, they will make their own decisions. But I feel that now, finally, if I weren’t there or we were missing someone key to the team, they could lead the Works and Design area that is so important for our business model. This time has also helped me see that both Roberto and Luis have an instinct and vision to lead this area. It is a job with a very high creative component. There’s one part that you get from experience, but there’s another part that can’t be learnt, and they have it.
“Roberto and I have formed a good team. We have never had disagreements. We know each other very well and we know perfectly well how far we can go without crossing the line. Sometimes it’s my turn to give in, and other times he does it. The truth is that we are on the same page and we are able to prioritise the project above everything else”, Luis explains about what it’s like to work with his younger brother Roberto. They’ve always got along well, but I really didn’t expect them to get along quite so well. They form a great duo. They have been together for many years and have managed to put forward proposals such as the Energy Efficiency project, thanks to which we already have photovoltaic installations in 22 hotels.
Seamless and planned succession in key management positions at RIU
It’s true that this duo has worked together for five years. In fact, they shared an office for four years, and now it’s time for each of them to develop their own project. Luis was appointed in February of this year as Chief Operations Officer for the Atlantic area and of Helpdesk, which is the Engineering and Maintenance area, and he will continue to share responsibility for Works and Design and for Energy Efficiency with Roberto. “When my father asked me for my opinion, I told him I was ready. Of course, in terms of Operations, in the area of Félix Casado, right now I am there to listen, learn, and assimilate. Félix has created a great school and I have a great relationship with the Canary Islands. Half of my family is from there, so I’m very happy about this decision”, says Luis.
As for Helpdesk, the retirement of its director, Ramón Arroyo, is approaching, and his successor, Juan Manuel Trías, is now on board in order to carry out a smooth and secure transition. I think it’s really good for Luis and Juanma to team up from the start. It’s something that always leaves a mark, and for me, the trusting relationships I had with the people I was with in the Canary Islands and Punta Cana have lasted a lifetime. This is an example of a very well-planned handover. More changes will come and will need to be dealt with in an orderly and professional manner. Having so many family members in management positions is one way of ensuring this handover in key positions.
A new chapter in the history of the hotel chain and the Riu Family
Like everything in life, experience is of great value; and in a family business, even more so. In fact, if I ask Luis about who has influenced him, he really likes to highlight my mother, Mrs Pilar. He loves his grandmother a lot, but he also admires her professionally. I think it was especially in Jamaica that he realised the enormous love and respect he has for her. “My grandmother is an example of humility, of work, of effort, of looking forward, of helping your own people … they call her Mama Riu in Jamaica”, says Luis proudly. And I really think my mother is the most beloved member of the family. The impression she left on people, especially in the hotels, is huge. They still ask me about her in Mexico, the Canary Islands, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic; and you can really feel the affection.
I really like the respect Luis has for the family and I like that he is very brave. He is not afraid of changes and responsibilities. If I have ever given him any advice for something to improve, it is to be more affectionate. He is very serious, which is not bad, but you have to compensate for that with sympathy and empathy. This is precisely one of the strengths Mrs Pilar has that are great leadership tools.
“He’s right. He’s a very demanding boss, very tough. But at the same time, he knows how to connect with people. And I also really like his ability to change his setting when he comes home. You don’t mess around with work, but at home you have to laugh, have fun, play, party. That is another admirable feature of his. For my grandparents, life was work. My father, on the other hand, has managed to pursue his hobby and he has a very powerful outlet on his DJ side”, Luis explains. It’s also true that I am just as meticulous at work as I am in my hobbies. I take it very seriously. And I’m a creature of habit. He, on the other hand, likes to discover new places and flavours. “I really like to travel. I like all kinds of trips, even backpacking. And I consider eating as one of life’s great pleasures. I love trying new things”, says my son Luis. That contrasts a lot with me. I’ve been going to Formentera on holiday every year for 28 years. And I think if something is good, if you like it and it works, why change it?
Gradual changes: the key to keeping RIU Hotels a worldwide tourism benchmark
Hobbies aside, I want to say that I have great confidence in the future of RIU. If there are no extraordinary events on an enormous scale, which can’t be guaranteed, I see this company as very strong and on the path to growth. I think in 10 years we might be surprised at the size we’re going to reach. And to be able to handle it well, we need this fourth generation which is already taking over. And it’s OK that it won’t be just one or two. Everyone’s effort will be needed. Each person in the area their responsible for and with the common goal of taking care of the company. This formula will be much kinder to them and much fairer to RIU.
My son Luis has his own vision of the future. “I think the fourth generation’s responsibility is to keep RIU Hotels as good as ever, adapting it little by little to the changing environment. Applying KAIZEN from Japanese philosophy, which encourages continuous improvement. In other words, we can gradually make small changes for the better. Never radical changes; we are who we are and that’s what has brought us so far. But we can’t lose sight of the adaptations and small changes needed to sustain that success over time.”
I just hope that in addition to being a great manager, he will also be a great owner. The next generation has to have good managers to make quick and appropriate decisions. Besides, all of them will be owners. And that’s not given to you by a notary but by the ability to see the bigger picture. The one that shows you responsibility for more than 38,000 families. And your role as an owner, not a manager, gives you that perspective. I hope to be able to delegate it too.
Fdo. Luis Riu
