{"id":13364,"date":"2019-07-05T09:10:08","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T07:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/?p=13364"},"modified":"2019-07-05T13:18:36","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T11:18:36","slug":"luis-riu-major-works-hotels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/en\/luis-riu-major-works-hotels\/","title":{"rendered":"Luis Riu: \u201cEvery new hotel is the accumulation of the experience acquired and an opportunity to improve\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I arrived at the Riu Palmeras<\/strong> construction works in 1984 I had no idea that it would be the start of one of the greatest passions of my professional career and also one of the keys to my management at the helm of RIU. The previous post discussing the renovation of the Riu Palmeras<\/a> inspired me to look up this information. I have now managed a total of 123 hotels<\/strong>. During the first few years they were mostly newly constructed buildings, while we now have a combination of both major renovation works and new hotels.<\/p>\n

\"Luis<\/a>

Luis Riu, during a visit to the Riu Plaza Espa\u00f1a hotel construction works.<\/p><\/div>\n

Although this is of course a very high number, the fact that it is very important for RIU’s business development<\/a> is what is vital here. These have been 123 opportunities to make the most of all our know how<\/em>, to improve our product, to phase out certain plans and services in order to focus on more effective options and to try out new things. My technical team and I run our own R&D&I lab and we implement our tests and make errors and improvements for each new project. Every new RIU hotel is the accumulation of the experience acquired from previous hotels<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy passion for architecture has been decisive in the design of the RIU hotels\u201d<\/h2>\n

In truth, before moving to Gran Canaria I had not been particularly interested in the building works. But I soon came to realize that this stage of the project is precisely where the quality and the service for our clients is defined. Moreover, efficiently managing and controlling the costs is decided long before the first brick of the hotel is even laid.<\/p>\n

Over time, this passion for architecture and engineering<\/strong> has been pivotal not only to the product and service we offer our clients but also to RIU’s policy of expansion<\/strong>. Paying attention to the most minute details can only take occur if we own the hotels, which also gives us tremendous freedom to make decisions. We chose to invest in more than one hotel per location<\/strong> given that logistically, commercially and cost-wise it leads to multiple synergies, in addition to our long-term commitments to the countries where we have our hotels. Ownership and direct control of our projects<\/strong> are the main elements that differentiate RIU from other hotel chains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe help of my father, Luis Riu Bertr\u00e1n, and my mother was absolutely essential\u201d<\/h2>\n

During my first few years in the business I had the help of my father and mother. To this day my mother is still referred to as Do\u00f1a Pilar<\/strong>; she knows a lot about this industry and worked tirelessly. I had all the enthusiasm of youth and my parents had the experience of having built seven hotels in Mallorca in addition to over 30 years of managerial experience.<\/p>\n

\"Pilar<\/a>

Pilar G\u00fcell, Carmen and Luis Riu G\u00fcell’s mother, collects the 2018 Award for Excellence in Tourism.<\/p><\/div>\n

Basic plan of a RIU hotel, according to Luis Riu Bertr\u00e1n<\/h3>\n

My father, Luis Riu Bertr\u00e1n<\/strong>, knew exactly what the basic plan of a hotel<\/strong> should look like:<\/p>\n