{"id":23580,"date":"2021-11-18T15:07:23","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T14:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/?p=23580"},"modified":"2021-11-18T15:57:51","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T14:57:51","slug":"luis-riu-and-felix-casado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/en\/luis-riu-and-felix-casado\/","title":{"rendered":"Luis Riu: \u201cF\u00e9lix Casado has been the Riu family\u2019s eyes and hands in the distance\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"F\u00e9lix<\/a>

F\u00e9lix Casado, standing next to one of the RIU hotels in Palma .<\/p><\/div>\n

In our company, we have always been sure of two things. First and foremost, that we must lead by example, starting with the Riu family<\/b><\/strong>. This applies to all areas of our lives and work as it is linked to values such as effort, integrity and respect<\/b><\/strong>. Secondly, that we need to be surrounded by a good team<\/b><\/strong>, by people that are committed, support you and help you grow.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, as the company grows, these trusted individuals should become your eyes and hands from afar. These are the people that have truly experienced the company\u2019s philosophy and make sure it is passed on to employees the world over. Without them, RIU might still be as big as it is today, but it would definitely be a little less \u201cRIU\u201d. The greatest exponent of this figure has a name: F\u00e9lix Casado<\/b><\/strong>. Today I would like to recognise the work of our Atlantic Area director, who has been with the company for a whopping 48 years<\/b><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"F\u00e9lix<\/a>

F\u00e9lix Casado (left) has been a member of the board of Riu Hotels since 1998 as director of the Atlantic Zone.<\/p><\/div>\n

F\u00e9lix Casado and the Riu family: a relationship of trust that has been going on for almost half a century<\/h2>\n

F\u00e9lix joined RIU in 1973<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0when the company had less than 600 employees. Nowadays we have almost 30,000, and he has directly trained many of them. \u201cWhen I\u2019m presenting the budgets, I start by talking about our beginnings. I remind everyone where we have come from, and explain the history of RIU<\/u><\/a>, so they can understand not only where we are headed, but above all how we are going to get there\u201d, says F\u00e9lix. In fact, of all his time at the company, his best memories are from the beginning when he worked alongside the family, including Mr. Juan Riu and Mrs. Mar\u00eda<\/b><\/strong>, my grandparents, and even yours truly, who he met when I was still very young in the reception of hotel Sof\u00eda.<\/p>\n

We fondly recall how my mother\u2019s arrival was the best moment of the night shift. \u201cThe nights were long, but when we heard the sound of Mrs.<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0Pilar G\u00fcell<\/strong>\u00a0heels and smelt her perfume, we knew that it was nearly over\u201d. My mother arrived to organise all the housekeepers, arrivals, departures, sheet changes, etc. at around 5 or 5:30 in the morning in all of our hotels.<\/p>\n

\"F\u00e9lix<\/a>

F\u00e9lix Casado with several colleagues in a historic image of Riu Hotels.<\/p><\/div>\n

F\u00e9lix is like a living book of the hotel trade<\/b><\/strong>. He knows more about the company\u2019s operations<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0than anyone else, and that is really saying something as we are all in the same business. He has been with the company throughout all its different stages and has worked his way up to the top from his beginnings as a reception assistant. He is a man of action and you will always see him on the front line, whether we are dealing with openings, closures, new destinations, new products, refurbishments, protocols … the list goes on! He can take on any kind of project, but first you have to convince him that what you want to implement or change really needs to be that way. Once he is by your side, you have the most loyal ally you could wish for. He is the most disciplined, meticulous and efficient person I know<\/b><\/strong>. His team will always follow him because he knows so much and has earned their respect by always being there for them.<\/p>\n

\"Luis<\/a>

Luis Riu G\u00fcell and Luis Riu Rodr\u00edguez with F\u00e9lix Casado at the Hotel Riu Buenavista.<\/p><\/div>\n

Felix Casado is a reference in the development of the RIU group in the Canary Islands<\/h2>\n

Most importantly, his work has set the bar in the Canary Islands<\/b><\/strong>. His first step was in the Riu Palmeras, which represented a big jump for him for several reasons<\/u><\/a>. Firstly because it was his first position as hotel director<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0and, secondly, because he was coming from Playa de Palma in Mallorca, where all our establishments were smaller, 3-star, seasonal hotels. He moved to Gran Canaria in 1988 and planned to spend two years there before moving back to Mallorca … but 32 years later and he is still there.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Re-opening<\/a>

Re-opening of the Hotel Riu Palmeras after its refurbishment, with F\u00e9lix Casado, who was the first director and who made his debut as hotel manager, on the right.<\/p><\/div>\n

It was a great challenge for him for many reasons. To start, the mere act of travelling to the island was very brave of him because he was terrified of flying. \u201cThe first time that Mr. Luis Riu Bertr\u00e1n took me to the Canary Islands to see the Riu Palmeras<\/u><\/a>, it took me three days to recover. It was awful. Everyone went to Fuerteventura and left me in Gran Canaria to recover because they felt sorry for me\u201d, explains F\u00e9lix, who still cannot laugh about the story to this very day.<\/p>\n

But putting this anecdote to one side, F\u00e9lix had gone to a destination where the hotel operated year-round and there was a very strong commitment to quality. As an example, he remembers that at this time \u201cthe idea of <\/b><\/strong>hosting <\/b><\/em><\/strong>was introduced, with the figure of a director that is much closer to guests<\/b><\/strong>, going from table to table and spending much more time with them. Nowadays this is normal at RIU, but at the time it was a big change\u201d.<\/p>\n

From Cordoba to Mallorca, an example of effort and improvement in the hotel industry<\/h2>\n

F\u00e9lix lived in Mallorca with his family<\/b><\/strong>. In fact he moved there from Cordoba first, and then his parents and siblings followed him. They were originally from Nava de la Asunci\u00f3n in Segovia and moved to Cordoba<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0when they were very young. His father sold pine nuts and one year he went to the fair in Seville and then in Cordoba, and it went so well that he decided to stay there. He became very popular in the city and was known as \u201c<\/b><\/strong>Pablito el pi\u00f1onero<\/b><\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/b><\/strong>, referring to his job as a pine nut seller. F\u00e9lix is moved when he remembers those years. \u201cHe would sell pine nuts at markets, at bullfighting events, at football matches … he saved up until he had enough to put a deposit down on a flat, and then my siblings and I moved there from our village with our mother. He sent us all to a good school and continued to work really hard\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Luis<\/a>

Luis Riu, Roberto Riu and F\u00e9lix Casado with members of the RIU Operations and Projects teams at Hotel Riu Palace Jandia.<\/p><\/div>\n

Everyone that is acquainted with F\u00e9lix knows he is a big fan of bullfighting<\/b><\/strong>. He is always using metaphors related to this sport, but not many people know where his passion comes from. \u201cMy first job was as a bellboy in the hotel El Cordob\u00e9s<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0in 1967. It was owned by the bullfighter El Cordob\u00e9s, who was the Ronaldo of bullfighting at the time. He was very famous. Before people went to visit the city\u2019s tourist attraction La Mezquita<\/em>, they came to see his hotel, which was decorated with traditional bullfighting outfits and posters. It was a 3-star hotel but it was very luxurious for that time and it had 5-star services. That was how I got into the trade, but I soon realised that I couldn\u2019t move up the ranks there\u201d.<\/p>\n

A career that began as a bellboy at the El Cordob\u00e9s hotel<\/h2>\n

As a person who knew exactly what he wanted, he spoke with a customer that had hotels in Mallorca<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0and agreed to call him in spring at the start of the season, and the rest is history. At that time lots of young people went to Mallorca to work during the tourist season. There was not much work and going to the island was a good opportunity for many young people. In fact, my grandfather Juan Riu visited villages<\/b><\/strong>, especially in Asturias and Jaen, in winter to find young people to work in our hotels<\/b><\/strong>. He went to the village pub and sat there having a drink, watching everyone and chatting with them, and he ended up finding the team he needed.<\/p>\n

\"Luis<\/a>

Luis Riu G\u00fcell und Luis Riu Rodr\u00edguez mit F\u00e9lix Casado und anderen Mitgliedern des RIU-Betriebsteams auf den Kanarischen Inseln im Hotel Riu Buenavista .<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIn 1970 I went to work at the hotel Honderos<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0as a reception assistant<\/b><\/strong>, which was quite the promotion from my job as bellboy in Cordoba. We travelled there by boat, they gave us a room and food because there just wasn\u2019t enough accommodation in the area, and you earned more from tips because salaries were so low at that time. I met my wife at this hotel, where she worked as the housekeeper<\/b><\/strong>. Since then we\u2019ve only been apart for a few months when I moved to Gran Canaria.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first opportunity at RIU, by the hand of Luis Riu father<\/h3>\n

To start working at RIU<\/b><\/strong>, one day F\u00e9lix went to the hotel Riu San Francisco<\/u><\/a>, which was the first RIU hotel in Palma<\/u><\/a>, the place where the history of the entire chain began, to talk to my father. This is also where another of RIU’s long-time team members, Rafael Exp\u00f3sito<\/u><\/a>, started working at RIU. He asked for a job, not as a reception assistant but as a receptionist. My father told him that he would take him on, but that he had to start at the bottom. So, working in the same position but with the promise of moving up the ranks, F\u00e9lix joined the chain. He started out on the reception at the Hotel Obelisco<\/b><\/strong>. \u201cLuis Riu told me that you can carve out a career with hard work, and that turned out to be true. What I didn\u2019t realise at the time was that my career was going to be quite so long!\u201d, jokes F\u00e9lix.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"F\u00e9lix<\/a>

F\u00e9lix Casado working at the front desk of one of RIU’s hotels, in his early days.<\/p><\/div>\n

I can remember the reception at Hotel Obelisco as if it were yesterday. My father\u2019s office was just behind reception and he would appear suddenly at any time. At the time we all worked together: my grandparents, my parents, and the company\u2019s long-standing employees like Jaime Palmer, Guillermo Marqu\u00e9s or Antonio Balaguer<\/b><\/strong>. \u201cWe worked well together\u201d, says F\u00e9lix. \u201cThere was a completely different mindset. Work came naturally and you just got on with it. There was a lot of comradeship. I talked with everybody and tried to learn something from them\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Luis<\/a>

Luis Riu G\u00fcell, Luis Riu Bertr\u00e1n and F\u00e9lix Casado in a photo playing soccer in 1978.<\/p><\/div>\n

Hard-working, serious, ambitious and a great trainer at RIU: that’s F\u00e9lix Casado<\/h2>\n

Some things never change and F\u00e9lix has always been a very responsible and organised man<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 qualities that we can also see in his work. He was courteous with guests but used his words and gestures sparingly, and outside of work he acted in the same way. \u00a0He loved being with his family or playing sports, and he wasn\u2019t one for going out partying. All of us younger people that worked together in those years became a great team, and today some of them are long-standing employees of the chain such as Alejandro S\u00e1nchez and Pepe Moreno<\/b><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"F\u00e9lix<\/a>

F\u00e9lix Casado supervises the construction works of the future Hotel Riu Baobab in Senegal .<\/p><\/div>\n

When he agreed to go to Gran Canaria<\/b><\/strong>, it was because he knew the future was there, and also because my father never took \u201cno\u201d for an answer! F\u00e9lix was very hard-working but also ambitious, because nobody takes on more and more responsibilities if their sights aren\u2019t set high. \u201cMany of our colleagues preferred to stay in Mallorca, at least during winter to take it easy for a few months\u201d, says F\u00e9lix.<\/p>\n

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