{"id":24680,"date":"2022-04-01T09:14:08","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T07:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/?p=24680"},"modified":"2022-04-01T09:14:08","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T07:14:08","slug":"first-hotel-senegal-luis-riu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/en\/first-hotel-senegal-luis-riu\/","title":{"rendered":"Luis Riu: \u201cI\u2019m so excited about the opening of the Riu Baobab in Senegal because it is the first step of our adventure in West Africa.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of the best opportunities in life appear without much planning. Our project in Senegal<\/u><\/a>\u00a0was the result of luck, being in the right place at the right time and RIU\u2019s maturity, which helps us identify and make the most of these opportunities when they arise. This was the case of Pointe Sar\u00e8ne<\/u><\/a>, where we\u2019re about to inaugurate our first hotel in Senegal, the Riu Baobab, our first hotel in Senegal<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"<\/a>

Luis Riu reflects on the journey up until the inauguration of the first Riu hotel in Senegal, Riu Baobab.<\/p><\/div>\n

I always have a few preferred destinations on my radar, but I never rule out a good offer if it comes up in the right place at the right time. With just a few days to go before the opening, I couldn\u2019t be happier with this mix of circumstances that have produced an excellent hotel unlike any other in our portfolio or in the area of Senegal<\/strong>, and we have really high hopes.<\/p>\n

Riu Baobab, the beginning of RIU’s expansion in Senegal and West Africa<\/h2>\n

I was negotiating the purchase of a package of assets that included hotels and plots in Cape Verde, as well as a hotel and a plot in Senegal. I passed by the spot where the Riu Baobab now stands when I went to visit that hotel in Senegal, and I just knew that it was the right place<\/strong>. I looked into it a bit further and found out that it was also for sale. We\u2019ve got on great with the owner Mr Loum right from the beginning and have built a relationship that goes much further than just purchasing a plot of land. He is a businessman who believes that the country\u2019s future lies in tourism<\/strong>\u00a0and he saw great potential in RIU\u2019s project from the get-go.<\/p>\n

\"Carmen<\/a>

Members of the government, embassies and other official and social organizations attended the pre-inauguration event held on Monday, March 28. The event was presided over by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall, and the CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts, Carmen Riu.<\/p><\/div>\n

This is a very exciting adventure for RIU. It\u2019s our first hotel in West Africa<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<\/strong>RIU’s highlight project in terms of new hotels to be built in 2022<\/u><\/a>, and I think that it has great potential and a very promising future ahead. In fact, I\u2019m not ruling out the possibility of further growth in Senegal and other nearby countries, even with city hotels<\/strong>. If the Riu Baobab works well, the next step would be to build a Riu Palace hotel in the adjacent plot, which we already own.<\/p>\n

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