{"id":37617,"date":"2025-05-29T10:57:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T08:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/?p=37617"},"modified":"2025-05-29T16:13:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T14:13:45","slug":"luis-riu-rodriguez-engineering-maintenance-atlantic-operations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/en\/luis-riu-rodriguez-engineering-maintenance-atlantic-operations\/","title":{"rendered":"Luis Riu: My son Luis is a brave, reliable, quick-witted professional"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When my sister Carmen and I<\/u><\/a> 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\u2019t exist. Their life was work. When Carmen and I built our own families, we were clear that we wanted something different. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve never talked about work at home<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/u><\/a>, and Roberto, have been free to decide and I couldn\u2019t be happier that they decided to work at RIU Hotels. And it\u2019s not just a father or an uncle\u2019s love, if I say I firmly believe in <\/strong>the talent of the fourth generation<\/strong><\/u><\/strong> <\/u>to be the leaders of the future<\/strong><\/u><\/strong><\/a>. Today, I want to introduce Luis Riu Rodr\u00edguez, my oldest son, <\/strong>who is responsible for Engineering and Maintenance (Helpdesk) and Atlantic Operations<\/strong>, and who continues in Works and Design and Renewable Energy. He is a quick-witted, reliable professional with a great capacity for work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Members\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
From left to right: Roberto, Luis, Isabel, and Naomi, Luis Riu’s wife and children.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Luis Riu Rodr\u00edguez: part of the fourth generation, bringing education and experience to the future of RIU Hotels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s very quick<\/strong>. He understands things the first time and doesn\u2019t waste time on unnecessary arguments. This is the main difference in working with real professionals, just a few words are enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Luis
Luis Riu and his eldest son, Luis, in front of the beach at the Riu Palace La Mola hotel during one of their inspection visits.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is a part that\u2019s innate, but it\u2019s also true that new generations are very well trained and have work experience when they come to the company<\/strong><\/u><\/strong><\/a>. Luis studied Economics at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. He earned a Master\u2019s 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. \u201cYes, 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\u2019t 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\u201d, says my son Luis.
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\"Luis
Luis Riu Rodr\u00edguez is taking on responsibility for Engineering and Maintenance (SAT) and Atlantic Operations. He will also continue to share the areas of Construction and Design and Renewable Energy with Roberto.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hands-On learning at RIU’s American hotels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Then, at RIU, he has gained experience in both Operations and in Works and Design<\/strong>. From his time in Operations, he is very fond of remembering his work in Jamaica<\/u><\/a>. \u201cIt was very complex. It\u2019s a destination that\u2019s far from everywhere else and very different from working in Latin destinations. But that\u2019s exactly why a great community forms and I still have a lot of friends from those years. I was also with Alejandro S\u00e1nchez<\/strong>, not only in Jamaica but also in New York and Miami. He is a great teacher with a huge heart<\/strong>\u201d, Luis recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts, with his sons Luis and Roberto, and Alejandro S\u00e1nchez, RIU’s Director of Operations in the United States and English-speaking Caribbean.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is no doubt that Operations is very complex work<\/strong>. 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<\/strong>. We are hoteliers and need to understand the day-to-day workings of our business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI also learnt a lot in Punta Cana<\/strong>, 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<\/u><\/a> 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<\/u><\/a>, to Riu Republica<\/u><\/a>, 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\u201d, says my son Luis. RIU Party is a well-established and forward-looking project<\/u><\/a>. 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<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jhonatan Mata, Luis Riu Rodr\u00edguez, and Otoniel Casillas at the photocall for the Riu Party at the Riu Caribe hotel during the inauguration of the parties at this hotel in 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy father is very clear about things and as he doesn\u2019t get much wrong, we all follow him<\/strong>\u201d, explains my son Luis. \u201cDuring these five years, my brother and I<\/u><\/a> have worked hard to observe and learn rather than suggest innovations. And when it comes to introducing new things, we\u2019ve done it little by little. We\u2019ve never proposed anything crazy\u201d, says Luis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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