From Luis Riu to the fourth generation, a story that unites tradition, vision and commitment with the future of our company.
Meet each member of la familia Riu
The history of RIU Hotels & Resorts is, first and foremost, the history of a family. Since its beginnings in 1953 in Mallorca, the Riu surname has been linked to hospitality and the firm commitment to offering each guest a unique experience. Over more than 70 years, the company has evolved from a small family business to one of the most recognised international hotel chains, without ever losing its essence.
Today, that legacy is in the hands of Luis Riu, CEO and third generation of the family, who has led the global expansion process and has been a key player in the modernisation of the company. Under his leadership, innovative concepts such as the RIU Plaza urban hotels or the RIU Party were born, which have consolidated the brand as synonymous with quality, innovation and closeness.
Alongside him, members of the fourth generation are already joining the company, young professionals who share the same values that have guided the family from the beginning: commitment, passion for hospitality, respect for tradition and international vocation.
On this page you can meet Luis Riu and each of the representatives of the fourth generation. Their personal trajectories reflect the strength of a common project that, with enthusiasm and responsibility, will continue to grow in the future with the same family essence that saw it born.
Luis Riu Güell
CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts
Luis Riu (Palma, Spain, 1960) is CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts and represents the third generation of the founding family. He has held this position since 1998, first alongside his sister Carmen Riu and, since July 2024, solo. He has led the internationalisation of the chain and the diversification of its offering, driving both the development of RIU Plaza urban hotels and new entertainment concepts such as the acclaimed RIU Party.
A graduate in Business Administration and Management from the University of Barcelona, he trained in various operational departments before taking on positions of responsibility. In 1990, he took charge of international expansion with the opening of the first hotel outside Spain, in Punta Cana.
Luis Riu heads the Expansion and Projects area, personally participating in each new development. His passion for architecture and hotel design is an essential part of RIU's growth, which today boasts over 100 hotels in America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Joan Trian Riu
Managing director, institutional representative and on the TUI Board of RIU Hotels & Resorts
Joan Trian Riu, son of Carmen Riu, is part of the RIU Management Committee and holds the institutional representation of the company, as well as the management of the Taxation, Insurance, Compliance, Legal, and Communication departments; and the representation of the hotel chain on the board of directors of TUI Group. Furthermore, he is the executive director of the Operations area for America and the Balearic Islands, with holiday hotels in Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Aruba, and the Bahamas; and Riu Plaza city hotels in the United States, Toronto, Guadalajara, Panama, and Berlin.
Joan Trian Riu (Palma, Spain, 1983) is the eldest of the cousins who form the fourth generation of the Riu family with executive positions in the company. His education includes studies in Tourism and Business Administration at IESE, ESADE, and McCombs schools, at the University of Texas. Before joining the corporate structure of RIU Hotels & Resorts, he worked at Citigroup, an investment bank in London, for three years and trained in Operations in various destinations, among which Cape Verde stands out, where he spent a year as deputy director. He has experience in several areas of the company, where he was Financial Director for 8 years.
Luis Riu Rodríguez
Co-Director of Construction and Design, Executive Director of Operations for the Atlantic, SAT and the RIU Party project at RIU Hotels & Resorts
Luis Riu Rodríguez, is the eldest son of Luis Riu, is co-director of the Design and Construction area, as well as executive director of Operations in the Atlantic region which includes RIU hotels in the Canary Islands and Andalusia, Portugal, Cape Verde, Morocco and Senegal. Furthermore, he is responsible for SAT, which is the engineering and maintenance area for the entire group, and leads the Riu Party project.
Luis Riu Rodríguez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1991) studied Economics at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, a Master's in Economics in California (UCSB) and Marketing at EAE Barcelona. Before joining RIU Hotels & Resorts, he worked in investment banking with BBVA London. At RIU he has gained experience in Operations, both in beach and city settings, in destinations such as Miami and New York, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and the Canary Islands, where he also worked on the renovation project of the Riu Buenavista.
Naomi Riu Rodríguez
Chief Financial Officer of the group and Chief Operating Officer of the Indian Ocean RIU Hotels & Resorts
Naomi Riu Rodríguez, daughter of Luis Riu, CEO of RIU, is the current Chief Financial Officer of the RIU Group, a responsibility to which she adds the areas of EMEA Purchasing and Corporate Social Responsibility and Billing and Collections Management. She is also executive director for Operations of the hotels in the Indian Ocean region (Zanzibar, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Thailand), in addition to the Riu Plaza hotels in Madrid, London and Dublin.
Naomi Riu Rodríguez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1992) graduated in Business Administration from EAE University of Barcelona and also holds a master's degree in Audit and Accounting. She did Financial Planning internships at CaixaBank and then worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers for two years in Madrid. She gained experience in various hotel departments in Mallorca and the Canary Islands and was assistant site manager during the renovation of the Riu Vistamar, a period she remembers with special fondness.
Roberto Riu Rodríguez
Co-Director of Construction and Design and CEO of the Commercial and Marketing area of RIU Hotels & Resorts
Roberto Riu Rodríguez, youngest son of Luis Riu, CEO of RIU, is co-director of the Works and Design area, as well as executive director in the Commercial and Marketing area of the hotel chain. A cross-cutting area with prominent leaders in all RIU destinations worldwide.
Roberto Riu Rodríguez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1993) studied Business Administration at IQS University in Barcelona and holds a postgraduate degree in Negotiations from IESEG School of Management in Paris. For one year, he moved to the Netherlands to work at TUI Netherlands. He completed internships in various hotel and head office departments and completed his training in Operations in Jamaica and Miami and in Works during the renovation of the Hotel Riu Palace Jandia.
Discover more details about la familia Riu
About RIU
Luis Riu
RIU Hotels & Resorts was founded in 1953 in Mallorca by the married couple formed by Juan Riu Masmitjà and María Bertran Espigulé, who started the business together with their son Luis Riu Bertran.
The first hotel of the chain was the Hotel Riu San Francisco, first of Playa de Palma, in Mallorca, and which was acquired in November 1953.
Yes. The ownership and management remain in the hands of la familia Riu, currently in its third generation, with members of the fourth generation holding various management positions.
The ownership of RIU, as well as the management of the business, remain in the founding family.
The management of all the hotels of the RIU brand is carried out through the company RIUSA II. In this management company, founded in 1993, the tour operator TUI has a 50% stake, while the other 50% is owned by the Riu family.
The main executive body of RIU is its Board of Directors, which is made up of Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts, and six managing directors: Joan Trian Riu, Fernando García, Félix Casado, Carles Madrenas, Miquel Reynés and Pepe Moreno.
In 2024 RIU's turnover was 4,082 million euros, 13% more than in 2023.
The opinion of the guests is the main management tool used by RIU, both to monitor and ensure the RIU service standard, and to collect suggestions for improvements. In addition, the creative vision of the management allows for the introduction of constant innovations in the offer such as the RIU Party or the Elite Club; or new technological tools such as the virtual assistant.
Presented the "Proudly Committed" strategy (2024–2026) which includes different projects in the various destinations in which it operates.
Currently, RIU Hotels & Resorts is present in 23 destinations spread across Africa, America, Asia and Europe.
Africa and Indian Ocean
- Cape Verde
- Morocco
- Mauritius
- Senegal
- Tanzania (Zanzibar)
America
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Canada
- Costa Rica
- United States
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Panama
- Dominican Republic
Asia and Middle East
- Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
- Maldives
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
Europe
- Germany
- Spain
- Ireland
- Portugal
- United Kingdom
Energy efficiency projects, water recycling, ultra-efficient hotels (Mauritius), as well as technological improvements in customer experience (apps, AI chatbot, virtual twin of the Riu Plaza España in the metaverse, Elite club, etc.).
To improve the customer experience, RIU has introduced several important new features:
- Creation of exclusive areas and restaurants for Elite Club guests.
- Launch of the famous RIU Party.
- Incorporation of new themed restaurants.
- Expansion of the RIU Adults Only hotel offering.
Furthermore, constant improvements are made to the design and general services, an area where Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts, personally oversees the design and construction of each new project.
RIU had to close all its hotels due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Its role from that moment on was very proactive and collaborative. With the focus on reopening its offer, RIU Hotels & Resorts developed operating protocols in just a few weeks, which it then made available to authorities and associations so that all companies or organisations that needed them could take advantage of them.
It also participated in the Pilot Plan for the reopening of tourism in Europe, receiving the first tourists who arrived from Germany in June 2020 at its Hotel Riu Concordia and Riu Bravo hotels.
RIU always understood that COVID-19 was a global crisis and that it was necessary to collaborate with institutions, the competition and complementary offerings to overcome it. As for its guests and employees, the focus was always on safety.
RIU Hotels & Resorts managed to resume 100% of its operations on 3 December 2021 with the reopening of the Hotel Riu Sri Lanka, thus completing the reactivation of all its destinations after the paralysis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quality of service, family tradition, teamwork, innovation and sustainability.
Yes. The second pillar of the PROUDLY COMMITTED strategy is Sustainable Destinations, which includes actions in Community and Natural Environment. This translates into health, education and environmental conservation projects, which are the areas in which RIU invests the most.
In 2023, the social investment was 3.9 million euros and in 2024 it was 3.1 million. The difference is due to the fact that in 2023 almost 800,000 euros were allocated to emergencies and an extraordinary contribution of 500,000 euros was made.
The solidarity tradition of the familia Riu is at the origin of this commitment. Even before having a formal strategy, they already supported entities dedicated to child welfare. Today they actively collaborate with the Fundación Joan Riu, the Fundación Campaner and Pro Nins.
The fourth generation of the Riu family who holds executive positions in the company is composed of:
- Joan Trian Riu (son of Carmen Riu): holds the institutional representation of the company, as well as the management of the Tax, Insurance, Compliance, Legal and Communication departments; and the representation of the hotel chain on the board of directors of the TUI Group. Furthermore, he is executive director of the Operations area for America and the Balearic Islands, with holiday hotels in Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Aruba and Bahamas; and Riu Plaza city hotels in the United States, Toronto, Guadalajara, Panama and Berlin.
- Luis Riu Rodríguez (son of Luis Riu, CEO of RIU): is co-director of the Design and Construction area, as well as executive director of Operations in the Atlantic zone which includes RIU hotels in the Canary Islands and Andalusia, Portugal, Cape Verde, Morocco and Senegal. In addition, he is responsible for the SAT, which is the engineering and maintenance area for the entire group, and leads the Riu Party project.
- Naomi Riu Rodríguez (daughter of Luis Riu, CEO of RIU): is the current financial director of the RIU Group, a responsibility to which she adds the areas of EMEA Purchasing and Corporate Social Responsibility and Invoicing and Collections Management. She is also executive director for Operations of the hotels in the Indian Ocean zone (Zanzibar, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Thailand), in addition to the Riu Plaza hotels in Madrid, London and Dublin.
- Roberto Riu Rodríguez (son of Luis Riu, CEO of RIU): is co-director of the Construction and Design area, as well as executive director in the Commercial and Marketing area of the hotel chain. A transversal area with prominent managers in all destinations of the RIU world.
Since 2024, responsibilities were assigned to the 4th generation of the Riu family in key areas to make a progressive transition.