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This year we celebrated the 25th anniversary of one of the key departments in RIU hotels: the Entertainment Department. Today we want to introduce you to four of our A-rated entertainers whose names all start with the letter that shows their quality. What better way to get to know our entertainment staff than by putting faces and names to part of the team. Don’t miss out on their story!
– Aibi Sherwood Díaz
Our beloved Aibi has been with us in the Dominican Republic for 26 years, since 1996, when she started out as a dancer in the shows. Back then, she already stood out thanks to her staging of musical numbers for the performances and for her organisation and discipline. This led her, in 2009, to become an in-house choreographer, a job she still does today. She also does an excellent job supporting the activities at RiuLand and RiuFit, supervising the different dance shows presented by external suppliers and those created at RIU, for both adults and children, at the 6 hotels in the area.
“My most important task is to deliver joy and satisfaction to the guests”
When we asked her about her daily work, she didn’t hesitate, and told us that “My most important task is to deliver joy and satisfaction to the guests.” She also explained that, for her, the best thing about working at RIU “is the human warmth and the friendly atmosphere. We are a family, I have always felt very respected by my colleagues and by the hotel managers.” This is all reflected in the excellent results of her work
, and she will always remember something that happened during one of the parades, in one of the Caribbean parties at the hotel where she worked, namely “An uncontrollable fit of laughter that a very shy colleague of mine had during a carnival parade, after a collision with a guest, she fell to the ground, sat down and laughed for a long time. She couldn’t move and couldn’t stop.”
– Alberto Sosa Sierra
Now we go to Mexico to introduce you to Alberto, who has been with RIU for 22 years. He started as a dancer at the Riu Palace Mexico where he soon became a choreographer, a position he held for 6 years. After that, he became Head of Entertainment at the hotel Riu Tequila, where he has been for 16 years now!
“RIU has allowed me to develop my creativity”
What is his main task? “To keep the team happy and motivated, and of course to make sure that the guests have fun during their holidays.” He tells us that working at RIU has given him many things, among them “A great deal of space to develop my creativity.” Thanks to people like him, hotel entertainment improves every day, always with the aim of making sure you enjoy yourself to the max during your holidays.
– Ané Martín
In 1998 Ané took part in one of the entertainment courses that were offered at that time. It was the start of his career in RIU Entertainment, first as an entertainer in Andalusia and then Mallorca, where in 2001 he became Head of Entertainment, a title he still holds today. The guests at the hotel Riu Paraiso Lanzarote are lucky enough to enjoy the entertainment led by Ané, who has been Head of Entertainment there for 18 years.
“My goal is to work hard and take care of the team, keeping them together and happy.”
He has always stood out for his great professionalism. This is reflected in his words when he tells us that his main functions “are to ensure the smooth running of the different entertainment sections, RiuLand, RiuFit, RiuFun and RiuArt, to coordinate the set up of Riu Stage nights, be in daily contact with the guests and maintain relations with the other departments and the management. My goal is to work hard and take care of the team, keeping them together and happy.”
He explains that in his second year as an entertainer, during one of the shows “they dressed me in dark make-up and a bright yellow suit. So far quite normal, but I ended up with a sprain and they had to take me to hospital. When I arrived, between the suit, the make-up and the fact that I was barefoot, the doctor thought I had burnt myself.”
“For me the best thing about working in RIU, is that you play at home, there is a sense of togetherness, family, everything that is created around you; here you meet wonderful people of all nationalities, as well as guests who pass on their affection by following you to all the hotels you work in. Of course, the team has been with me for more than 10 years and they are already part of my life“. Ané is one of those people who make their work their vocation, thanks to which he has managed to maintain “The same enthusiasm I started with 23 years ago“. We hope you never lose it and that we can continue to enjoy your dedication.
– Antonia Marisia A. Sequeira
Better known as Anita , she started at RIU in 2006 when she began working as an entertainer at the Riu Funana hotel after its opening. She then started at the Riu Garopa hotel where her talent was immediately recognised and, after just four months, she was promoted to Deputy Head of Entertainment. She then completed training courses in Mallorca and Gran Canaria, and later worked at Boa Vista. In 2014, she returned to Riu Funana and Riu Garopa as Head of Entertainment. She currently holds this position at the recently opened Riu Palace Santa Maria.
Hotel entertainment is a very important part of the daily work of the teams. She herself tells us that “Every day I meet with my team and, together with them, I like to feel the atmosphere of the hotel. Every day is different. We always review internal issues with management, programme, planning and material requests.”
“RIU is a river of infinite opportunities, if you want it to be.”
Anita has experienced many funny moments over her years with RIU, but she remembers with special fondness her first contact with the microphone, which was “with my Head of 17>A21>Entertainment, together with 24>other 29>entertainers32>, during a diploma presentation. We were all supposed to go out on stage, I ended up going out alone and I got a mental block in front of the audience. Those seconds seemed like centuries! My colleagues backstage were laughing their heads off. When I finally managed to say my first words, the guests applauded loudly… and then the rest of the entertainers came on stage.” A long time has passed since that day and today, having become a true professional, she says that “Working at RIU is great. You get to know people from different countries. Not forgetting that you become a person who has a certain level of knowledge and professionalism. RIU is an infinite river of opportunities, if you want it to be.” She is the best example of how, if you work those opportunities, you get to the top.
These are some of the faces and stories of the people who make up RIU’s entertainment team. Together with their colleagues, they work hard every day to make you smile and ensure you enjoy your stay at RIU. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their effort and dedication to their work. Here’s to another 25 years full of magic!
