Luis Riu: “It Is an Honour to Welcome Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain and Show Them the New Anti-coronavirus Security Protocols at the RIU Hotels”

15 July, 2020 Share

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You can feel it on the streets, in offices, in hotels and even at home. Having come through the hardest months of the crisis, our conversations are changing. We are moving from fear and pessimism to optimism and hope. The uncertainty is still huge, but you already know that at RIU we never sit on our hands. We have worked hard over the months of total closure in order to reopen our hotels with the greatest possible guarantees of safety.

Greeting the King and Queen on their arrival to Mallorca during their visit in June 2020.

We are very proud to be leading the process of restarting tourism, particularly in Spain, where we have also had the honour of demonstrating, in person, to Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, how RIU Hotels now operate to look after our guests and staff.

Visit of the King and Queen to Playa de Palma and the Hotel Riu Concordia

King Felipe and Queen Letizia travelled to Mallorca in the last week of June to listen to the authorities, business people and citizens as they explained their situation and needs, as well as learn about the efforts we are all making to recover our activities and our wellbeing. Following a short stroll along the Playa de Palma seafront – which, incidentally, is just as impressive as the best beaches of the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean these days – they arrived at the Hotel Riu Concordia. Here, we explained all the safety and hygiene measures set out in our anti-COVID-19 protocols and which are scrupulously followed in our hotels.

: The Spanish King and Queen’s walk through Playa de Palma in June 2020.

The King and Queen of Spain were accompanied by the leaders of the Government of the Balearic Islands, and Carmen Riu and I welcomed them together with all the hotel staff. Executive director Fernando García, head of operations in the Americas and the Balearic Islands, was in charge of presenting the safety measures in detail. They listened with an impressive level of interest to the explanations, they were happy to undergo temperature tests and they followed the same route that our guests do when they arrive at the hotel. Their visit was a source of great pride to the whole RIU team and we are sure that their confidence in Mallorca and the tourism sector is the best proof that we are doing things right.

Queen Letizia checks the anti-coronavirus security protocols implemented at RIU hotels.

The King and Queen Were Supportive to Clients and RIU Staff

We saw for ourselves that what they say about Their Majesties is true. We were struck by their friendliness and warmth. They asked our staff questions with sincere interest and they even stopped to talk to a German couple about their experience as our guests. Who better than a customer to test that the safety protocols are easy to follow, that they fit specific moments of the stay and that guests can carry on enjoying the holiday experience with safety and respect for all other guests and staff.

The King and Queen pose with Carmen and Luis Riu, members of the Balearic Government and staff of the Hotel RIU Concordia on their last visit to Mallorca.

When it was time to leave, they took the time to meet some of the guests who were thrilled by their visit. We are sure they did this with a smile, although we could only see it in their eyes as we were all wearing masks. The arrival of King Felipe and Queen Letizia created a real buzz among staff and guests alike, and their kindness meant that no one was disappointed.

The King and Queen talk to two German tourists at the Hotel Riu Concordia regarding the post-covid tourism situation in Mallorca.

53 RIU Hotels Reopened with All Anti-Coronavirus Protocols

We have now reopened 53 hotels across 14 countries. Although, even if hard times bring out the most caring side of the RIU family, the situation is still difficult. Despite effective communications and the evidence that these first few weeks of operation have been a success with regard to safety, bookings are coming in tentatively. Events like this royal visit are very positive for the whole sector. I would like to say to the team that we have to use these days to sow seeds, and be patient. It will come. We hope that in the coming summer weeks our customers will come and visit us. We will be here working and we’ll welcome them with a smile.

Fdo. Luis Riu