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New Resorts in the Caribbean |
| January 25, 2006 - A new hotel in Mexico, the ClubHotel Riu Vallarta,
is to join the projects for the Riu Palace Riviera Maya and Riu Palace
Punta Cana.
The Spanish holiday hotel chain RIU Hotels & Resorts is to inaugurate three new resorts in the Caribbean in 2006, which will bring the year to a close with a total of 30 hotels in one of the world�s major resort areas. They are the already-publicised projects for the Riu Palace Riviera Maya in Mexico (scheduled to open on February 6, 2006) and the Riu Palace Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic (to be inaugurated in May �06), plus a new resort: the ClubHotel Riu Vallarta on the Jalisco shore in Mexico (to open in November �06). These all-inclusive, 5-star beachfront hotels are to be built and owned by the chain. In addition, they will be characterised by extensive gardens on spacious grounds and modern installations with an ample accommodation capacity: 400 rooms at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya, 612 rooms at the Riu Palace Punta Cana and 550 rooms at the ClubHotel Riu Vallarta. These three establishments have entailed an investment of 170 million euros for RIU, a figure that includes the price of the plots of land the resorts are to be built on. With these 3 new additions, RIU will close this year with 30 hotels in the Caribbean and a total of 14,030 rooms in the following 7 countries: the Dominican Republic, the United States, Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Aruba. Mexico, with a total of 12 hotels and 6707 rooms, is now consolidated as the chain�s main Caribbean destination and as the country with the highest revenue worldwide, in terms of occupancy and invoicing. The inauguration of two new resorts in Mexico in 2006 and the rapid recuperation of almost all the establishments on the Mayan Riviera and Cancun after the wave of hurricanes in 2005 (an average 95% occupancy rate during the recent Christmas season) is proof that RIU is maintaining and reinforcing its strong support for Mexico as a major holiday destination. According to the latest figures, RIU expects an occupancy rate of over 80% in Cancun and the Mayan Riviera in February and March of 2006. A second hotel on Cape Verde RIU is to build a second establishment in 2006 on the Island of Sal (Cape Verde), adjacent to the ClubHotel Riu Funaná, which was inaugurated in October, 2005 and has been a success in the market. The new, all-inclusive 5-star resort, to open in November 2006, will have 500 rooms and be called the Riu Garopa. This second hotel on Cape Verde will entail an investment of 46 million euros (including the plot it is built on). The first hotel involved an investment of 55 million euros. Other inaugurations in 2006 RIU is to open two more establishments in 2006, in this case in Europe: ClubHotel Riu Miramar in Bulgaria and Riu Fantasy Beach in Rumania, the chain�s first hotel in the latter destination. Hotel renovations scheduled for 2006
RIU�s global data The RIU chain invoiced one billion euros in 2005, with a total of 109 hotels, 71,000 beds and 17,000 employees. These results mean an 11% growth in invoicing compared to 2004 and a 6% growth in the number of employees. The chain increased its total number of beds by 3000. Plans for 2006 indicate that RIU will close the year with 115 hotels, 1,100,000,000 euros of invoicing and a total of 18,000 employees. |
| Contact:
RIU Hotels
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