Luis Riu Says it was Worth the Wait for “Record-Breaking” RIU Plaza Toronto

It was a long time coming, but Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts, says the Riu Plaza Toronto, the company’s first hotel in Canada, was worth the wait.

It was six years ago that the hotel project was announced. And it was four years between the first planned opening date and the actual opening. A global pandemic got in the way and brought construction to a near standstill for more than two years.

Writing on the RIU blog, Riu said: “Within 48 hours of starting the sale, we practically sold out of rooms. This is something that can only be explained by one of this project’s best features: RIU is a well-recognized and appreciated brand in Canada thanks to holidays enjoyed by thousands of citizens at our hotels in Mexico, Jamaica, Panamá, Aruba…”

Located right downtown, the Riu Plaza Toronto is designed for leisure guests, as are other Riu Plaza locations in New York and London.

“It was the location that I liked the most, swaying my decision,” said Luis Riu. “Of all of Toronto’s charms… this area pulls them all together. It’s two streets away from theatres, full of energy and attractions, 25 minutes from the airport, very close to Lake Ontario and an hour and a half from Niagara Falls. It’s the ideal location, which for us is the most important thing in a city.”

The hotel is located on 23 floors of a 49-storey building. Riu said he is very pleased with the quality of construction and interior design. 

“The rooms are very elegant, modern and bright. The communal areas meet our needs perfectly. A key element in our city offering is the breakfast buffet that we include in the rate. Having a space big enough to offer this breakfast without stretching restaurant capacity is super important and this hotel has just that.”

The hotel has 352 rooms, but Riu typically opens 70-75% for sale initially, so staff can fine-tune the details. “The plan was to offer 250 in the first few weeks,” Riu said. 

It wasn’t until September 17 the company could 100% confirm that the hotel would open a couple of days later. Within 48 hours there were 218 rooms booked for September 20. 

“That demonstrates the deep affection that Canadians have for our brand. We already knew that, but I don’t think we were entirely aware,” Riu wrote. 

“I came to realize just how recognizable the RIU brand is when I started to travel to Toronto more frequently for the project. It happened to me a lot at passport control. Just by seeing my surname, I was asked if I had anything to do with the chain and when I said yes, they listed out the hotels they had visited. In the meeting room with the project sponsors, two of the three of them were holidaying in RIU.”

Riu said that recognition also brings responsibility.

“For a customer who already appreciates us at a holiday destination, we can’t let them down in the city. We may not have the sea, swimming pools and variety of restaurants, but we do have our friendly nature, our professionalism and a great breakfast buffet. Congratulations to the entire team who have made this opening possible. And best of luck to our operations team who now take on this great responsibility. You’ve got bucket loads of talent to pull it off.”