RIU in 2026: 22 Countries, 50,000 Rooms & More to Come

RIU Hotels & Resorts CEO Luis Riu summarizes 2025 results as follows: “It was a good year for all destinations and markets and we met objectives and budgets, indicating that 2026 will be very similar.” 

RIU’s gross revenue in 2025 was $6.76 billion, up 2.6% from 2024. Riu says the company had projected 5%, but was hampered two things: the strength of the euro versus the U.S. dollar and Hurricane Melissa, which forced the temporary closure of the seven Riu hotels in Jamaica.

“Fortunately, we’ve already resumed operations and brought back our employees there. The tourism industry is the driving force for the country’s recovery,” Riu said.

2025 was Luis Riu’s first full year as sole CEO and he says the main change he experienced was close collaboration with the next generation of the family – the fourth to run hotels.

“Before, my sister Carmen and I discussed all decisions, but now I talk them through with the younger ones. You might think that more people means more opinions and slower decisions, but that’s not the case. For now, they usually confide in my judgement, taking on all our projects with excitement and seeing big decisions as opportunities for professional growth.”

Carmen retired last year, leaving Luis in charge. But he says one of her greatest legacies continues to grow. Proudly Committed is the sustainability strategy that she championed and that Luis says introduced a definitive change in the company at the end of 2023. 

2025 marked the second year of the strategy and Luis says it has already achieved “very considerable milestones:”

• Riu Hotels changed its certification system to Ecostars and achieved certification for all of its hotels one year sooner than expected.
• Ninety percent of electricity consumed at RIU, whether in hotels or corporate offices, is renewable. This was achieved through self-generation of photovoltaic energy or through certified energy contracts.
• Riu remains a player in the fight against child sexual exploitation in tourism, being recognised by THE CODE (ECPAT) as Top Members in Mexico and Spain.

Riu ended 2025 with a portfolio of 100 hotels in 22 countries. It operates 54,412 rooms and hosted a total of 6.8 million guests, attended by 38,955 employees. Global average occupancy was 88%, which is near technical capacity, and the average daily rate increased by just over 2%.

Six Major Riu Hotel Renovations Planned for 2026

• Riu Tikida Palmeraie in Marrakech
• Riu Palace Nautilus in Torremolinos
• Riu Palace Peninsula in Cancun
• Riu Palace Mexico in Playa del Carmen
• Riu Touareg in Boavista (Cape Verbe)

Rui says these renovation projects are so ambitious and profound that the reopening will compare to the opening of brand-new hotels. The refurbishment of Riu Palace Costa Rica is also planned. The aim is to start work this summer to reopen the hotel in 2027.

New RIU hotels in Zanzibar, Thailand, London, New York, Dubai and Mexico

New properties for Riu include Riu Palace Swahili in Zanzibar and Riu Palace Phuket, the company’s first hotel in Thailand. The beachfront property will be in the Riu Palace category, and will stand out in Thailand, where all-inclusives are not common.

Riu Plaza London The Westminster will mark the company’s second property in that city, a large, 464-room hotel in a key tourist area in the city’s historical centre. Meanwhile, other projects include Riu Plaza Broadway, a third property for the company in New York City. It will house 673 rooms on 55 floors.

The company is also building Riu Palace Quintana Roo in Costa Mujeres, a Mexican-Caribbean destination that has kept growing to become a relaxing alternative near Cancun.