Spanish hotel chain to open €250m London Hotel
Spanish hotel chain RIU Hotels & Resorts, is to open its first London property at a cost of €250 million.
Of RIU’s Spanish and Caribbean clientele, the UK represents a large proportion, and where it has spent time waiting for the ideal opportunity to expand their city hotel brand.
About RIU Hotels & Resorts
RIU Hotels & Resorts was founded by the Riu family as a small holiday firm in 1953 in Mallorca, Spain. It is now currently owned by TUI, and run by the third generation of the family.
RIU is currently ranked the world’s 34th hotel chain, as well as being one of the Caribbean’s most popular. They are also the third largest in Spain in terms of revenue, and the fourth largest in the number of rooms.
The Location
The company has acquired a prime location close to Victoria Station, which they plan to convert into a 4-star hotel, as part of its Riu Plaza urban line. Following a total refurbishment, the company’s first UK hotel is planned to open by 2020, with 350 rooms, right next to Buckingham Palace and Westminster Cathedral.
The building at 1 Neathouse Place, was originally constructed in the 1960s, and fully renovated in 1997. The future RIU hotel will preserve the original structure and the best aspects of the building, while the interior will see a complete renovation. An attention to design and comfort will flow throughout the hotel, while the latest developments in energy efficiency and sustainable operations will contribute to the hotels CSR.
Guests will be able to enjoy spectacular views from their windows, and enjoy amenities such as a bar, restaurant and quite surprisingly an open-air terrace, not common in central London hotels.
The Victoria Station location is a great way for guests to get around the capital, and it is the second busiest station in the UK, after Waterloo. With an average footfall of more than 75 million passengers taking advantage of its underground, train and bus terminals, foreign visitors will have no trouble visiting the best landmarks London has to offer. The hotel is in a direct connection to Gatwick airport, guests can be there in 30 minutes.
The property will be mainly aimed towards guests visiting London on sightseeing holidays, as RIU chief executive Luis Riu said: “Location is very important for all our hotels, but for the RIU Plaza line it is essential that we are located very close to the places of cultural and tourist interest and very well-connected. After years spent studying the best offers in the city, we are very pleased to announce this project, for which we estimate an investment of around 250 million euros to cover the purchase of the building and the refurbishment. The location is unbeatable, the building is in excellent condition and I think that in less than two years we will be able to celebrate the opening of our first hotel in London.”
International Hotels
Currently, RIU Hotels & Resorts has six RIU Plaza hotels worldwide, as well as two currently under construction: Riu Plaza España (Madrid) and a second in New York.
Panama was the location for the first city hotel, which opened its doors in 2010. Since then, it has been joined by RIU Plaza hotels in Mexico, Miami Beach, New York, Berlin and Dublin. The RIU Group has ambitious expansion plans for the next five years, with a chain of RIU Plaza Urban hotels, in locations such as Asia and other large global cities.
RIU’s Values
The hotel chain, that goes back more than 65 years, operates a strong commitment to the destinations where it settles, by investing in long-term projects that involve the local community, through purchasing, employment and sustainability.
RIU are keen to make a big investment in the development and improvement of an increasingly sustainable operation. All of their projects are guided by a respect for the environment, and the local culture.
