Spanish hotel chain RIU cracks the world’s top-50 plateau

Madrid._ Tourism magazine <I>Hotels</I> notched Spanish chain RIU &#8211;featuring 96 resorts in 10 countries for a grand total of 26,000 rooms- among the top-50 enterprises of its kind in the world.

RIU Hotels saw the light of day back in 1953 as part of a mom-and-pop business in Playa de Palma, Mallorca. In the course of the past 49 years, RIU has exclusively devoted itself to sun-and-beach tourism.

Today, the chain owns resorts in Spain, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the U.S., Mexico, Jamaica, Tunisia, Bulgaria and Cyprus.

The hotel group will open a couple of establishments in a new country: Morocco.

With a current payroll of 12,500 employees, RIU views expansion plans in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Caribbean.