SPANISH operator Riu Hotels & Resorts has made its foray into Asia with a Sri Lankan property, the first in a pipeline of resorts to open in Maldives and the United Arab Emirates.
The 501-room Riu Sri Lanka is a beachfront property located in the small coastal town of Ahungalla. It offers 24-hour all-inclusive services and opened earlier this month.
Facilities include three adult pools and one for children, a spa, health centre, a range of Asian and European restaurants, and one of Spain’s leading discotheques, Pacha.
“It’s the first stone in the company’s future expansion in the continent. This includes three more hotels; two in the Maldives and one in the UAE,” said a Riu spokesperson.
“After studying various proposals, Riu sees this as the ideal opportunity for starting its Asian operations. Sri Lanka is a tourist destination that attracts not only European clients, but also from markets like India, China and Australia.”
The Maldivian properties, namely the Riu Palace and Riu Classic, will open in 2018. They will be located in the Dhaalu Atoll offering 422 rooms together.
Its UAE property is scheduled to open the following year on the Deira Islands in Dubai. “With its 750 rooms it will be the biggest built there and the first to offer 24-hour all-inclusive service,” stated Riu in a release.
