Recommend December 2010 - (Page 70)

twice as nice for RIU rca Best Resort/Hotel Chain in Mexico 14th annual winner sarah muñoz FOR AWARDS PIECES apple takes a bite out of mexico rca Best Selling Tour 14th annual rca 14th annual readers’ choice award winner FINAL LOGO.indd 1 winner “We appreciate the trust that travel agents lay on us and we will keep working even harder to show them that we are very aware of the importance of this confidence, especially in current tough economic times.” 11/10/10 4:46:57 PM Operator, Mexico FOR AWARDS PIECES sarah muñoz rca 14th annual readers’ choice award winner FINAL LOGO.indd 1 M Luis Riu, CEO, RIU Hotels & Resorts Much like a fashion designer comes up with sporty, classic and haute couture lines, so does a certain Spanish brand branch out with different “styles” of hotels to an array of clients seeking different experiences and price ranges. It’s a proven formula that’s worked well for the Riu family for decades, since they acquired an 80-room property in Mallorca in 1953 and virtually triggered the island’s tourism. Today, as they keep forging ahead on a worldwide level, the brand keeps its eye on Mexico, one of the chain’s most successful destinations. The winning pair of RIU and Mexico team up again as a winner in Recommend’s Readers’ Choice Awards, with the hotel company winning for Best Resort/Hotel Chain in Mexico. “We feel very honored to see our work being recognized with this outstanding award. Having been voted by your readers as the Best Resort/Hotel Chain in Mexico for the second consecutive year makes us very proud,” beams Luis Riu, the company’s CEO. “This award gives our employees further incentive not just to continue, but also to improve their work and the service they provide to our clients.” The Spanish brand has long made a name for itself in both tried-and-true destinations such as Mexico and Jamaica, as well as more distinctive locales including Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta. In Mexico alone, RIU has 16 hotels to date, with more to come. “Mexico will continue being our main focus in America. This year was of great importance for the company because we opened our very first city hotel in Panama, the RIU Panama Plaza…in the heart of the financial district,” explains Riu. “After this first experience, we decided to build our second RIU Plaza hotel in Guadalajara, which will open in June 2011.” The RIU Plaza line caters to both leisure and business travelers, for which they are located in urban areas and armed with executive-friendly services and amenities. “We are also planning the opening of our fourth hotel in Cancun, which will join the RIU Palace Las Americas, RIU Cancun and RIU Caribe in 2012,” he adds. “This new hotel, currently under construction, will belong to our RIU Palace product line, the most luxurious and upscale hotels in the company.” Additionally, says the CEO, next year the company will also open three new hotels in Morocco: two in the resort town of Agadir and one in Marrakech, as well as a new property on the island of Boa Vista, in Cape Verde. But in the end, explains Riu, “It is the client’s satisfaction what makes him come back to repeat his experience with us and to go back to the travel agent that made his great vacation possible choosing the right hotel, at the right place that matched with his individual expectations and needs. We appreciate the trust that travel agents lay on us and we will keep working even harder to show them that we are very aware of the importance of this confidence, especially in current tough economic times.” l Whether it’s a free stay for the kids at the Cancun Palace (from June 1 through Aug. 31) or food and beverage credits at Las Brisas Ixtapa, Apple Vacations has always been known for its value-heavy offers. That’s just one of many reasons why—for the fourth year in a row—Apple Vacations was chosen as the clear winner in the Best Tour Operator, Mexico category through Recommend’s Readers’ Choice Awards. “Apple Vacations is so proud to accept these honors from Recommend and its professional readership. For a fourth year we have proved our determination to provide our clients excellent service to Mexico,” says Timothy Mullen, co-president of Apple Vacations. “We have increased lift to Mexico, specifically from regional airports such as Rockford, IL, Lansing, MI and Newburg, NY. As the world’s largest vacation company to Mexico, our passion for this country drives us to expand in our established gateways as well.” These advantages, as well as decades of proven experience in some of the world’s most popular destinations, has given Apple both great longevity and a top spot among agents. l 11/10/10 4:46:57 PM “Apple Vacations is proud to accept these honors.... For a fourth year we have proved our determination to provide our clients excellent service to Mexico.” Timothy Mullen, Co-President, Apple Vacations contact information contact information RIU Hotels & Resorts: (888) RIU-4990; riuagents.com 70 december 2010 Apple Vacations: (800) 517-2000; myappleonline.com recommend.com http://8005172000 http://www.myappleonline.com http://www.riuagents.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend December 2010

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk-Marriott International
Tour Talk-Globus
Services-SABRE; Apple Vacations & Travel Impressions
Ritz-Carlton
Hertz & Hawaii
Las Vegas
Tauck World Discovery
Florida
Southwest Airlines
France
Ireland
Italy
Delta Air Lines & Rail Europe
China
Thailand
Singapore Airlines
2011 Taiwan Travel Planner
Tahiti & Goway Travel
Costa Rica
Brazil & Avanti Destinations
Egypt
South Africa
Abercrombie & Kent & Isram World of Travel
Israel
Jamaica
Sandals & Beaches Resorts
St. Lucia
GOGO Worldwide Vacations
Cancun
RIU Hotels & Resorts & Apple Vacations
Riviera Maya
Celebrity Cruises & Royal Caribbean International
Princess Cruises
Carnival Cruise Lines & Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Crystal Cruises & Viking River Cruises

Recommend December 2010