When the RIU hotel chain landed in Mexico in 1997 with the opening of RIU Yucatán, it was already on the horizon of its expansion plans to open a high-quality hotel complex on the other peninsula of Mexico, Baja California, and in where the earth ends: in Los Cabos, in the extreme south, where one of the most important tourist destinations is located, not only in Mexico, but also in the world due to its extraordinary natural beauties and exceptional climate most of the year.

 

RIU opens its doors in Los Cabos in 2004 with the RIU Palace Cabo San Lucas, when this area was known as the other Mexico. It barely housed some 4,000 rooms in less than 20 hotels and was already shaping up to be the jewel in the most attractive tourist crown in the Mexican Pacific facing the Sea of Cortez.

 

Los Cabos includes the picturesque town of San José del Cabo; a 32 kilometer tourist corridor bordered by impressive golf and residential developments; and the effervescent and fun port of Cabo San Lucas where the RIU Los Cabos hotel complex stands, less than 5 kilometers away.

 

This place was already well known internationally not only for being the marlin fishing capital of the world, but also for the frequent visits of the rich and famous who marked it as the place of glamor for Hollywood stars and celebrities from the rest of the world. California, due to its proximity to only two hours away.

 

RIU Palace Cabo San Lucas...the RIU Santa Fe which is in the process of being remodeled in 2022..., and the RIU Baja California opened in 2018.

 

During the following years since they were established in 2004, the adaptation of these large hotels to the local hotel community has progressed remarkably.

 

Mauricio Salicrup, President of the Administrative Council. From the Los Cabos Hotel Association: “…with the arrival of these hotels, what actually happened at first is that they were not used to working in the destination together with all the local businessmen…. little by little we have begun to notice a change in attitude…. We already had this... rapprochement with them, and as a result of that, an openness to dialogue is perceived... the result of this is that now the three hotels are affiliated with the Hotel Association..."

 

One of the concerns of hoteliers, businessmen and the community in general when receiving hotels in Los Cabos for mass tourism, in which the RIU chain specializes, were: the contribution to the sustainability of the area, the creation of jobs with training and in social programs for the benefit of the local population.

 

According to senior RIU executives, their interest is to continue investing in Mexico with the commitment to integrate into society within the framework of regenerative tourism that allows for social and environmental sustainability.

 

Lola Trian Riu, RIU's Director of Sustainability: "...we are trying right now to determine a type of tourism that we call in the sector regenerative tourism, which is tourism that seeks above all to develop the communities where we are present in such a way that It is good that aspects of society and the environment continue to develop…”

 

One of the local problems continues to be efficient and quality public transport, which is why the hotel company is supporting its staff.

 

Carmen Álvarez, Camarista (17 years old): "...Yes, there have been improvements, for example we now have new transportation, something we didn't have at the beginning...we now have a new route and we travel at ease in good conditions"

 

Training, development and opportunities are part of what most employees expect.

 

Armando Carrisoza, Alberquero (14 years old): "...here we train each other, and that makes you apart from being a work team: we are family..."

 

Vanya Flores, Receptionist (10 years old) : "...I have been given the opportunity to grow at work and well, if in the future I have the opportunity to move to another place, be it right here in Mexico or in another country..."

 

Benjamín Cocom (13 years old) Maitre: “…I manage 123 people at the moment…I started as an assistant waiter, then I became a waiter, and when the opportunity arose to open this new hotel, I came with the position as a supervisor of waiters, and later I reached the position of second in the dining room, and now they are offering me just this week, to be in charge of everything that is the department..."

 

Ángel Ávila (11 years old) Bartender: “...You have to deal with different types of people since alcohol changes minds a bit, you have to have a bit of psychology to reassure the guest, you have to make them feel good , that they feel safe, that they are at home…”

 

In 2014, after Hurricane "Odile", the destination was seriously affected, so many hotels had to close and leave thousands unemployed.

 

Carmen Álvarez, Camarista (17 years old): "...we thought that this was going to end and that we were no longer going to have a job but the company sheltered us...when many companies closed and people were left without jobs..."

 

Currently, the RIU hotel chain already has more than 100 hotels in the world in more than 20 countries, including Mexico for the last 25 years, with more than 20 establishments in seven different destinations that exceed 12,000 rooms where almost 9,000 work collaborators... and its expansion plans to continue generating jobs, opportunities and economic development in our country, continue.

 

The RIU Hotels complex in Los Cabos alone has more than 1,800 collaborators among the three hotels that add up to almost 2,500 rooms and various consumption centers that contribute millions of dollars to the municipal, state, and federal treasury pesos in taxes.

 

Benjamín Cocom (13 years old) Maitre: “…the philosophy of this company is to adopt all the people that we can teach, it doesn't matter that you don't know what the subject of work is, we take care of training or training you, "...only two main things are needed, which is honesty and discipline, and a great desire to work and get ahead..."

 

The current reality of a destination like Los Cabos is that its growth requires a permanent contribution from hotels and other companies to offer not only better living conditions to its collaborators, but also to generate taxes to improve the basic services for the population that it requires, among others: decent housing, education, water drainage and electricity, protecting and preserving the environment at sea and on land.

 

RIU Los Cabos Hotels, Baja California Sur, a reality that continues to grow...