RIU Hotels & Resorts has opened the Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan, the Spanish chain’s second establishment in New York City. Like its predecessor, the property is a new build and has a highly desirable location on 47th Street in the heart of Manhattan, near Broadway and Times Square.
“When we opened our first hotel in New York, one of my lifelong dreams came true. Words can’t express how we all felt when we saw RIU’s name right in the heart of Manhattan. Today we’ve taken a very exciting step, once again overcoming the great challenge of building a hotel from scratch in one of the world’s most competitive cities. I couldn’t be any prouder… to see our brand in the cultural and financial capital of the United States,” said Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts.
The Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square has 656 rooms and decor aim to submerge guests in the Big Apple’s renowned theatrical world from the moment they walk through the door. The lobby is a clear example, where huge masks inspired by the famous show “The Phantom of the Opera” give customers an elegant welcome.
The main lobby on the ground floor of the 47 floor hotel offers the “Grab&Go” cafeteria, as well as spacious relaxation areas. The gym is located on the floor below. The first floors of the building house a car park and a restaurant that serves a buffet breakfast.
The facility fee gives guests access to extra services such as free Wi-Fi, luggage storage on arrival and departure, a bottle of water in the room on the day of arrival and unlimited access to the gym.
RIU took its first steps in Manhattan in 2016 when it opened the Hotel Riu Plaza New York Times Square.
Global footprint
With the opening of the Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, the company now has nine Riu Plaza hotels located in key urban centres: the Riu Plaza España in Madrid; Riu Plaza Panama in Panama City; Riu Plaza Guadalajara in Mexico; Riu Plaza Berlin; Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin; Riu Plaza Miami Beach; the Riu Plaza Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco; Riu Plaza New York Times Square and now Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, both in New York.
Riu Plaza future plans include projects in major cities such as Chicago, Toronto, and London. RIU recently purchased a plot of land in Chicago, where it will build a new four-star hotel with 28 floors and more than 350 rooms. In London, work has already started on the construction of a future four-star hotel located next to Victoria Station, which will have 435 room and will open its doors in 2023. Meanwhile, in Canada it has selected Toronto, the fifth largest city in North America, as the home of the newly built Riu Plaza Toronto hotel, with 350 rooms, meeting rooms, a gym, a bar and a restaurant.