RIU Continues Mexico Expansion with Mazatlan’s Emerald Bay

RIU Hotels and Resorts opened its latest property in Mexico, the 716-room Hotel RIU Emerald Bay, on May 29. The multistoried resort, which resembles a castle with two turrets, lies on Playa Las Brujas, a beach about seven miles north of Mazatlan’s cruise port and five miles north of the Zona Dorada tourist area.

In keeping with the RIU Hotel concept, it is an all-inclusive property with several restaurants, lounges and swimming pools. It is part of RIU’s Classic collection of hotels, a first-class line that is a step below RIU’s more luxurious Palace brand properties.

Guestrooms include balconies or terraces, and almost all have ocean views. The hotel also has meetings rooms, a spa and a gym.

Spain-based RIU draws a 50-50 mix of Europeans and North Americans to its properties in the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida, she said. However, the Mazatlan property’s guests will be mostly from the U.S. and Canada.

RIU currently operates 14 hotels with more than 7,000 total rooms in Mexico. The addition of the Mazatlan property will raise that number to about 8,000 rooms.

In Los Cabos, RIU has become a big player on the tourism scene in just two years. The Hotel RIU Santa Fe, opened last year, is the second in the area for RIU; the first was the 2-year-old RIU Palace, a more luxurious, 642-room resort located next door.