Sunwing and RIU Hotels & Resorts kicked off the festive season with their annual thank-you celebration at the Arlington Estate near Toronto, bringing together 50 guests, including key retail head office staff and top-performing travel advisors.
Spain-headquartered RIU, named for its founding family, owns and operates about 100 hotels including many all-inclusives across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Sunwing is its number-one Canadian client, filling roughly 5,000 rooms during peak winter season and offering about 40 RIU properties across the region.
One word kept coming up during the event to describe the RIU brand: “consistent.” Guests have come to expect a high-quality experience at every property. Ian Elliott, Vice-President, Destinations and Specialty at Ensemble, said: “Clients love exploring a new destination with a resort brand they know and trust. There’s a feeling of ‘We are going home again.’”
That reliability extends beyond the guest experience. Eric Rodriquez, Sunwing EVP, noted: “When RIU says a hotel will open on Dec. 1, it opens on Dec. 1.”
Nicole Brown, RIU’s senior manager for partner marketing, business development and romance, told the crowd: “Sunwing and RIU—we are family, not partners.”
The operator also unveiled a 58-page Travel Advisor Handbook, in print and online, covering selling points, destination weddings and advisor benefits.
“In my 26 years with Travel Leaders Network, I cannot recall a single complaint about RIU,” Christine James told Open Jaw. “I’ve chosen them three times for a personal vacation and the product is terrific. Our advisors know to sell it with confidence.”
A number of updates were shared at the event. The RIU Ventura, the brand's sixth property in Cancun, will open 06DEC, while new openings include the RIU Palace Riviera Maya (JAN2026) and RIU Palace Costa Mujeres (FEB2026). Several other properties are undergoing extensive renovations
Sunwing’s groups department is a huge fan, too. “I’ve been selling RIU for over 30 years,” Group Sales Director Lexi Lipitkas told Open Jaw. “They are 100% family with us–I love their responsiveness and we feel very comfortable with the product.”
Groups are now selling into 2027 and 2028, and can accommodate 10 to 500 pax.
On a more serious note, Niurka Gardia-Linton, RIU’s Director of Sales for Jamaica, provided an update on the chain’s seven hotels on the island (totalling 4,200 rooms) following Hurricane Melissa in late October. “Six hundred of our staff stayed at the hotels to look after our guests even though their own homes were threatened,” she shared with the crowd.
Three RIU resorts are already open with the remainder scheduled to reopen by 15DEC.
The most important way the Canadian travel industry can help Jamaica is by sending clients. “Tourism is the lungs of our economy,” Gardia-Linton pointed out. “If there is ever a time to help, it is now.”
RIU has gone above and beyond to ensure its hotels are visitor-ready, donating $1 million to support local staff with housing and food, and providing 3,000 hot meals daily to residents in the hardest-hit areas.
“Sunwing was the first charter company to resume operations to Jamaica,” she added. “In hard times, you know who your friends are, and we are very grateful to Sunwing.”
For up-to-the-minute confidence in the destination, Sunwing has added a newly designed “Sunwing Verified Jamaica” logo to its website, signaling that a property has been personally inspected by a Sunwing team member and confirmed visitor-ready.
