Once again, RIU Hotels & Resorts has shone at the 2018 Golden Apple Awards. This year, the hotel chain has been distinguished with 24 awards by the US tour operator Apple Vacations. The most important of them is the Crystal Apple Award for Best Staff & Service Central America, granted to the Riu Palace Costa Rica hotel. Furthermore, 23 other RIU hotels in Mexico, Aruba, Jamaica, Bahamas and the Dominican Republic have received a Golden Apple Award.
The event was attended by Armin Kaestner, VP Sales, Contracting & Business Development RIU Hotels & Resorts of USA & Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica & Panama. The prize was granted by Tim Mullen, President Apple Vacations, Sandy Banin, VP Marketing Apple Vacations, Jacqueline Kuehnel, Product Strategy & Integration Apple Leisure Group and Jeff Mullen, Chief Operating Officer Vacations, Apple Leisure Group. They appear on the photo above from left to right.
The Golden Apple Award and the Crystal Apple Award are two of the most sought-after distinctions in the tourism industry since they are awarded based upon an Apple satisfaction questionnaire filled in by hundreds of thousands of travellers. In this questionnaire, guests rate the staff, service, food quality, facilities, beaches and entertainment. The highest rated hotels are distinguished with a Golden Apple Award, while the hotel considered to be top in its category receives the Crystal Apple Award, the most prestigious Apple Vacations award. According to Apple Vacations, these awards are taken into account by prospective guests when making a decision to choose a hotel and a destination.
These awards recognise RIU’s commitment to quality and the extent to which guests are welcoming the new style of decor and services RIU is introducing throughout its new resorts and major refurbishment projects.
The elegant Riu Palace Costa Rica hotel is situated in the beautiful region of Guanacaste, which is famous for its natural beauty, next to the hotel Riu Guanacaste. Opened in November 2012, this luxury hotel offers 538 rooms, the recognised RIU All Inclusive 24-Hour Service and a wide variety of quality food and drink at its five restaurants and six bars. Furthermore it provides four pools, one of which has a swim-up bar and a children’s pool, free Wi-Fi Internet and 24 hour room service, among many other services.
The RIU hotels presented with a 2018 Golden Apple Award are:
MEXICO – CANCUN
Riu Cancun
Riu Caribe
Riu Palace Las Americas
Riu Palace Peninsula
Riu Dunamar
MEXICO – LOS CABOS
Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas
MEXICO – PLAYA DEL CARMEN
Riu Palace Mexico
Riu Palace Riviera Maya
Riu Playacar
Riu Tequila
Riu Lupita
MEXICO – RIVIERA NAYARIT
Riu Palace Pacifico
Riu Vallarta
ARUBA – PALM BEACH
Riu Palace Aruba
Riu Palace Antillas
BAHAMAS – PARADISE ISLAND
Riu Palace Paradise Island
JAMAICA – MONTEGO BAY
Riu Palace Jamaica
Riu Reggae
JAMAICA – NEGRIL
Riu Negril
Riu Palace Tropical Bay
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – PUNTA CANA
Riu Palace Bavaro
Riu Palace Macao
Riu Republica
COSTA RICA – GUANACASTE
Riu Palace Costa Rica (Golden Apple and Crystal Apple Award)