Luis Riu’s net worth is $1.8 billion in 2026, according to Forbes. The Spanish hotel executive is co-CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts and owns the business with his sister, Carmen Riu Guell. Forbes lists hotels as his source of wealth. As of September 1, 2026, Forbes ranks Riu among the world’s billionaires with a real-time fortune of $1.8 billion.
Riu is the third generation of his family to run the hotel business. He joined the company in the 1980s and became CEO in 1998. He has since led RIU’s expansion into city hotels and large all-inclusive resorts.
Luis Riu Net Worth in 2026
| Detail | Information |
| Net worth | $1.8 billion |
| Source of wealth | Hotels |
| Company | RIU Hotels & Resorts |
| Position | CEO |
| Age | 66 |
| Residence | Palma de Mallorca, Spain |
| Citizenship | Spain |
Forbes’ current profile gives Luis Riu a real-time net worth of $1.8 billion as of September 1, 2026.
Forbes also lists his sister Carmen Riu Guell with a $1.8 billion fortune. Her wealth is likewise attributed to RIU Hotels & Resorts.
How Did Luis Riu Build His Fortune?
Luis Riu inherited a stake in a family hotel business and helped turn it into an international hospitality group.
The Riu family’s hotel history began in Mallorca in 1953, when Juan Riu Masmitjá, María Bertrán Espigulé and their son Luis Riu Bertrán acquired the Hotel San Francisco, an 80-bed property in Playa de Palma.
Luis Riu joined the company in the 1980s. After his father’s death, he became CEO in 1998. Forbes credits him with leading the group’s expansion into city hotels and all-inclusive resorts.
RIU opened its first city hotel in 2010. The move created the Riu Plaza brand and gave the company a presence in major business and tourism cities alongside its established resort portfolio.
Who is Luis Riu?
Luis Riu is a Spanish business executive and the current RIU Hotels CEO. He represents the third generation of the Riu family to lead the company, following the legacy established by his grandfather and expanded by his parents.
Unlike many hospitality executives who rise through public corporations, Luis Riu has spent his entire career within a privately held, family-run enterprise. That background shapes both his leadership style and the long-term financial strategy behind RIU Hotels.
Early Life and Riu Family Background
Luis Riu was born in Palma de Mallorca in 1960 and came from a family that had been in the tourism industry in Spain for a long time. RIU Hotels & Resorts, an international hotel chain, started with the Riu family buying their first hotel in Mallorca in the 1950s.
The grandfather Luis Riu Bertrán and great-grandfather Juan Riu Masmitjà were the first to introduce package tourism in Spain by combining charter flights with hotel stays. Their model changed the local tourism economy and was the basis of RIU’s international expansion.
Luis Riu was familiar with hotel operations, expansion decisions, and long-term planning simply by being around it which he received practical exposure that very few executives get early in their life. That groundwork turned out to be very important when the company went global.
Who Owns RIU Hotels?
The Riu family owns RIU Hotels & Resorts.
A major change in the family’s ownership came in 2021. The Riu family agreed to acquire TUI’s 49% stake in Riu Hotels S.A. for €670 million. The family had previously owned 51%, so the transaction gave it full ownership of Riu Hotels S.A.
The transaction covered 19 hotel properties and two hotels under development. TUI and the Riu family continued their 50:50 relationship through RIUSA II, the company responsible for the operation and marketing of RIU hotels.
That means RIU’s hotel ownership and hotel operations are not held entirely through one company.
How Large is RIU Hotels in 2026?
RIU’s current corporate information lists 101 hotels in 22 countries, with 6.8 million guests in 2025 and 38,955 employees. The company describes itself as the world’s 40th-largest hotel chain and Spain’s third-largest by number of rooms.
RIU’s January 2026 review reported that the group had ended 2025 with 100 hotels, 22 countries and 54,412 rooms. It recorded €4.188 billion in gross revenue and welcomed 6.8 million guests.
The difference between 100 and 101 hotels reflects subsequent additions to the portfolio in 2026.
How Much Revenue Does RIU Generate?
RIU reported €4.188 billion in gross revenue for 2025, an increase of 2.6% from 2024. The company had initially expected revenue growth of about 5%.
RIU reported an average occupancy rate of 88% for 2025. Average room rates increased by slightly more than 2%.
The company said the stronger euro against the U.S. dollar affected its results. Hurricane Melissa also temporarily affected its Jamaican hotels after hitting the island in October 2025.
Forbes reported that RIU generated more than $4.5 billion in revenue and $150 million in net profit in 2024.
What Hotel Assets Are Connected to the Riu Family?
RIU consolidated several property companies in 2025 through a merger involving Riu Hotels S.A. and Hotel San Francisco S.A.
The resulting Riu Hotels S.A. had 51 hotels in 15 countries and 26,051 rooms, with fixed assets valued at €4.139 billion at book value.
The €4.139 billion is a corporate accounting figure. It is not Luis Riu’s personal net worth.
RIU’s wider operating portfolio is larger. The group reported 100 hotels at the end of 2025 and currently lists 101 hotels in its corporate press information.
Where is RIU Expanding in 2026?
RIU entered 2026 with several international projects.
The company’s announced developments include hotels in:
- Thailand
- Zanzibar
- London
- New York
- Dubai
- Mexico
RIU’s first hotel in Thailand is Riu Palace Phuket. The company also opened its second London hotel, Riu Plaza London The Westminster, in January 2026.
RIU is also developing Riu Plaza Broadway in New York and new resort projects in Mexico and Dubai. The company planned six major hotel renovations during 2026.
How Much Has RIU Invested in London?
London has become one of RIU’s largest recent city investments.
According to Cinco Días, RIU had invested €585 million in two London hotels by May 2026. The first property was acquired for €250 million in 2018. The second was purchased for €335 million in 2025.
The second hotel, Riu Plaza London The Westminster, opened in January 2026.
RIU has also been looking for another London property, according to the same report.
What is Luis Riu’s Role at RIU?
Luis Riu remains CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts.
His responsibilities include the company’s operations and expansion. Forbes says he oversees both the urban hotel business and the group’s resort operations.
The fourth generation of the Riu family is also working in senior positions.
Luis Riu Rodríguez is co-director of construction and design and executive director of operations for the Atlantic region. Naomi Riu Rodríguez is chief financial and sustainability officer. Roberto Riu Rodríguez is co-director of construction and design and works on commercial and marketing activities. Joan Trian Riu is managing director and institutional representative and serves on the TUI board of RIU Hotels & Resorts.
Does Luis Riu Own Personal Properties and Luxury Assets?
There is no reliable public record that provides a complete valuation of Luis Riu’s personal homes, cars, cash holdings or private investments.
Forbes identifies hotels as his source of wealth and reports that he invests in new-build hotel projects in Mexico, the United States and Cape Verde.
Specific dollar figures for his private homes, vehicles or other personal possessions should not be treated as verified unless supported by a reliable source.
What is Luis Riu’s Business Strategy?
RIU has historically combined hotel ownership with hotel operations.
The 2021 purchase of TUI’s 49% stake in Riu Hotels S.A. strengthened the family’s control of the underlying hotel properties. The company has continued investing in new properties rather than relying only on existing resorts.
The group now operates both resort hotels and city hotels.
Its resort business has a major presence in the Caribbean and Mexico, while the Riu Plaza brand has expanded into cities including New York and London. Forbes says Riu was instrumental in the company’s entry into the Times Square market in 2010.
Luis Riu Net Worth 2026: Key Facts
- Luis Riu net worth: $1.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Hotels
- Position: CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts
- Age: 66
- Residence: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- RIU gross revenue in 2025: €4.188 billion
- RIU hotels: 101, according to the company’s current press information
- Countries: 22
- 2025 guests: 6.8 million
- Employees: 38,955
- Fixed assets of Riu Hotels S.A. after 2025 merger: €4.139 billion at book value
- TUI stake acquired by the Riu family in 2021: 49% for €670 million
Luis Riu Net Worth in 2026: Final Figure
Luis Riu’s net worth is estimated at $1.8 billion in 2026. Forbes attributes his fortune to hotels and identifies him as CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts.
His wealth is tied to the Riu family’s ownership of the hotel group, which began in Mallorca in 1953 and has expanded into a global hospitality business.
RIU generated €4.188 billion in gross revenue in 2025 and now has more than 100 hotels across 22 countries. Its 2026 expansion includes projects in Thailand, Zanzibar, London, New York, Dubai and Mexico.
