Staff Writer - The Timeshare Beat
July 5, 2000
Majorca, Spain-based RIU Hotels' first venture into timeshare will be opening to guests this summer. ClubHotel
Riu Gran Canaria, the company's newest resort in the Canary Islands, will be offering a 40-year right-to-use agreement
for its 1- and 2-bedroom luxury apartments. Nearly 10%, or 54 of the 639 units in the new resort, will initially
be allocated to the timeshare effort. Located in the south of Gran Canaria, the new units are a short stroll from
Maspalomas beach, a long sandy beach stretching as far as Playa del Inglés, and fantastic views.
The new timeshare offering is affiliated with RCI and has been designated a Gold Crown Resort. Sales will be handled through an independent specialist agency, OK Marketing and Consulting SL.
The ClubHotel RIU Gran Canaria, with a 67 million dollar price tag, is to be a full-service four-star resort, and represents the most costly investment the company has ever made in a single facility. It will become RIU's largest resort complex in Spain and the second largest overall, behind the ClubHotel RIU Tequila at Playa del Carmen, Mexico with 664 rooms.
Timeshare owners at the new resort will enjoy all the traditional amenities of the fine hotel/resort, with an exceptionality broad range of sports and leisure facilities such as are normally found at a few special resort complexes. The ClubHotel RIU Gran Canaria timeshare will fullfill every expectation of those who want to enjoy their ‘lively’ holidays without missing the comfort and the service of an elegant beach hotel.
All the rooms have a private terrace and fitted carpet, full bath and water closet with hair-dryer and bidet,
satellite TV, telephone, fan, central air- conditioning, mini-bar and rented safe. The timeshare bungalows come
additionally equipped with a full American kitchen and sofa-bed (cleaning and towel change are daily; bed linen
is changed 3 times a week). All units are also equipped with video and stereo. For the golfing enthusiast the resort
is near the Maspalomas Golf course.
The 5-story hotel offers a relaxing and friendly atmosphere and is equipped with a bar and two air-conditioned
dining rooms with non-smoking area, souvenir shop and boutique. Nearby are a hairdresser and a supermarket. The
subtropical well-tended garden houses a pool-snack-bar, a pool-bar and a spectacular swimming pool area consisting
of 3 fresh-water swimming pools and a children’s swimming pool. Towels, loungers and sun-shades are free.
Available at the ClubHotel Gran Canaria are the following:
Sports
Guests and owners alike can freely enjoy aerobics, table tennis, shuffleboard, volleyball, French bowling and shooting;
a sporting centre and a fully equipped gym is also at their disposal. 2 tennis courts and billiards are available
for a fee. Within a radius of about 2 1/2 miles (4 km) there are: golf, mini-golf, squash, bowling, bike rental,
windsurfing, sail, water-skiing and scuba-diving.
Entertainment
The RIU Gran Canaria professional entertainers will propose daily amusing games and daytime entertainment. Once
a week, live music. Every night there will be shows in the hotel. There is also a hobbyclub.
Children
Children’s swimming pool and playground. Every day entertainment programme for the little ones (4 to 14 years old).
Babysitter upon request, at a fee.
Gastronomy
In the morning enjoy a buffet breakfast including wholemeal products and on the spot cooking. For dinner, an inviting
buffet of hot and cold first courses, main dishes, some of which are prepared “live” in the restaurant in front
of guests, and dessert. A theme buffet is offered weekly. At midday, light dishes are available in the pool-bar.
The largest chain in the Canaries, with about 16,000 beds, RIU executives are excited about joining the booming
timeshare business. At present, RIU owns and operates six such club-hotels (two in Majorca, one on Formentera,
two in the Dominican Republic and one in Mexico) and has two more on the drawing board. It is expected that more
timeshare offerings will follow upon the heels of the Gran Canaria.