Riu Guanacaste receives the Crystal Apple Award for “Best Staff & Service” in Central America

September 25th, 2012 (via press release) – During the 2012 Golden Apple Awards ceremony, Apple Vacations honored the Riu Guanacaste with the 2012 Crystal Apple Award for “Best Staff & Service” in Central America. This hotel was a double winner since it also received a Golden Apple Award, along with other 12 RIU properties located in Mexico (8), Dominican Republic (2), Jamaica (1) and Aruba (1).

The Golden Apple Awards and the Crystal Apple Awards are among the most coveted honors in the travel industry, as they are attributed based up on hundreds of thousands of Apple Vacationers who complete the Clients Satisfaction Questionnaires. Clients rate overall staff and service, food quality, amenities, public areas, beach and entertainment. The highest rated hotels are honored with a Golden Apple Award and the Crystal Apple Award represents the “Best of the Best”, the most competitive and honorable award given by Apple Vacations.

In the photo from left to right: Timothy A. Mullen, Co-President of Apple Vacations; Oliver Kluth, Senior VP Contracting, Sales & Business Development for RIU Hotels & Resorts; and Sandy Babin, Vice President of Marketing for Apple Vacations. Mr. Kluth, who accepted the 2012 Crystal Apple Award and the 2012 Golden Apple Awards stated: “It is a great honor for us to receive these awards. We truly believe that hoteliers, travel agents and touroperators create the dream team of the travel industry. These recognitions commit us to continue working to deliver great experiences to our clients”.

Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts also commented that “these awards are especially important to us because they come from our mutual clients. Costa Rica is an impressive destination where we will open a new Riu Palace hotel in November, so this high rating from our clients in the United States makes us undertake this new project with even greater enthusiasm”.

The Riu Guanacaste hotel opened in 2009 in one of the most beautiful destinations on Central America’s Pacific coast, where the sea and rain forest commingle to create an extraordinary landscape. The hotel is located right on Matapalo beach in the captivating region of Guanacaste. With 701 rooms, the resort offers RIU’s acclaimed 24-hour All-Inclusive service, succulent cuisine in its four restaurants and an extensive offering for events in its five conference halls.