656-room Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square opens its doors

RIU Hotels & Resorts has opened the Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, the Spanish hotel chain’s second establishment in New York City.

Like its predecessor, this hotel is a new build in the heart of Manhattan, surrounded by theatres on Broadway and just a stone’s throw from Times Square.

“When we opened our first hotel in New York, one of my lifelong dreams came true,” said Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts. “Words can’t express how we all felt when we saw RIU’s name right in the heart of Manhattan. Today we’ve taken a very exciting step, once again overcoming the great challenge of building a hotel from scratch in one of the world’s most competitive cities. I couldn’t be any prouder of the team behind this project and the opportunity to see our brand in the cultural and financial capital of the United States.”

Phantom of the Opera-inspired lobby 

The Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square has 656 rooms and its decoration aims to submerge guests in the Big Apple’s renowned theatrical world from the moment they walk through the door.

This is a clear nod to the hotel’s unbeatable location on 47th Street, near Times Square and Broadway’s acclaimed musicals.

The hotel’s architectural details, interior design and artwork transmit all the excitement and stage design of Broadway.

The lobby is a clear example, where huge masks inspired by the famous show The Phantom of the Opera give customers an elegant and personalized welcome.

The new build has 47 floors: on the ground floor, there’s the main lobby and the “Grab&Go” cafeteria, as well as spacious relaxation areas.

The gym is located on the floor below. The first floors of the building house a car park and a restaurant that serves RIU’s well-known buffet breakfast, while the rooms are located on the seventh floor and above.

The hotel’s more than 650 rooms are designed with the modern and elegant RIU style.

With the facility fee, guests have access to extra services such as free Wi-Fi, luggage storage on arrival and departure, a bottle of water in the room on the day of arrival and unlimited access to the gym.

Big city expansion

RIU took its first steps in Manhattan in 2016 when it opened the Hotel Riu Plaza New York Times Square, a milestone for the company as this was its first hotel in one of the world’s economic hubs and most vibrant cities.

The opening of the Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square represents a new achievement for RIU Hotels, as the Majorcan chain now has two large hotels in desirable locations.

With the opening of the Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, the company now has nine Riu Plaza hotels located in some of the world’s most important and historic cities: the Hotel Riu Plaza España in Madrid; the Hotel Riu Plaza Panama in Panama City; the Hotel Riu Plaza Guadalajara in Mexico; the Hotel Riu Plaza Berlin in the German capital; the Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin in the Irish capital; the Hotel Riu Plaza Miami Beach in Miami; the Hotel Riu Plaza Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco; and the Hotel Riu Plaza New York Times Square and Hotel Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, both in New York.

In the coming years, Riu Plaza will continue to grow in major cities such as Chicago, Toronto and London.

In Canada it has selected Toronto as the home of the newly built Riu Plaza Toronto hotel, with 350 rooms, meeting rooms, a gym, a bar and a restaurant.

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.