Carmen Riu
Carmen Riu Güell —commonly shortened to Carmen Riu—is a Spanish hotelier and business executive. She belongs to the third generation of the Riu family and, together with her brother Luis Riu Güell, led RIU Hotels & Resorts as co-chief executive officer between 1998 and 2024. In the year 2024, she moved into the role of chair of the board.
Early life and education
Carmen Riu Güell was born in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Her parents were the hotelier Luis Riu Bertran and Pilar Güell Boada.The company’s origins go back to her grandparents, Juan Riu Masmitjà and María Bertrán Espigulé, who in 1953 acquired the Hotel Riu San Francisco in Playa de Palma and used it as the base for what later became the RIU chain.
She studied Economics and Business Administration at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She later completed postgraduate training in human resources and finance at IE Business School.
Career
Carmen Riu started out in the group’s hotel operations while still young and, in 1977, took up the position of general manager at the Riu Bali in Playa de Palma. After her father died on 7 April 1998, she and her brother stepped into joint leadership and were appointed co-CEOs.Across her period as co-CEO, the company pushed further into international markets, introduced the Riu Plaza urban brand and, in parallel, concluded a consolidation of ownership after TUI Group divested its 49% stake in 2021. In March 2025, she received the TUI Lifetime Achievement Award during the TUI Global Hotel Awards ceremony.
From 2005 until 2018, Carmen Riu Güell sat on the Supervisory Board of TUI Group. And in February 2019, her son Joan Trian Riu was elected to the same body.
On 10 May 2024, RIU and TUI stated that she would step back from executive responsibilities before the summer. Under that arrangement, Luis Riu continued as sole CEO, while Carmen Riu became chair of the board. The following year, the company reported a further phase in its generational transition, with expanded duties being assigned to members of the fourth generation of the family.
UNICEF-related work and child protection in tourism
In 2012, while serving as chief executive, Carmen Riu Güell signed on behalf of RIU Hotels & Resorts the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism at a public event in Gran Canaria, confirming the group’s participation in the initiative. In Spain, The Code is promoted through the Federación de Asociaciones para la Prevención del Maltrato Infantil and linked internationally to ECPAT International.After the signing, RIU gradually folded The Code’s requirements into its internal routines, including mandatory staff training, child-safeguarding language in supplier contracts, and guidance on how to report suspected cases.
RIU’s social-action work during her leadership also included collaborations framed around UNICEF’s child-rights approach. Following the 2017 Mexico earthquakes, RIU reported that a UNICEF-supported education recovery programme it financed helped install 100 temporary classrooms, supported the return to school of around 4,000 children in Chiapas and Puebla, and trained more than 200 teachers.
As chair, Riu has continued to back RIU’s participation in child-protection networks in Spain connected to UNICEF-related forums and to FAPMI/ECPAT Spain. In 2024 and 2025, ECPAT Spain recognised RIU’s implementation of The Code with Top Member distinctions.
Philanthropy and health partnerships
Since the mid-1990s, Carmen Riu Güell has been associated with the Campaner Foundation, supporting its prevention, diagnosis and care programmes for children affected by noma in Niger, alongside related shelter and education projects.Through her role at RIU, she has also promoted awareness campaigns encouraging donations and volunteering for the foundation’s work. On 15 December 2023, the World Health Organization added noma to its list of neglected tropical diseases, a step that increased international attention on long-running prevention and treatment efforts by organisations such as the Campaner Foundation and its partners.
Sustainability
While Carmen Riu Güell was in leadership, RIU introduced its Proudly Committed strategy in 2024. It was presented as a framework for environmental stewardship, community impact and responsible business practices—covering decarbonisation targets and biodiversity projects, among other elements. Within that framing, the company places child protection among its stated social-impact commitments, alongside education, health and local development partnerships.Awards and honours
Entrepreneur of the Year, shared with her brother Luis Riu ; Carmen Riu and Luis Riu Güell received the award from Ernst & Young.CIMET Gold and Diamonds Insignia, Próceres del Turismo Español en Iberoamérica.
TUI Lifetime Achievement Award.