RIU Hotels Resumes Operations in Jamaica Following Hurricane

RIU Hotels & Resorts plans to reopen all seven of its hotels in Jamaica by the end of the year following Hurricane Melissa.

RIU Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to reopen all its hotel locations in Jamaica before the end of the year. This comes as part of efforts to restore operations in the region following Hurricane Melissa’s impact on October 28. The company has been focusing on two main areas: assisting employees and resuming hotel operations.

The Riu Ocho Rios hotel remained operational throughout the hurricane and has now restored all services. The Riu Montego Bay reopened on November 23, and the Riu Palace Jamaica is set to reopen on November 24. The remaining four hotels—Riu Reggae, Riu Negril, Riu Palace Tropical Bay, and Riu Palace Aquarelle—are scheduled to reopen between November 30 and December 15, 2025.

The reopening of these hotels coincides with the resumption of charter flights from key markets, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Sunwing and TUI facilitate these flights as part of efforts to support Jamaica’s tourism industry’s recovery.

RIU’s operational and technical teams have been working to clean and repair the hotels, ensuring they are ready for guests. Restoring water and electricity services was a primary challenge, but these services are now functioning in all locations.

In addition to reopening its hotels, RIU has focused on supporting its employees. The company has allocated $1 million USD in aid, with 80% directed towards staff assistance. This includes $570,000 USD for materials to rebuild employees’ homes and $230,000 USD for immediate aid packages. An interest-free credit line of $1.3 million USD has also been established to manage damages.

The remaining 20% of the aid fund is being used to support the Jamaican community. In collaboration with the Jamaica Basic School Foundation, $200,000 USD has been donated for humanitarian aid, delivering 1,750 support packages to isolated communities. RIU has also partnered with World Central Kitchen to provide over 7,000 meals daily from Negril and Montego Bay to affected areas, starting with 1,000 daily servings on November 6.

RIU has been operating in Jamaica for 24 years, with seven hotels in Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Falmouth, offering more than 4,000 rooms and employing approximately 4,000 staff.