The international RIU chain was founded in Mallorca by the Riu family in 1953 as a small holiday firm and is still owned by the family’s third generation. The company specializes in holiday resorts and over 70% of its establishments offer its acclaimed All Inclusive by RIU service.

With the inauguration of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU is expanding its range of products with its own line of city hotels called Riu Plaza. RIU Hotels & Resorts now has 100 hotels in 20 countries.

In 2020, the chain welcomed 2,3 million guests and provided jobs for a total of 24,425 employees. RIU is currently the world’s 32nd ranked chain, one of the Caribbean’s most popular, the third-largest in Spain in terms of revenue, and the fourth-largest in the number of rooms.

Hope Zoo was opened to the public in 1961 and was conceived as a Caribbean and Central American zoo. Its aim was to display as wide a variety of animals as possible. The Zoo until 2005 was owned and operated under the Central Government within the Public Gardens Division.

Inadequate funding and subsequent loss of the animal collection led to the overall deterioration of the facility and a decline in the public interest.

This combination of factors in 2005 paved the way for Central Government to start leasing the facility. In November 2011 the Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation (HZPF) assumed full management authority under the helm of Mr. Kenneth S. Benjamin OJ, CD, LLD(Hon.), JP as the executive chairman.