Riu Hotels to offer guests free Covid medical cover

Riu Hotels and Resorts is building coronavirus cover into all new bookings, which will include medical assistance of up to €30,000 per guest.

Riu Protect will ensure guests get any medical help they need if their stay is affected by Covid-19, and will also cover any necessary extensions to stays.

The cover will be supported by AXA XL with guidance from Mercer Marsh Benefits, and will be automatically added to all bookings made from 15 June.

It will cover medical attention, surgery, hospitalisation, and emergency medical transport, as well as extensions to hotel stays of up to 14 nights for medical reasons.

Riu’s cover will also extend to medical repatriation of affected guests, and return tickets for other guests in their party.

“In these uncertain times, we are adding this new service to offer [guests] extra safety and peace of mind as they will know that if faced with infection by Covid-19 or any other medical condition, they will receive attention and care at no additional cost to them," said chief executive Luis Riu.

Guests can also choose to cancel or make changes to their booking, for free, up to 30 April 2021.

Riu’s plans to reopen its hotels will be guided by a new "post-Covid manual" featuring 17 new safety and hygiene protocols.

The firm closed 99 of its hotels across 19 countries in March, but has already reopened premises in Berlin, Guadalajara, Miami, Cancun and Bulgaria.

Premises in Spain, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Costa Rica will follow "in the coming weeks", it is hoped.

Jose Ramon Morales, AXA XL country leader for Iberia, added: “We have made a decisive commitment to the hotel sector by providing our extensive experience and track record in insurance solutions specific to the sector, mainly involving its asset risks and enormous civil liabilities, in both Spain and internationally.

"At this very unusual time, we are strengthening our commitment to Riu by covering the hotel group’s obligations to its customers through Riu Protect."