This Major All-Inclusive Chain Is About to Open Its First-Ever Resort in Southeast Asia

RIU Hotels & Resorts is making its Southeast Asian debut later this month with the opening of Riu Palace Phuket, a 504-room all-inclusive resort on Phuket's Mai Khao Beach. Guests can start checking in on April 24.

The property stretches 700 meters along the beachfront, sitting at the edge of Sirinat National Park — a setting that gives it a distinctly different feel from the more developed southern beaches that dominate Phuket's tourism scene. It's the first time the Spanish hotel group has operated in Thailand, and it chose to open with a Riu Palace property, the highest tier in its leisure portfolio.

The resort will run a 24-hour all-inclusive model with six specialty restaurants, including one focused on authentic Thai cuisine, and seven bars spread across the property. Rooms include options in the Elite Club by RIU category, which adds premium services and personalized touches for guests willing to pay up.

For RIU, the move into Southeast Asia represents a significant strategic shift. The company has built its reputation primarily across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Mediterranean, with a portfolio of more than 100 hotels. Entering Thailand with a flagship property signals an appetite for growth in a region where European all-inclusive brands have historically had limited presence.

Phuket has been steadily rebuilding its international visitor numbers after years of pandemic-related disruption, and the arrival of a globally recognized all-inclusive brand could help the island attract a new segment of travelers more familiar with the bundled resort format popular in the Caribbean and Mexico.