Founder

          RUES Hotel Selection
          EcoFriendly Hotels
          Worldwide

The Founder's Background:

Rue Eberhardt H. Rues was born in Stuttgart, Germany. Continuing the hotel tradition begun by his parents - the owners of the "Gasthaus zum Hirsch" in Esslingen. In 1955, following the traditional European hotel career educational route, he worked his way up from Bellboy and apprentice Cook, starting at the Park Hotel in Stuttgart, to top level management.

Rues is an innovative and seasoned Senior Hotel Executive and Hotel/Tourism Consultant with a successful track record with the following hotel chains and cruise line: Inter-Continental, Hilton, Melia, Sheraton, Club Aldiana, Radisson Plaza and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line; and at various hotel and destination development and marketing consulting assignments on 5 continents: Europe, North and Latin America, Africa and Asia of over 35 years. Rues is recognized for exceptional problem solving and motivation skills in crisis resolution, turnaround and start-up situations.

Environmental Accomplishments

Participated in the Competition of “RIDELC” (Red Internacional de Desarrollo Economico Local y Comunitario) with the Case Study of “Working Together – Capacity Building’ for the Benefit of EcoTourism Development and Education” experiences of Bolivia, 1994 – 1996. (2007);

Designed the “Sundarban EcoWorld” project; near the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, West Bengal, India. (2006);

Co-designed and coordinated The First Eco-Tourism Exhibition of Bolivia -FEXPOTUR in Miami, held at the JW Marriott Hotel, in October 2004;

Participated as exhibitor with booths of RHS at two Birding & Wildlife Festivals in Titusville and Cedar Key, Florida. (2004);

Launched a destination marketing project of "The Original Florida" starting with Florida’s Space Coast principal identity "Nature and Space". (2000)

Introduced and implemented Western Management System for OTC - Overseas Travel Corporation - Cruise Ship Company of 16 ships on the Yangtze River, Wuhan, China. (1997),

Introduced and implemented “Environmental Cruise Ship Management” to the Hotel Operation Department on the "SS. Sun Viking" (South East Asia Cruises) Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. (1996);

Designed, coordinated and implemented the "First Forum on Eco-Tourism and Sustainable Tourism – Latin America and Europe"- held at the Radisson Plaza, La Paz, Bolivia in November 1995;

Directed the pre-opening of the Radisson Plaza, La Paz, Bolivia, first in South America in July 1994. Rues was General Manager for three hotels of "Hotelera Nacional", where he implemented "Integrated Environmental Management and Marketing Systems". (1994 – 1996);

Introduced and implemented the first curriculum of "Eco Tourism and Eco Hotel Management and Marketing" in The Americas at the Technological Institute of Monterrey (ITESM) -for Hotel and Tourism Studies-Campus Mazatlan, Mexico. (1993 – 1994).

Education

Hotel Design and Development (1974); Hotel Renovations and Feasibility Process (1987); Management Summer Courses at School of Hotel Administration - Cornell University, Ithaca, New York;

Hotel Administration Studies at Swiss Hotel School, Lucerne, Switzerland(1964)

Culinary and Hotel Operation Studies at Hotel School Bad Ueberkingen, Germany (1956 - 1959)

Published Books

"Eco Hotel Marketing" (Publication forthcoming 2008 - Spanish);

"Eco Hotel Management" (1993 - Spanish and English);

"Facing the Volcano" Risk & Crisis Management at the El Salvador Sheraton Hotel (1986 – English).

Case Studies

“Environmental Learning Center linked with Eco-Lodges’ and coupled with renewable energy, environmental farming” with focus on rural community development. (2003 – Spanish);

Triangle System of: Conservation, Education, Sustainable Tourism Development, in Latin America (during 1976 – 1997 English);

EcoTourism Project Design “Three Island Mazatlan” Mexico. (1993 English)

Hotels In Earthquake Zones “Building Techniques and Security Prevention” –study of the former El Salvador Sheraton, San Salvador. (1986 English)

Publications

My Toughest Assignment – Security and Service in El Salvador--(HOTELS magazine, July 2002)

Conservation of Nature and Culture Resources, (AHGZ, Nr. 6/6/ February 1999 - German)

RHS EcoFriendly Hotels Worldwide are featured in the group of 28 ecolabel schemes in (ECOLABELS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, UNEP , 1998).

The Greening of the Hospitality Industry. (ABOARD In-flight Magazines of six Latin American Airlines – May / June 1997

German Hotel Managers Abroad. (Top Hotel Magazine July 1996 – German)

Environmental Consciousness in Hotel Administration. (ECO-RIO, Revista Brasileira de Informacao Ambiental, Year V – No. 19. 1995 – Portugese)

Risk Management in El Salvador. (The Cornell Quarterly, May 1989. Vol.30, No.1.

Languages

Spoken and written: English, Spanish, French, Italian and German (mother tongue)