A look back sharpens the view forward!
We research the family tree, listen devoutly to the stories told to us by our grandfather and get wide-eyed when we look at the yellowed photo albums - in short: we are interested in the past! To develop a feeling for today or to learn interesting facts. Or, to grasp the larger context! This also applies to the companies in which we work. Where are the roots for our current corporate culture and where do we come from in the first place?
Men and women of the first hour: the foundation in the early 70s. The story of ROBINSON begins in 1970. Two men, Friedrich Engel and Wolfgang Arthur Mankel, have an idea: they want to bring the first German-speaking club to life worldwide in premium quality and with a conscious YOU approach. "Great idea!" think TUI and Steigenberger Hotel AG and found Robinson Club GmbH. On 1 January 1971 on Fuerteventura the time has come. The first ROBINSON Club with the new concept is opened. And with it, the first team is also in place: from the very beginning, around 150 employees spread an informal, relaxed and warm club atmosphere on the Canary island.
Other important milestones in ROBINSON Club history
In 1974, the first resort designed entirely by ROBINSON is put into operation in Kenya. In 1989, ROBINSON becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of TUI. In 2000, ROBINSON opens its first club in Germany. In 2008, ROBINSON expands its portfolio to 21 facilities. In 2012, ROBINSON also focuses on growth and welcomes three new facilities to the ROBINSON family. The number of employees grows steadily; today there are around 4,500 worldwide!
1993: The ROBIN is born
The great sense of togetherness of our employees is certainly also based on the common name: The term "ROBIN" first came up in 1993 in a workshop with Thomas Ulrich, the HR manager at the time. Today, all ROBINS worldwide are called this, regardless of which club they work in and what they do there. The colors white and blue have also been worn uniformly by ROBINS since 1995.
The job worlds are growing continuously
The eight different departments (job worlds) today have grown historically. In the beginning, there was sports animation (gymnastics, water gymnastics, volleyball, bocce, darts, shuffleboard), children's animation, tennis, water sports, diving and our shows in the evenings. The Wellness & Fitness area, for example, was added only in the 90s. The range of services for guests and thus also the opportunities for employees at ROBINSON gradually expanded. In the meantime, people with the most diverse qualifications and talents work for us - a colorful pool of talent!
Finding "types": Recruiting times historically
While today the majority of applicants become aware of us on the Internet and we only accept online applications, this was quite different in the past. We advertised diligently in the major daily newspapers. In order to find "types," as we called it back then, we also placed ads in various city magazines, such as Zitty-Berlin or Pflasterstrand Frankfurt. In 1986, we then launched the castings, which are still an integral part of our recruiting today.
"When I was hired in 1979, I had an appointment with Claus Finger, the founder of animation, as we used to call the field, at ROBINSON in his completely smoky office. He probably smoked about 80 cigarettes a day," remembers Dr. Andreas "Olli" Oltrogge - former club director at the ROBINSON SOMA BAY in Egypt ... That's how times change ...
Your jobs
Here you will find the right job for you – whether you are a childcare worker, receptionist or IT professional, on the Maldives, in Austria or Spain!
Go to jobsAnd the future? We want to grow!
Our declared goal for the next few years: We want to grow! More clubs, fantastic new destinations and thus exciting opportunities for our employees! The new ROBINSON Club Djerba Bahiya in Tunisia, which opened in 2015, was our starting signal for this. We have great new countries in mind where we are looking for suitable hotels and properties.
The offering will be expanded even further in the future. Following the successful opening of the ROBINSON NAM HOI AN in Vietnam, another resort in Austria, the ROBINSON FIEBERBRUNN in the Kitzbühel Alps, will follow in July 2025. Further new additions are planned for 2026/2027 in Cape Verde (Boa Vista) and Zanzibar