Vincent Tan Faces Setback Over Iceland Hotel Plans



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Tycoon Vincent Tan wants to build a hotel and apartments in Iceland. (Image from Reuters)

PETALING JAYA: Tycoon Vincent Tan has faced opposition from Icelandic authorities to his plans to build a Four Seasons hotel and apartments on Miðbakki Pier in the nation’s capital Reykjavik.

According to a report by the Iceland Monitor, Tan’s plans for the 323,000-square-foot hotel extended to land claimed by Associated Icelandic Ports. The port authority had submitted a letter of disagreement to the planning officer in October.

Tryggvi Þór Herbertsson, Tan’s representative in Iceland, told local news outlet Morgunblaðið that if approval was granted, work could begin immediately, and operations would begin in 2023.

However, Kristín Soffía Jónsdóttir, Associated Icelandic Ports board vice president and a member of the Reykjavík City Council, said that “there is no agreement between (Tan) and the port of (Reykjavík).”

He compared Tan’s plans to building on the neighbor’s property without permission.

“It is amazing to request a change in city planning on a lot that is not under their control.”

In January, Tan, who founded Berjaya Corporation, became a 75% shareholder in Icelandair Hotels and has already secured ISK 40 billion (RM1.19 billion) in funding for the Miðbakki pier project.

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