Preparations have begun to open the Reykjavík Edition hotel. Key positions have been filled, and further hiring will begin soon, a hotel representative told RÚV. The COVID-19 epidemic has not affected the financial position or construction of the hotel, which is steadily rising next door to the Harpa, but the exact completion date is still uncertain.
The hotel will be the first 5-Star hotel in Reykjavík, and will be operated by the Marriott hotel chain. Sveinn Björnsson, managing director of Icelandic real estate, oversees construction on behalf of the hotel’s owners. The hotel itself is projected to be massive, with 17,000 square metres and 253 hotel rooms. The estimated cost of the project is roughly 20 billion ISK.
The hotel was scheduled to be completed this year, but Sveinn said that it is impossible to say now whether this will happen. The work is about 70% complete, with the structure itself erected, and glass, cladding and insulation installed. Work inside the building is ongoing, with around 150 people working on it. Due to the size of the structure, the workers have been able to follow the instructions of the Directorate of Health.
However, some foreign workers did have to go home. Additionally, manufacturing and delivery of certain fixtures and fittings from Italy and other places has been halted, making it more difficult to estimate exactly when the work will be completed. This may be just as well, as there are currently no tourists in Iceland, and it is uncertain at this time when that industry will pick up again.
As ever, those looking for more information or advice should go to the Icelandic Government’s excellent COVID-19 help page.
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