Anything but bland

Higashiyama, Kyoto — Berjaya Land Bhd (The rather oddly nicknamed BLand) has announced plans to build a new luxury hotel in Kyoto. The Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto will have 186 rooms and 200 staff, and is designed along the lines of a traditional ryokan.

Executive director Leong Wy Joon said: “Kyoto is one of the most difficult cities for hotel development due to its strict building guidelines and its UNESCO World Heritage status. There have been no significant hotel developments in Kyoto in the past few years. It took us over two years to get this permit.”

Construction will begin in March 2013, and the hotel is planned to open by winter 2014.

[box]www.berjaya.com[/box]