250-room floating hotel proposed for Vancouver waterfront

A floating hotel, set to be shaped like a giant yacht, has been proposed for Coal Harbour’s waterfront.

A unique place to stay in Vancouver has been proposed for the city’s waterfront that its developer says will be environmentally friendly and help the hotel room shortage.

Finnish hotel developer Sunborn International Holding, which owns yacht hotels in London and Gibraltar, is pitching a floating getaway in Vancouver.

“The hotel will be a unique, world-class hospitality venue, bringing new jobs, economic growth, and creating a new destination on the water,” reads a media release issued Monday about the proposal.

The hotel would have 250 rooms and be attached to the Vancouver Convention Centre, which means it would “operate like a normal building on land with no discharge to the water,” Sunborn says.

The developer says it plans to build the hotel off-site to eliminate disruption. It also vowed to use only renewable energy to power the venue and promised zero emissions from its engines and generators.

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring our new generation of low carbon floating hotels to the Vancouver waterfront,” said Hans Niemi, CEO of Sunborn International, in the release.

“The vessel will be newly built for Vancouver and our intention is to develop a beautiful on-the-water hotel, blending seamlessly and adding new spaces for the public to enjoy.”

If approved by the City of Vancouver, Sunborn says the hotel will open in 2027 and create more than 200 jobs.

The developer is working with the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre on the venue, which it says will be entirely privately funded. In the release, Destination Vancouver, Vancouver Convention Centre operator PavCo, and seaplane terminal owner Ledcor Properties endorsed the project.

“The new floating hotel will be a jewel for the crown of Vancouver’s waterfront,” Graham Clarke, chairman of the flight centre said in the release.

“The new property will contribute to the urgent need for hotel rooms in Vancouver in an innovative and effective way, with no permanent footprint or environmental ramifications, adding new public spaces, viewpoints, cafés and restaurants to Vancouver’s vibrant waterfront.”