Vancouver council approves 250-room floating hotel on downtown waterfront

VANCOUVER — Vancouver’s council has approved a 250-room floating hotel on the city’s waterfront that proponents say would bring more accommodation capacity and generate economic activity, despite concerns that it would mar water and mountain views.

The application for the rezoning to allow the so-called floatel was brought by Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre Ltd., which has the rights to the section of waterfront in front of the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Council approved the hotel and a connecting public dock with a walkway and commercial uses on Tuesday night.

The project is proposed by Finnish hospitality group Sunborn International, which operates yacht hotels and floating real estate in London and Gibraltar.

The plan outlines a 131-metre-long vessel six storeys tall from sea level, situated in front of the Vancouver Convention Centre with the North Shore mountains rising up from the opposite shore of Burrard Inlet.

Ed Crowder was taking in what he called the “spectacular” view of the mountains jutting up into the blue sky on Wednesday.

The first-time visitor to Vancouver from New Haven, Conn., had been “standing here just gazing at it for the last 20 minutes,” he said.

“As a visitor, I have to say I appreciate the view as it is. I don’t see any reason to clutter it up more,” Crowder said, though he noted he understood there would be economic motivations behind the project.

“I was trying to think of what it would have looked like 30 years ago,” he said. “Will one more thing here ruin the view? Probably not, but then one over there and another one over there … and after a while it just kind of loses its charm I’d imagine.”

The project’s supporters say public access to the dock attached to the western side of the hotel mean views will be retained, with people able to get closer to water level.

While Jennifer Kuhn, visiting from Regina, said she thought the floatel could be an “eyesore,” blocking the view of the North Shore, her father, Murray Kuhn, said there was plenty of space in the harbour and he would happily stay there.

In the application’s letter of intent, Graham Clarke, chairman of Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, said the floatel would “contribute to Vancouver’s hotel stock in a meaningful and unique way,” helping to grow the vibrancy of the nearby community.

“This proposal is a far better use of the publicly accessible waterfront than the private yacht marina that was approved here but never constructed,” Clarke said.

“Given that virtually the entirety of the Coal Harbour (development plan) area has been developed, this project proposes an elegant solution to the challenge of delivering a new hotel that will support growth in tourism and convention activity while complementing the area’s existing uses.”

Sunborn said the 150-cabin hotel would support up to 225 jobs and the entry level of the vessel would be fully open to the public, attracting locals and tourists alike while driving economic activity.

Waste from the hotel would go directly into the city’s sewerage system, it says, and its carbon footprint would be “substantially lower” than that of a typical hotel, the proposal says.

Coun. Sean Orr voted against the project, while a number of members of the public spoke out in opposition during Tuesday night’s meeting.

One resident told council the structure “sits right in the line of sight to one of the most amazing views in Vancouver,” while others expressed concerns over congestion and potential pollution in the harbour.

In a comment opposing the project, Vancouver resident Clinton Robinson said the floatel should be moved farther east or a new location should be chosen to avoid blocking the view of the North Shore.

“This view is one of the most visited by visitors to the city, and residents, including myself, never tire of standing exactly where the entrance to the floating hotel would be to enjoy the view, at all seasons of the year,” Robinson said. “A floating hotel would completely change this view, obstructing it for certain angles and distracting from the natural beauty.

“There is absolutely no way the hotel in this position could possibly enhance the environment and its attractions.”

City staff said the project must still meet all environmental requirements and approval processes.

They said the floatel’s placement near the Waterfront SkyTrain station should mitigate congestion concerns.

Sunborn chairman Hans Niemi told the council meeting that the floatel design has already evolved several times in consideration of the harbourfront view.

“We understand the sensitivity of the site and the viewpoints,” Niemi said, noting Sunborn has looked at several alignment options for the vessel to “accommodate the viewpoints of the port.”

“We feel that this particular alignment and location fulfils all of those concerns.”

Andra Patrichi lives in downtown Vancouver and walks the seaside pathway next to the project site about twice a week. She stopped Wednesday to read a sign alerting the public to the rezoning application and shared mixed feelings about the plan.

While an artist’s rendering of the hotel looks “kind of cool” and the project could attract more visitors to boost the local economy, the rendering showed the vessel looks large enough to block the view of the mountains, she said.

“That’s like a prime, you know, viewpoint for people walking along the waterfront.”

It might be different if the hotel’s proponent was Canadian, she added.

“But it’s funny how they put the Canadian flag on here,” Patrichi said, gesturing to the Maple Leaf flying from the back of the vessel in the rendering.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2026.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press