Vancouver City Council has allowed a 250-room floating hotel project on the downtown waterfront to proceed.

Finnish developer Sunborn International Holding will build the ship-like hotel will be built on a water lot immediately north of the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building in Coal Harbour. The structure will be moored to a new public dock and span approximately six storeys, measuring about 431 feet in length and 60 feet in width, with a displacement of roughly 5,400 tonnes.

The lower levels will be publicly accessible and feature retail space, a restaurant, café and spa. The hotel will connect to the seawall via multiple pedestrian bridges.

According to a city staff report, the project could help boost tourism and address Vancouver’s ongoing shortage of hotel rooms, aligning with broader efforts to expand the city’s hospitality capacity.

Finnish developer Sunborn International Holding unveiled its plans for the hotel in January 2025.

Partnering with the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (VHFC), Sunborn aims to introduce a world-class hospitality venue that will generate jobs, boost economic growth, and create a new waterfront destination. The partners have filed a development application with the city.

“The new floating hotel will be a jewel for the crown of Vancouver’s waterfront,” says Graham Clarke, chairman of VHFC, said previously. “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.”

Sunborn’s proposal sought to address Vancouver’s accommodation shortage without consuming valuable real estate. Construction will take place off-site, minimizing disruption. The hotel will rely on renewable-energy sources, reducing power consumption by an estimated 60%-70%.

Designed to integrate seamlessly with the Vancouver Convention Centre’s infrastructure, the floating hotel will operate like a traditional building while remaining environmentally responsible, according to Sunborn and VHFC. The project will not discharge into the water, use fossil fuels, or produce emissions from engines or generators.

“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,” Hans Niemi, Sunborn’s CEO, said previously.

Sunborn estimates that the hotel, along with its amenities and associated services, will create more than 200 direct jobs. The project will be 100% privately funded.

The hotel is slated to open in 2027.

Pictured: Future floating hotel beside the Vancouver convention centres West building.

Rendering: Sunborn