VANCOUVER — A new 250-room floating hotel is being proposed for Vancouver by Finnish hotel developer, Sunborn International Holding (SBIH). In partnership with the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (VHFC), the hotel will be a unique hospitality venue, bringing new jobs, economic growth and creating a new destination on the water.
“The new floating hotel will be a jewel for the crown of Vancouver’s waterfront,” says Graham Clarke, Chairman of VHFC. “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.”
The proposal would create 250 new hotel guestrooms, without taking scarce real estate away from other important local priorities in the city landscape. If approved, Sunborn Vancouver will be built off-site eliminating any disruptive impact and will be an environmentally-friendly development, souring its power needs from renewable energy. The hotel’s renewable energy systems are expected to reduce its power consumption by 60 to 70 per cent.
With plans to directly connect to the Vancouver Convention Centre’s existing infrastructure, the floating hotel will operate like a normal building on land, with no discharge to the water. Sunborn Vancouver will also not use fossil fuels and creates no emissions from engines or generators.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to bring our new generation of low-carbon floating hotels to the Vancouver waterfront,” says Hans Niemi, CEO of Sunborn International. “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.”
The project is anticipated to create more than 200 direct new jobs and is a fully privately-funded development project. Sunborn International and its partners are undergoing a re-zoning process with the City of Vancouver, and pending approval, the new hotel is scheduled to open in 2027.