New hotel with bar planned for former Vancouver Film School building in Chinatown | Daily Hive

Site of 88 East Pender St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Vancouver’s historic Chinatown district could gain another new hotel, accomplished through the conversion of an existing five-storey retail and office building immediately adjacent to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and the Chinese Cultural Centre.

A new development permit application has been submitted to renovate and reconfigure the property of 88 East Pender St., which is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Columbia Street and East Pender Street.

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Up until recently, for a decade and a half, this 1984-constructed building was one of Vancouver Film School’s various campus locations, specifically for game design and programming. Prior to that, until around 2010, the building was home to the Vancouver station of Rogers-owned multilingual and multicultural television broadcaster OMNI Television.

88 east pender street vancouver chinatown hotel

Site of 88 East Pender St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

According to the application designed by WA Architects, this building will be converted into a boutique-style hotel with 57 guest rooms within the upper levels. The ground level will be used as a hotel lobby with a 24/7 front desk and a hotel bar and lounge with 73 seats in various configurations.

It is noted that one of the existing retail units on the ground level will remain, with direct access from East Pender Street. Very minimal changes will be made to the building’s exterior.

Overall, this hotel will span nearly 40,000 sq. ft. of building floor area. Two underground levels will provide 32 vehicle parking stalls.

At this time, the project does not have a confirmed hotel brand and operator. If fully realized, it could provide the struggling Chinatown district with some much-needed economic activity.

Site of 88 East Pender St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

This project follows last year’s opening of the Keefer House boutique hotel just to the southeast at 123 Keefer St., within a brand new purpose-built 10-storey building. It has 58 guest suites, suitable for both short-term and long-term stays.

As well, in late 2025, the municipal government’s development permit board approved Beedie Group’s controversial project at 570 Columbia St. (formerly addressed as 105 Keefer St.) immediately west of Keefer House. The long-vacant corner site — just south of the future hotel — is approved to become a new nine-storey, mixed-use building with condominiums, retail, restaurants, and a publicly accessible covered internal courtyard.

Keefer House’s giant heart-shaped mural on its west wall will keep the building visually distinct, until Beedie Group proceeds with the construction of its 570 Columbia St. building, which will conceal the public art.

keefer house hotel vancouver chinatown humanity heals heart mural

“Humanity Heals” heart mural at Keefer House hotel in Vancouver Chinatown. (Keefer House)

105 keefer street 570 columbia street vancouver chinatown beedie james cheng architects 2025

2025 concept of 570 Columbia St. (105 Keefer St.) in Vancouver’s Chinatown. (James Cheng Architects/Beedie Group)

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