30-storey Marriott hotel tower proposed for Yaletown | Daily Hive

30-storey tower with a Marriott hotel and rental homes proposed for Yaletown in downtown Vancouver

Concept for the mixed-use tower with a Marriott hotel at 888-896 Cambie St., Vancouver. (McKinley Studios/Nonni Property Group)

A major hotel incorporated into a new mixed-use tower development is proposed for the northern end of the Yaletown district in downtown Vancouver.

Vancouver-based developer Nonni Property Group (NPG) announced today it has submitted an application to redevelop 888-896 Cambie St. — the northeast corner of the intersection of Smithe Street and Cambie Street.

Currently, the site is occupied by a three-storey building constructed in 1928 and a two-storey building built in 1944, both used entirely for commercial purposes. Records show the three-storey building recently changed hands in a deal worth $17 million.

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The developer has partnered with architectural design firm McKinley Studios to redevelop this site of approximately 15,700 sq. ft. into a 30-storey tower.

At this time, limited details are available, but NPG has shared that they have secured a 25-year franchise agreement with Marriott International for an Autograph Collection Hotel operation, with the hotel set to feature themes and design elements that celebrate Yaletown’s character and the city’s unique identity.

888-896 Cambie Street Vancouver Marriott NPG hotel

Site of 888-896 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Existing condition:

Site of 888-896 Cambie St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Concept for the mixed-use tower with a Marriott hotel at 888-896 Cambie St., Vancouver. (McKinley Studios/Nonni Property Group)

There will be approximately 225 hotel guest rooms, in addition to an upscale five-star restaurant and bar, which is “designed to energize Vancouver’s entertainment scene and align with the mayor’s initiative to make the city fun again.”

“Marriott is thrilled to collaborate with NPG and mindfully grow our portfolio in the important and dynamic market of Vancouver,” said Paul Cahill, the chief operating officer of Canada of Marriott International, in a statement.

“We believe that developments like this Autograph Collection hotel are important to fulfilling a currently under-served travel demand in the area, and we look forward to working with NPG to welcome guests to the property.”

Concept for the mixed-use tower with a Marriott hotel at 888-896 Cambie St., Vancouver. (McKinley Studios/Nonni Property Group)

In addition to the hotel and upscale restaurant uses, the building will also have some office space and secured purpose-built market rental homes — about 165 units.

Altogether, this project will generate approximately 435,000 sq. ft. of total building floor area, including about 200,000 sq. ft. of hotel and restaurant space, 226,000 sq. ft. of residential rental space, and 9,000 sq. ft. of office space.

The hotel uses are strategically situated near BC Place Stadium and Rogers Arena, and within close walking distance to various SkyTrain stations.

Overall, the building is conceived as three volumes, with two lower rooftop outdoor terraces marking the stacked nature of the volumes.

Concept for the mixed-use tower with a Marriott hotel at 888-896 Cambie St., Vancouver. (McKinley Studios/Nonni Property Group)

Artistic renderings of the building’s architectural concept show a highly West Coast-contemporary design with a grid-like facade and window pattern.

Activate streetscapes continuously front Cambie Street and Smithe Street. A hotel lounge and bar space fronts Smithe Street, and the project incorporates a public art installation beneath an entrance at the intersection corner. The major restaurant destination will front Cambie Street.

While the building’s base podium volumes for hotel uses feature a pattern of single-storey windows, the upper volume for rental housing uses is visually distinguished by its seamless two-storey window pattern.

“NPG supports the City of Vancouver and we are pleased to advance our position in this iconic development. Our investment in this project represents a thoughtful approach to the community as well as the integration of architecture and purposeful use elements. This will bring vitality to the neighbourhood while addressing Vancouver’s critical needs for quality rental housing and premium hotel accommodations,” said Gino Nonni, CEO of NPG.

“This excellent mixed-use development marks our strategic expansion into the hospitality sector while strengthening our position in purpose-built rental properties, advancing our commitment to developing and managing exceptional income-producing assets.”

Concept for the mixed-use tower with a Marriott hotel at 888-896 Cambie St., Vancouver. (McKinley Studios/Nonni Property Group)

In early 2023, local tourism authority Destination Vancouver released a report that forecasts the need for 20,000 new additional hotel rooms across the Metro Vancouver region, including 10,000 within the City of Vancouver.

Without meaningful new significant additional supply, the region will see a chronic shortfall of hotel rooms starting in 2026. These projections are now likely outdated and highly conservative, as they were made long before the provincial government announced its regulations to curb short-term rentals like Airbnb, which now only adds to the demand for hotel rooms.

This adds to the growing list of major hotel project proposals in Vancouver, including within the city centre, with completions still years away at best. Some projects in Central Broadway, particularly a major Hilton hotel, could be among the first to reach completion and open, but the earliest major infusion to the local hotel supply could be a floating hotel with 250 guest rooms next to Vancouver Convention Centre.

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