22-storey hotel with 408 affordable 'nano' pods proposed near Robson Square | Daily Hive

Concept of the "Nano Hotel" at 948 Howe St., Vancouver. (Unison Architecture)

A new hotel tower proposed for downtown Vancouver aims to deliver deeply affordable overnight accommodation for students, young adults, and other budget-conscious urban travellers.

Vancouver’s municipal government is currently considering a rezoning application for a 204-foot-tall, 22-storey tower at 948 Howe St.

This mid-block property is just across the street from the Vancouver Law Courts, and just south of Robson Square.

At present, the site is a modest and largely inconspicuous property occupied by a two-storey retail and office building, formerly home to Red Room Hair & Spa. What makes the proposal particularly notable is the site’s compact size — just 3,000 sq. ft., with a Howe Street frontage of only 30 ft. and a lot depth of 120 ft.

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Wedged by mid-rise office buildings on either side of the lot, this narrow streetfront width would produce a skinny tower, with the proponent also seeking to make this an example of taller hybrid mass-timber construction.

Site of the “Nano Hotel” at 948 Howe St., Vancouver. (Unison Architecture)

Site of the “Nano Hotel” at 948 Howe St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Moreover, to achieve both affordability and scale, this would be a nano pod hotel, offering 408 sleeping units within roughly 56,000 sq. ft. of total building floor area, including common amenities. This project would be called the “Nano Hotel.”

Full-height pod units to enable standing

Pod hotels are an increasingly popular form of overnight accommodation. The concept originated in Japan in the late 1970s before spreading to other parts of Asia, Europe, and major urban centres around the world. There are also two local examples of this model in Richmond City Centre (Panda Pod Hotel) and Whistler Village (Pangea Pod Hotel).

But the proponents note that they have modified the very concept of a pod hotel to accommodate Vancouver’s market conditions and cultural and social expectations.

Globally, pod hotels often feature rows of vertically stacked beds, with each sleeping unit contained within a very small and narrow capsule where there is only enough space for an individual to sit upright, never mind stand.

Instead, all of the pods in the Nano Hotel concept for Vancouver would feature full ceiling height capsules enabling guests to stand upright. Such full-height pod hotel configurations are also found elsewhere in the world, but it is generally rarer compared to the more common stacked design. As well, according to the proponents, there are also some guest comfort advantages, including superior acoustics, sleep quality, and privacy compared to stacked sleeping units.

Examples of full-height pod hotel sleeping units in Japan. (Unison Architecture)

There would be three types of pods — 340 nano pods, 21 accessible nano pods, and 47 nano rooms.

The nano pod units would offer approximately 33 sq. ft. of space, featuring a standard door, integrated lighting and ventilation, and a secure lock. Each unit would include a reclining bed that can slide to create additional entry space, with luggage storage underneath. Guests staying in these pods would share common washrooms and shower facilities on each floor.

The other category of nano rooms would essentially be a more compact version of a traditional hotel room, spanning about 105. sq. ft. These are fully-enclosed, micro-guest rooms with ensuite private toilet and shower, climate control, secure storage, sound insulation, and digital amenities.

“By optimizing space, the Nano Hotel can offer nightly rates that are much lower than conventional hotels, yet provide substantially more privacy than a hostel. The model has been proven as a key viable alternative to a traditional hotel room, and the trend around the world is for this sector to continue to grow. These small rooms appeal to price-sensitive travellers who still expect high-tech amenities and quality design,” reads the application.

Concept of the “Nano Hotel” at 948 Howe St., Vancouver. (Unison Architecture)

The tower would dedicate 17 floors for sleeping units and three full floors for common amenity spaces, including a fitness gym on the entire second level, a lounge and meeting area on the 20th level, an indoor bar on the 21st level, and an outdoor rooftop bar (a “sky bar”) on the 22nd level.

LED lighting with ever-changing colours for the spaces fronting Howe Street would help bring a vibrant nightlife sense to Howe Street.

At ground level, the lobby would feature a lounge-style seating area, vending machines, and self-check-in facilities, offering a streamlined and convenient arrival experience.

Three underground levels would accommodate change rooms, bike storage, and back-of-house hotel operations. Given the site’s tight spatial constraints and the target demographic of the guests, no underground vehicle parking is proposed.

Concept of the “Nano Hotel” at 948 Howe St., Vancouver. (Unison Architecture)

As for the design’s unique engineering, the mass-timber floor plates would be structurally reinforced by two concrete cores — each containing an emergency exit staircase and some sleeping units. Three elevators would be located between these cores.

The project is designed by Unison Architecture, whose owners are also the property owner and developer of the project. The architectural firm’s office is located at the development site, on the second floor of 948 Howe St.

Public records show the property last changed hands in August 2024 in a deal worth $4.05 million. The application states the proponents have been able to secure financing from the Business Development Bank of Canada.

It is noted in the application that this proposal is made possible by the City’s 2025-enacted policies to catalyze new hotel developments, as well as the 2024 changes to the protected mountain view cones that strictly regulate building height.

Concept of the “Nano Hotel” at 948 Howe St., Vancouver. (Unison Architecture)

This hotel is primarily aimed at travellers aged 18 to 34, reflecting a notable gap in the city’s supply of high-quality, budget-friendly accommodations. While Vancouver has seen a much-needed surge in hotel proposals in recent years, most have followed conventional formats, offering mid-range to luxury rooms at correspondingly higher price points.

Vancouver now has some of the highest overnight hotel room rates in Canada’s urban centres, driven by strong demand from tourism growth and a lack of new additional supply, with actual supply falling below what the city had about 20 years ago. Stricter regulations that curb short-term rentals like Airbnb are also a factor, which has placed more pressure on the limited hotel room supply.

Without the introduction of more affordable options where feasible, Metro Vancouver risks limiting visitation to a narrower demographic.

“This demographic values central locations, digital connectivity, and social experiences over large rooms and unused square footage. These corporate and social travellers use public transit and love to experience dining and attractions,” reads the application.

Attached to the application are letters of support from the British Columbia Hotel Association, Destination British Columbia, and Destination Vancouver.

“We fully support the development of pod hotels to meet the demand for affordable, high-quality, and well-managed overnight accommodation. Furthermore, we support the need for a streamlined planning process to ensure development can take place quickly and cost-efficiently,” wrote Royce Chwin, the president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, in his letter of support.

“The proposed project at 948 Howe St. would bring new energy to the Granville Entertainment District while making efficient use of a compact urban footprint. It aligns with broader goals to add new hotel capacity, encourage innovation in hospitality, and welcome a broad range of visitors to our city.”

A few blocks to the east at 852-872 Seymour St., there is also a new proposal to build a slim 15-storey hotel tower, but it would be a boutique property with 151 traditional guest rooms. Its street frontage is also relatively narrow.

To the south on the Granville Strip, an application for 1105-1109 Granville St. (on Helmcken Street) calls for a 35-storey tower with 112 hotel guest rooms, restaurant/retail uses, and 176 secured purpose-built rental homes. Early this year, on the same city block, City Council approved an application for a 33-storey tower at 1167-1193 Granville St. (717 Davie St.) with 464 hotel guest rooms, restaurant uses, and meeting space.

To the northwest, immediately adjacent to Robson Square, the site of 807-815 Hornby St. — the northwest corner of the intersection of Robson Street and Hornby Street — is subject to an application for a redevelopment into a 35-storey, mixed-use tower, containing a hotel within the lower levels within restaurant uses and 160 guest rooms and 176 strata market ownership condominium homes within the upper levels.

Last month, City Council sent a proposed West End hotel tower near Stanley Park back to the drawing board.

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