100% hotel conversion for office tower near Vancouver Convention Centre | Daily Hive

100% boutique hotel conversion for office tower near Vancouver Convention Centre Centre

Artistic rendering of the existing office building at 1111 West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver, renovated into Le Germain Hotel Vancouver. (Germain Hotels/Reliance Properties)

A prominent office tower in the Coal Harbour neighbourhood, near the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building and Jack Poole Plaza, is set to be transformed into a major new hotel operated under the Germain Hotels chain.

Local developer Reliance Properties announced today it will convert its 12-storey office tower at 1111 West Hastings St. — located at the southwest corner of the intersection of West Cordova Street and Thurlow Street — into the Le Germain Hotel Vancouver.

Germain Hotels is a Canadian chain that first began in Quebec nearly four decades ago. This will be the company’s 22nd hotel property across 12 Canadian cities, its ninth hotel under the boutique Le Germain Hotel brand, and its first hotel location in British Columbia.

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“Expanding into Vancouver is a major milestone for our company,” said Hugo Germain, vice president of operations at Germain Hotels, in a statement.

“As a family-owned Canadian business, we are deeply committed to creating meaningful projects that leave a lasting impact. Vancouver is a dynamic city with a bright future, and we are thrilled to invest here in partnership with Reliance Properties, a company that shares our values and passion for excellence. Together, we will bring to life an address that exemplifies our vision for refined hospitality and iconic design.”

1111 west hastings street le germain hotel vancouver

Site of the office building at 1111 West Hastings St. in downtown Vancouver, location of the future Le Germain Hotel Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Existing condition of the office building at 1111 West Hastings St. in downtown Vancouver, the future site of Le Germain Hotel Vancouver. (Google Maps)

The 1966-built tower, visually distinct for its bold black grid-like exterior, currently has about 96,000 sq. ft. of leasable office space, which will be converted into 180 guest rooms.

Artistic renderings also show there will be a major restaurant destination within what is currently the office lobby, with the existing outdoor terrace converted into a restaurant patio.

This conversion comes amid a persistently weak office market driven by the rise of hybrid and remote work. According to commercial real estate firm CBRE, as of the end of 2024, downtown Vancouver’s office vacancy rate averaged 11.5 per cent across all property types, with even higher vacancies in older office spaces lacking modern amenities and features — vacancies of 15.6 per cent for Class B and 13.1 per cent for Class C properties.

The higher vacancies for older properties are due to not only semi-remote work but also the recent completion of new, more attractive office properties.

There is also currently an increasing, significant shortage of hotel rooms in Metro Vancouver, especially in Vancouver, where demand is highest.

Destination Vancouver’s March 2023 report on hotel capacity found that Metro Vancouver is in need of 20,000 additional hotel rooms, including 10,000 more rooms within the city of Vancouver and another 10,000 elsewhere in the region. These figures were created before the provincial government’s new short-term rental regulations, curbing Airbnb and Vrbo listings, and effectively increasing hotel demand even further.

A shortage of rooms combined with high demand is driving up hotel rates, potentially deterring budget travellers and increasingly impacting Vancouver’s competitive ability to attract conferences and events.

Existing condition:

Existing condition of the office building at 1111 West Hastings St. in downtown Vancouver, the future site of Le Germain Hotel Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Artistic rendering of the existing office building at 1111 West Hastings St. in downtown Vancouver, renovated into Le Germain Hotel Vancouver. (Germain Hotels/Reliance Properties)

This is a highly strategic location for the hotel — located just footsteps from the Coal Harbour seawall, Jack Poole Plaza, convention centre, Canada Place cruise ship terminal, major public transit services, and restaurants and retail. As well, many of the guest rooms will feature views of the harbour and mountains.

Montreal-based LemayMichaud Architecture Design will design the office tower’s overhaul and renovation. Le Germain Hotel Vancouver will open in 2029.

“We are proud to collaborate with Germain Hotels on this transformative project,” said Jon Stovell, President and CEO of Reliance Properties.

“This hotel will not only bring a new level of boutique hospitality to Vancouver but will also play a key role in shaping the city’s urban landscape and help to address Vancouver’s critical shortage of hotel rooms. Both of our families are deeply rooted in the Canadian business community, and this project reflects our mutual commitment to building a strong and prosperous future for Vancouver.”

The 59-year-old office building is valued at $49.93 million — including $49.4 million for the land and $560,000 for the structure — according to B.C. Assessment, as of July 2024.

When open, this will be the fourth hotel property in the immediate area, with the 442-room Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront and the 220-room Coast Coal Harbour Vancouver Hotel immediately to the east, the 438-room Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel immediately to the south, and the 377-room Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel just to the east.

There is also a proposal to build a permanent floating hotel next to the convention centre’s West Building, featuring 250 rooms, restaurants, bars, a spa, and other amenities.

Concept for a floating hotel at the Vancouver Convention Centre. (Sunborn International Holding)

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