Vacant new office space to be turned into a hotel in downtown Vancouver

Vacant new office space to be converted into a hotel in downtown Vancouver

The Smithe at 225 Smithe Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The Smithe, a mixed-use tower at the northwest corner of the intersection of Smithe and Cambie streets in downtown Vancouver, reached completion two years ago.

But its office space component within the base podium levels has been sitting vacant and unleased ever since.

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With no end in sight to the pandemic-induced weakened demand for office space, a new development permit application calls for the conversion of the office space into a small hotel.

Over 30,000 sq ft of office space in levels three to five will be converted into about 36 hotel suites, with the main entrance located on Smithe Street — using what is currently the office lobby.

The Smithe at 225 Smithe Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Given the small hotel size, this will be a digital hotel, with all access points for the main entrance, elevator, and hotel room doors accessed by the Operto Guest Technology smartphone app.

Laundry services will be provided off-site by a third party, but each suite will have a closet for additional linens.

It will be called Otto’s House, with Kalido Hospitality and Qwid Hospitality noted as the operators.

The 2021-built, 26-storey tower at 225 Cambie Street is visually distinct by its expansive colourful ceiling mural hovering over the building’s condominium outdoor amenity space, situated on the rooftop of the base podium. There are about 100 condominium homes above the base podium.

The small retail/restaurant space on the ground level at the building’s corner of the intersection was recently leased, but the operator is not known at this time.

The Smithe at 225 Smithe Street, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

viewpoint ben reeves the smithe 885 cambie street vancouver

“Viewpoint” by Ben Reeves at The Smithe tower at 885 Cambie Street, Vancouver. (Boffo Developments)

The tower was designed by GBL Architects, and built by Boffo Developments.

While there is weakened demand for office space, there is a growing immense shortage of hotel rooms in downtown Vancouver and the Metro Vancouver region overall, with Destination Vancouver forecasting demand will exceed capacity during the peak season starting in the middle of this decade. It is anticipated 20,000 additional hotel rooms are needed in the region over the coming decades, including 10,000 within Vancouver.

“Viewpoint” by Ben Reeves at The Smithe tower at 885 Cambie Street, Vancouver. (Boffo Developments)

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