{"id":548652,"date":"2026-03-20T08:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T08:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/548652\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T08:50:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T08:50:18","slug":"new-hotel-tower-proposed-for-former-vancouver-veterans-hall-and-gay-nightclub-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/548652\/","title":{"rendered":"New hotel tower proposed for former Vancouver veterans hall and gay nightclub site"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Another sizeable new hotel is being planned for a Seymour Street site immediately east of the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Vancouver.<\/p>\n<p>The project would redevelop 852-872 Seymour St., the site of the former Great War Veterans\u2019 Association Hall \u2014 a two-storey structure built in 1926 that holds notable heritage value.<\/p>\n<p>Local developer Bene Group, in collaboration with Arno Matis Architecture, plans to preserve and restore the building\u2019s historic facade as part of its new 162-ft-tall, 15-storey boutique hotel.<\/p>\n<p>The site sits just south of Paul Y. Construction (B.C.) Ltd.\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyhive.com\/vancouver\/848-850-seymour-street-vancouver-marriott-moxy-elements-hotel-construction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">30-storey Marriott-branded hotel tower at 840-850 Seymour St., which began construction in Spring 2025<\/a> and is expected to reach completion and open in 2028.<\/p>\n<p>According to the new rezoning application for 852-872 Seymour St., the project will include 151 hotel guest rooms and a 2,500 sq. ft. restaurant\/bar at street level.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"751\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254312\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-24.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254312\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Site of 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"748\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254294\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-16.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254294\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"460\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254292\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-18.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254292\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Site of 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"572\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254313\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-23.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254313\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Site of 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"652\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254288\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-22.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254288\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"1168\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254304\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-6.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254304\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p>The development team acknowledges the cultural and historical significance of the existing building, which has deep connections to both Canadian Armed Forces veterans and Vancouver\u2019s LGBTQ community.<\/p>\n<p>After its use by veterans ended in 1976, the building became home to the Playpen Central gay nightclub. Over time, the space also operated under the names Central Studios, Thunderbird Club, and Hollywood North.<\/p>\n<p>The proposal includes restoring architectural features that were removed from the original 100-year-old facade, reflecting its classical interwar design. As a tribute to the site\u2019s legacy as an LGBTQ gathering place, the new street-level portion \u2014 adjacent to the heritage facade \u2014 will incorporate \u201cHollywood North\u201d signage, which will serve as the branding for the hotel\u2019s restaurant\/bar.<\/p>\n<p>The contemporary tower rising above the heritage base is designed to echo the original building\u2019s proportions through a stepped facade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe proposed architectural addition is both simple and contemporary while still responding to the original building\u2019s proportions. Concrete floor slabs get progressively thinner, and lighter \u2014 representing the progression of time, forward with levity to a more progressive society,\u201d reads the architect\u2019s design rationale.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1272\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254299\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-11.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254299\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1626\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254297\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-13.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254297\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"816\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254302\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-8.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"806\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254303\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-7.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p>The tower\u2019s south facade will feature privacy glass to limit direct views into the adjacent residential tower. It will also incorporate a climbing vine green wall to further enhance privacy.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, this south facade will include a small atrium between the second and fourth floors, creating a \u201cdouble facade\u201d and allowing natural light to reach the interior, while also functioning as a heritage courtyard amenity space for guests. A landscaped outdoor amenity area is planned for the base podium rooftop on the fifth level along the south side, along with another landscaped amenity space at the tower\u2019s rooftop.<\/p>\n<p>Due to the site\u2019s narrow width, underground parking presents a design challenge. As a result, the hotel will include just two underground parking levels with a total of 18 vehicle stalls, accessed via two car elevators from the laneway. An additional underground service level will house a fitness gym, back-of-house operations, storage, and bike parking.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"794\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254295\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-15.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254295\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"399\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254296\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-14.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254296\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"1240\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254309\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-1.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254309\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"637\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254308\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-2.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254308\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"1248\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254307\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-3.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254307\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"1253\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254306\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-4.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254306\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1854\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254305\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-5.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p>In total, the building will span over 76,000 sq. ft., resulting in a floor area ratio of 10.2 times larger than the size of the 7,500 sq. ft. site.<\/p>\n<p>The project is driven by sustained demand for more hotel room capacity in Vancouver, given the growing shortage of rooms, along with the recent improved financial and economic viability of building hotel projects due to the municipal government\u2019s new policies.<\/p>\n<p>As for the <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyhive.com\/vancouver\/848-850-seymour-street-vancouver-marriott-moxy-elements-hotel-construction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">adjacent Marriott hotel tower under construction just to the north<\/a>, it will have 390 guest rooms, with the majority being under the Moxy Hotels brand, which primarily caters to traditional short-term stays, and the remaining rooms under the Element by Westin brand, which is oriented around long-term stays. There will also be restaurant\/bar in the lower levels and a sky lobby lounge on the 29th floor with indoor space that includes a restaurant as well as an open-air outdoor space.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"735\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254300\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-10.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254300\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"758\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254298\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-12.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254298\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1318\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254291\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-19.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254291\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"672\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254290\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-20.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254290\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"852-872 Seymour Street Vancouver hotel\" title=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1100\" height=\"752\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2254301\" style=\"color:transparent\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/852-872-Seymour-Street-Vancouver-hotel-9.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2254301\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture\/Bene Group)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Another sizeable new hotel is being planned for a Seymour Street site immediately east of the Orpheum Theatre&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":548653,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194298],"tags":[49,48,55],"class_list":["post-548652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-vancouver","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-vancouver"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/548653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=548652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=548652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}