The City of Vancouver has received an application to rezone a downtown property to allow for the development of what would be a first in terms of a hotel design concept in the city—a 22-storey “pod hotel” containing 408 sleeping units.

Unison Architecture Ltd. and developer 1517856 B.C. Ltd. want to build the hotel—out of a combination of concrete, steel and mass timber—on a narrow 25-foot-wide lot at 948 Howe St.

“This project is targeted at budget-conscious urban travellers, especially 18- to 34-year-olds,” according to the development team’s application booklet, which doesn’t include potential room rates. “This demographic values central locations, digital connectivity and social experiences over large rooms and unused square footage.”

The booklet described the hotel, which would be located across the street from the Law Courts, as a “high density lodging concept” that combines “nano pods” and “nano rooms.”

Each nano pod would provide a private sleeping capsule of roughly 33 square feet. The pod would have a standard door, integrated lighting, ventilation and a secure lock.

The bed would recline and allow for more room at the entrance, as well as provide storage for luggage under the bed. Pod guests would share “elegantly designed washrooms and showers” on each floor, the booklet said.

‘Sky bar’

Each nano room would be a fully enclosed space of roughly 105 square feet, with climate control, secure storage, sound isolation and digital amenities. Combined, the pods and rooms allow the hotel to offer 408 units.

Guests would enter from Howe Street with the concierge using an app-based self check-in and check-out. No guest parking is included in the design, with the proponents encouraging guests to use transit.

The proposal includes a “sky reception area,” offering guests elevated views of the city. The “sky bar” would be open to the public, according to the development team.

“The objective of the proposal is to introduce a new form of commercial accommodation in the downtown core, incorporating creative and innovative ideas to transform an otherwise underutilized orphaned site,” the booklet said.

Hotel shortage

The concept is not new, with Whistler and Richmond offering pod hotels. The form of accommodation is also popular in other countries, including parts of the United States, Asia and Europe.

The application comes after Vancouver city councillors Sarah Kirby-Yung and Lisa Dominato successfully moved a motion in May 2024 to encourage the development of pod hotels as a way to address the hotel shortage.

Council adopted a hotel policy in 2025, with the goal to facilitate the creation of approximately 10,000 new hotel rooms in Vancouver by 2050 to support the city’s tourism economy and broader economic sectors such as film, tech and life sciences.

‘Compact urban footprint’

Industry leaders, including Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, wrote letters of support for the Howe Street project and the need to accelerate required approvals to add more pod hotels.

“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,” Chwin said of the 25-foot by 120-foot lot.

“It aligns with broader goals to add new hotel capacity, encourage innovation in hospitality and welcome a broad range of visitors to our city.”

In 2022, Destination Vancouver estimated that Vancouver needs an additional 10,000 hotel rooms between 2023 and 2050. The development team said high room rates downtown are driven by the shortage of hotels rooms coupled with a luxury-heavy hotel mix.

“As a result, affordable hotel options in the downtown core are extremely limited,” said the team, whose goal is to get its hotel open by late 2028, or early 2029.

The public can weigh in on the proposal via the city’s website, with the question-and-answer period to close Tuesday, May 19.

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