35-storey hotel and rental housing tower proposed for Helmcken Street in Granville Entertainment District

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1105-1109-granville-street-helmcken-vancouver-hotel-bonnis-properties

Hyatt brand coming to Listel Hotel redevelopment on Robson Street

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/hyatt-unbound-collection-listel-hotel-vancouver-robson-redevelopment

New 33-storey hotel tower for Granville Entertainment District approved

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1167-1193-granville-street-davie-vancouver-hotel-deecorp-rezoning-approved

SkyTrain's Canada Line service disruption

(service disruption ends after 14 hours) https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/skytrain-canada-line-service-disruptions-january-14-2026 

For a rapid transit line that opened in 2009, on the surface, it sure wasn't designed to be an efficient high capacity line for the future. It's still just a 2 car joke of a train. Fortunately, most real cities around the world planned for not only 6 car trains, but even 8-10 car trains. 

Unfortunatly, Vancouver has been hit very hard with a multigenerational agenda of continually imposed small scale infrastructure. Vancouver has water on 3 sides, as its on a peninsula. Since the powers that be couldn't build a Boundary+Road moat or trench, the next best thing was to symbolically show the reluctance to build proper big city size infrastructure. This stunted approach to things is about symbolically holding the scale of the city back for as long as possible. 

Despite backwards Vancouver not being able to apply a castle-moat-and-drawbridge control system, the next best thing was to symbolically keep things smaller than what normal or proper big cities allow. 

Here are some of the best examples of holding the size of things back. The 3 lane joke that is the Lions+Gate+Bridge has never had a rapid transit rail tunnel and no express bus tunnel next to it. Especially, no 6 lane highway tunnel. It's a classic BC bottleneck-chokepoint, by design.

From a 3 lane joke of a bridge to a two car Canada+Line joke of a train. It met the symbolic requirement to be shorter than the LRT in Edmonton, the C Train in Calgary and the trains in Seattle and Portland. 

The+Post+building+complex could have been Vancouver's first 50 story office tower, it's not even 25 floors. It would be impressive if it were in Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops or Prince George. That's the unfortunate thing about Vancouver, so much is done to only be impressive to small cities or towns.  

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+small+Westin+Bayshore+Hotel+in+Vancouver

Things have been kept so small in Vancouver throughout its history, that any big city stuff might seem overwhelming. There has been an unofficial KEEP THEM OUT mentality, but since the city cant have checkpoints, building things small symbolically demonstrates the perpetual reluctance to not allow a big city in backwater BC. 

Since Vancouver can't control Burnaby and can't stop Surrey from eventually becoming the biggest city in BC, they are able to build things on a larger scale than Vancouver.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=YVR-Canada+Line

Vancouver has 29 hotel projects totalling 5,800 rooms in development plans

 https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/vancouver-has-29-hotel-projects-totalling-5800-rooms-in-development-pipeline-11714817

Perth New Year’s Eve Fireworks

 https://soperth.com.au/perthnews/perth-new-years-eve-fireworks-2025-2026-132795

https://www.perthnow.com.au/wa/iconic-raffles-hotel-promises-to-be-among-the-places-to-be-this-nye-for-a-great-fireworks-vantage-point-c-21094454 

https://visitperth.com/events/new-years-eve-in-the-city-2025 A nice hot summer in Perth is so much better than a cold, damp depressing winter in Vancouver, BC.

https://www.perth.wa.gov.au/news-and-updates/all-news/double-firework-spectacular-to-ring-in-2026 

The people of Perth and WA in general, are so fortunate that nothing like the Vancouver Mind Virus has ever been accepted there. 

https://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/schedule-fireworks-events

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Perth+and+Seattle

22-storey hotel tower proposed near future Mount Pleasant SkyTrain station

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/75-east-8th-avenue-vancouver-hotel-nicola

The small Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/westin-bayshore-vancouver-best-luxury-hotel  

https://vancouversbestplaces.com/vancouver-hotels/vancouver-westin-bayshore-hotel

Of course the Vancouver location wasn't allowed to be as big as the Westin in Seattle. Just like the Hotel+Vancouver wasn't designed to be as tall and especially as wide as the Royal+York+Hotel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Seattle "The hotel originally consisted of a single 40 story tower, today's south tower, reaching a height of 121 m (397 ft). The tower was topped out in January 1969 and the hotel opened on June 29, 1969." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_Seattle#History "The 137 m (449 ft), 47-story north tower opened in June 1982..." 

While Vancouver is only warm for half of the year, at best, the old Bayshore Inn wasn't allowed to be as big as anything in Waikiki. 

https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/council-approves-new-policy-address-vancouvers-hotel-room-shortage.pdf 

https://corporatemeetingsnetwork.ca/2025/05/01/tackling-vancouvers-hotel-shortage-crisis/

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/no-rooms-at-the-inns-knock-on-effects-of-vancouvers-hotel-shortage 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/vancouver-s-last-undeveloped-waterfront-site-could-house-convention-centre-hotel-according-to-city-memo/ar-AA1vO3Bz 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Westin_Seattle_from_Olive_8.jpg
Unlike Seattle, Vancouver no longer has its first 40 story hotel. Perhaps if the city had allowed a much taller condo tower, the hotel tower could have been saved. Or, a new double tower combination of a 55 story hotel and 65 story condo tower. Instead, the old landmark was replaced with 2 stumps that have less than 40 stories.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Empire_Hotel_Landmark.jpg/330px-Empire_Hotel_Landmark.jpg 

Other cities seemed to be more interested in cultivating their hotel and tourism industry. Even encouraging more hotel towers. However, Vancouver with its very strict (multigenerational) imposed height restrictions, kept falling behind.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/sep/27/wipe-out-era-1970s-vanish-vancouver 

After several decades of keeping Vancouver hotels short and small, now the city realized that there aren't enough hotel rooms for the tourism industry. 

https://globalnews.ca/video/11127278/biv-vancouver-needs-thousands-more-hotel-rooms

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-tourism-risk-hotel-development-construction-policies 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_Seattle Vancouver has yet to permit a big, bulky hotel like this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainier_Square_Tower While this isn't a hotel, its 60m taller than the tallest building in Vancouver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telus_Sky No hotel, just an office and residential tower. However, its about 22m taller than the tallest in Vancouver. 

The (unofficial) rule is that almost everything in Vancouver has to be scaled back or watered down in size.  

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=hotels  

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Hotel+Vancouver

44-storey hotel and rental housing tower planned near King George SkyTrain station

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/9699-9711-137-street-surrey-hotel-rental-housing

Vancouver's new Filipino Community and Cultural Centre project gains momentum

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/1950-main-street-vancouver-filipino-cultural-centre-hotel-tower-proposal

World Cup lodging shortfall predicted in Vancouver

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/airbnb-wants-str-rules-relaxed-for-upcoming-2026-fifa-world-cup-in-vancouver-1.7649128  

The proposed 27-storey hotel tower at the edge of Stanley Park is drawing pushback from West End residents over its scale https://vancouversun.com/news/proposed-west-end-tower-that-aims-to-fill-vancouvers-hotel-shortage Parking lots and almost delapadeted buildings should be selected first. This building still seems to be in reasonable shape. 

https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/vancouver-needs-10k-more-hotel-rooms-says-report-10508458

https://vancouversun.com/news/vancouver-major-hotel-policy-overhaul-room-shortage

https://www.destinationvancouver.com/media/media-releases/BC-hotel-association-provides-recommendations-to-spur-new-hotel-development 

Lots of people in some parts of the West_End end are still accustomed to stumpy buildings, despite the very high land costs. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Vancouver-stanley-park.jpg/960px-Vancouver-stanley-park.jpg Many other cities aren't afraid to build tall close to the water or parks.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Vancouver_west_end.jpg/960px-Vancouver_west_end.jpg People shouldn't be displace just becaus of a new development. An agreement should be reached so that they can still remain in the new structure. However, it's the height issue that usually keeps popping up. A lot of people that still remember Vancouver as a provincial backwater of a city want it to remain that way for as long as possible.

https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/2030-2038-barclay-st , https://stop2030barclay.ca 

https://henriquezpartners.com/projects/2030-barclay The height proposal is at lest a dozen floors too short, it should be about 20 stories taller.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/2030-barclay-street-vancouver-stanley-park-hotel-tower

https://storeys.com/marcon-barclay-street-vancouver-hotel The issue here is that a lot of people don't want a stump replaced with an atempt of a taller building. The people that live there should have the option to live in the new building. If the city and the developer could reach an agreement to allow the current residents to move into the lower floors of the tower. Then remain there at a reasonable rental rate for as long as they want. Then eventually after all the former residents have moved on or passed on, the lower floors could be repurposed into hotel rooms. If a developer in such a situation could agree to that, then the city should allow them to build 15-20 floors higher than 27 stories.

That gets back to the height restriction issue in Vancouver. Other cities have allowed tall buildings right up to the edge of a park. It seems that no one from Vancouver was able to ever stop Sydney. Rather, the Vancouver Mind Virus (VMV) never made it there to thwart big, bustling Sydney.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Sydney_CBD_on_a_sunny_day.jpg/960px-Sydney_CBD_on_a_sunny_day.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Global_Citizen_Festival_Central_Park_New_York_City Anything like the VMV would have thwartted NYC so badly. 

Of course it would have been great if there was future space south of the Hotel+Vancouver (with only 507 rooms) to build a 55-65 story tower. A VPL and Hotel+Vancouver tower could have been started there in the mid 1950s, but Vancouver was still too much of a provincial backwater then. The Fairmont_Royal_York is nice and wide with 1,363 rooms. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westin_St._Francis "...the St. Francis one of the largest hotels in the city, with more than 1,254 rooms and suites." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilton_San_Francisco_Union_Square "Renovated in 2017, it is the largest hotel on the West Coast,^[8] with 1,921 rooms."

Fortunately, Sydney, Melbourne, SF and Toronto were never under anything like a Vancouverization agenda. Somehow that backwards mentality was never adopted in most real cities.

https://bcbusiness.ca/industries/real-estate/land-values-how-the-hotel-shortage-in-vancouver-is-coinciding-with-a-boom-in-tourism The BC Mind Virus is so firmly entrenched that its still very difficult to properly upgrade things.

 https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=BC+hotel+shortage

Long-term plan to completely rebuild and expand Vancouver General Hospital

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-general-hospital-vgh-campus-redevelopment-preliminary-concept 

It's about time that backwards BC start building up a proper big city size medical center in watered-down Vancouver. Another proper big city medical complex should be built in Surrey. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy%27s_Hospital#Facilities

Houston, TX has been building theirs over the past several decades. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Medical_Center 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Medical_Center#Hospitals

https://www.tmc.edu/about-tmc  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Medical_Center#Cityscape_and_infrastructure 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Hermann_Memorial_City_Medical_Center#Facilities

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Complex_Goi%C3%A2nia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_hospitals 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurie_Children%27s_Hospital 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Medical_and_Dental_University#Campuses 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herlev_Hospital 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_hospital_campuses#Ranked_by_capacity  

Backwater BC has been under a multigenerational, KEEP THINGS SMALL OR INADEQUATE agenda for too damn long. The overbearing implemented symbolism is too much! An inept 3 lane Lions+Gate+Bridge and an absurd Canada+Line with only 2 car trains, are classic BC Mind Virus (BCMV) B$! Even the 4 lane Pattullo+Bridge+replacement is another example of the BCMV. Somehow, Vancouver & BC fell behind with having enough hotel rooms. Its as if the city & province just didn't think that adding hotels would actually help the local tourism business. The Greater Vancouver Region should have made it easier for more hotels to be built by cutting out so much red tape. 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=BC+hotels

Toronto Royal York Hotel vs. The Hotel Vancouver

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Royal_York 

When you live in stumpy Vancouver for several decades, its always amazing to see how much wider the buildings are allowed to be in other cities.

https://torontopics.me/2016/08/29/fairmont-royal-york-hotel

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Toronto_-_ON_-_Royal_York_Hotel.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Royal_York#Location "Opened on 11 June 1929, the Châteauesque-styled building is 124 metres (407 ft) tall, and contains 28 floors."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Royal_York#Design 1363 rooms

 https://www.thefairmontroyalyork.com , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmont_Hotels_%26_Resorts#Properties

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Vancouver 

"Opened in May 1939, the Châteauesque-styled building is considered one of Canada's grand railway hotels. The hotel stands 112.47-metre-tall (369.0 ft), and contains 17 floors."

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/The_Fairmont_Hotel_Vancouver_%2842914562450%29.jpg Had the entier block been reseverd for future hotel space, a 65 story tower could have eventually been built, beside the first phase. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Hotel_vanc_2007.jpg/960px-Hotel_vanc_2007.jpg However, some people might not have liked an extension of the HV to become the tallest building in the city again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Vancouver#Design

https://www.straight.com/living/experience-magic-of-autumn-at-fairmont-hotel-vancouver 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/CN_Tower_observation_level_2023d.jpg  Toronto like most real cities, is able to set aside enough space to go wider. Narrow-minded Vancouver just keeps going the other way by continually watering the scale of things down. 

The Hotel Vancouver could have been designed with future expansion in mind to its south. The Royal York had enough space to eventually add a wing to the east side of the building.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=BC+Hotels 

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Hotel+Vancouver

Landmark tower with condos and a major hotel proposed next to Robson Square

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/807-815-hornby-street-vancouver-robson-square-hotel-tower-reliance-properties

Construction starts on new Listel Hotel and rental housing tower on Robson Street

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/listel-hotel-vancouver-robson-street-redevelopment-construction

As a small-minded city, Vancouver just hasn't had the same interest or motivation to encourage or allow big & tall hotels to be built.

https://www.biv.com/news/real-estate/vancouver-needs-10k-more-hotel-rooms-says-report-10508458

Proper big cities that really want to capitalize on tourism will allow hotels with 1000, 2000 or even 4000 rooms.

https://vancouversun.com/news/vancouver-major-hotel-policy-overhaul-room-shortage

It's been very difficult for Vancouver to have a single tower hotel with at least 700 rooms.

https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2025/04/vancouver-needs-10000-new-hotel-rooms-by-2050-new-report-outlines-roadmap-for-growth-jobs-and-city-building/

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/04/09/vancouver-needs-10000-more-hotel-rooms-by-2050-tourism-organization-says/

https://storeys.com/vancouver-hotel-development-policy-changes/

https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/council-approves-new-policy-address-vancouvers-hotel-room-shortage.pdf

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=BC+hotel+shortage

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=hotel+rooms

Vancouver's forgotten streetcars and interurban trams

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/transportation-old/interurban-streetcar-hydrogen-rail-line-fraser-valley-bc-1942783

Fortunately, Toronto, NO, SF and Melbourne never got rid of all their streetcar and tram lines.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/downtown-vancouver-false-creek-streetcar-route-map

While backwards Vancouver wanted to be among the first cities to get rid of them, Vancouver will likely be one of the last cities to bring them back.

https://viewpointvancouver.ca/2021/04/06/a-bump-in-the-road-kits-points-hidden-streetcar-line/

Atlanta, SD, LA, Edmonton, Calgary, Seattle & Portland brought back some of their trollies in the form of modern LRT or tram-trains.

https://montecristomagazine.com/community/vancouvers-forgotten-streetcars

The sad irony is that Vancouver, Burnaby & NW really could have benefitted from following the Toronto, SF and Melbourne examples. 

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/history/last-ride-oak-streetcar-vancouver-1937040

https://www.facebook.com/groups/128486813979056/posts/1968090176685368

 https://maps.nicholsonroad.com/bcer/

https://humantransit.org/2010/02/vancouver-the-almost-perfect-grid.html

There used too be a streetcar route along Robson St., Denman St. & Davie St. A revived version of this could provide a nice downtown transit loop. However, that would go against the backwards mentality of Vancouver. Fortunately, the Vancouver mentality never made it to Atlanta & Dallas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Streetcar#Downtown_Loop_route_funded

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Streetcar

Unfortunatly, Vancouver & BC are all about congestive planning.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/2026-fifa-world-cup-vancouver-1.7559067

With less than a year to go, its impossible to revive any streetcar lines, because that can take 5-10 years. There isn't even a network of regional bus bridges. Such inept transportation planning means that busses have to squeeze onto bridges that are mostly just 2 lanes each way. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-rising-costs-fifa-2026-world-cup-1.7573669

Despite the first SkyTrain line opening in 1985, it took until 2025 to start having5 car trains. The 2nd & 3rd lines are still only running 2 car trains.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/vancouver-short-on-hotel-rooms-silent-on-safety-costs-for-2026-world-cup/

Of course the city is decades behind in keeping up with having enough hotel rooms.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-hotel-shortage-2026-world-cup-1.7117696

https://vancouverfwc26.ca 

https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/vancouver-host-seven-matches-canada-stadium-bc-place

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Trams-Trains+and+Streetcars

New Tall W Hotel And Tall JW Marriott In Calgary

 https://storeys.com/truman-w-calgary-jw-marriott-hotels/

While its great for Calgary, Vancouver needs some tall hotels as well.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=hotels

Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver is being Rebranded as Hyatt

 https://storeys.com/shangri-la-vancouver-brookfield-westbank-peterson-hyatt

Still, the only 200 m building allowed in restrictive Vancouver. However, Vancouver can't stop Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey from growing taller.

Shangri-La to rebrand as Park Hyatt Vancouver Hotel after renovations

 https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/park-hyatt-vancouver-hotel-shangri-la-renovations

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/shangri-la-downtown-vancouver-hyatt

Metro Vancouver beaches with E.coli advisories

 https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/interactive-map-vancouver-beaches-e-coli-advisories-2024-9130797

Despite Vancouver being cold, depressing & damp for half of the year, the urban beaches should be in better shape. Plus, there should be a lot more hotel rooms in the metropolitan region.

Fortunately, other urban beaches around the world realize that it hurts their tourism business if they have crappy beaches.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfers_Paradise,_Queensland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfers_Paradise,_Queensland#Sport_and_recreation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfers_Paradise,_Queensland#Transport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Beach,_Florida

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_Isles_Beach,_Florida

https://www.miamiandbeaches.com/things-to-do/beaches

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waik%C4%ABk%C4%AB

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheraton_Waikiki_Hotel This hotel isn't 64 stories, it only has 32, but it has over 1600 rooms. Vancouver has been very reluctant to have wide buildings like this.

Number of rooms	1636
Number of suites	131
Number of restaurants	2

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Sheraton_Waikiki_from_Waikiki_Beach.jpg In Vancouver, its tough enough just to have a hotel with 700 rooms.

https://www.cntraveler.com/hotels/united-states/honolulu/hyatt-regency-waikiki-resort---spa Over 1200 rooms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_Seattle 1260 rooms.

It's been very difficult for Vancouver to think, plan & build on a big scale. Especially, with some of the most restrictive building limits around.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_Regency_Vancouver 650 rooms. Despite not being close to a beach, there should have been a provision to have a 2nd tower next to the Hyatt_Regency_Vancouver. Or, enough space to double the width of the existing building. Or, add about 20 floors to the single hotel tower. If the Royal_Centre complex was always going to just consist of 2 towers, then the office tower & the hotel tower should have been designed to eventually add another 20 stories. Not a problem for Seattle or Calgary, because they are allowed to be proper big cities.

https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-hotels/en-US/yvrph-hyatt-vancouver-downtown-alberni Only about a quarter of Vancouver's tallest building is a hotel.

Cleaner beaches and more support for tourism would be of great benefit to Vancouver & BC. Especially, for taller & wider hotels, but that's what a big city would do. Vancouver is still a small-minded city that occasionally likes to pretend that its grown up.

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=Metro+Vancouver+beaches

https://jfdatalinks.blogspot.com/search?q=hotel+rooms