New hotel tower proposed for former Vancouver veterans hall and gay nightclub site | Daily Hive

New 15-storey hotel tower proposed for former veterans hall and gay nightclub site in downtown Vancouver

Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Bene Group)

Another sizeable new hotel is being planned for a Seymour Street site immediately east of the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Vancouver.

The project would redevelop 852-872 Seymour St., the site of the former Great War Veterans’ Association Hall — a two-storey structure built in 1926 that holds notable heritage value.

Local developer Bene Group, in collaboration with Arno Matis Architecture, plans to preserve and restore the building’s historic facade as part of its new 162-foot-tall, 15-storey boutique hotel.

You might also like:

The site sits just south of Paul Y. Construction (B.C.) Ltd.’s 30-storey Marriott-branded hotel tower at 840-850 Seymour St., which began construction in Spring 2025 and is expected to reach completion and open in 2028.

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.

Site of 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Bene Group)

Site of 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Bene Group)

Site of 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Bene Group)

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’s LGBTQ community.

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.

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’s legacy as an LGBTQ gathering place, the new street-level portion — adjacent to the heritage facade — will incorporate “Hollywood North” signage, which will serve as the branding for the hotel’s restaurant/bar.

The contemporary tower rising above the heritage base is designed to echo the original building’s proportions through a stepped facade.

“The proposed architectural addition is both simple and contemporary while still responding to the original building’s proportions. Concrete floor slabs get progressively thinner, and lighter — representing the progression of time, forward with levity to a more progressive society,” reads the architect’s design rationale.

Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Bene Group)

The tower’s 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.

Additionally, this south facade will include a small atrium between the second and fourth floors, creating a “double facade” 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’s rooftop.

Due to the site’s 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.

Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Bene Group)

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.

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’s new policies.

As for the adjacent Marriott hotel tower under construction just to the north, 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 a 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.

Concept of the hotel at 852-872 Seymour St., Vancouver. (Arno Matis Architecture/Bene Group)

You might also like: