Newly opened hotel in Vancouver Chinatown wears its heart on the wall | Daily Hive

Newly opened hotel in Vancouver Chinatown wears its giant heart on the wall

"Humanity Heals" heart mural at Keefer House hotel in Vancouver Chinatown. (Keefer House)

Vancouver’s newest hotel is located in the historic Chinatown district, just east of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and north of the Chinatown Plaza and parkade.

This week, Keefer House hotel officially opened within the brand-new 10-storey building at 123 Keefer St., providing 58 guest suites under a fully furnished designer boutique apartment hotel concept.

Unlike a traditional short-term stay hotel, guests use a digital key system for check-in, check-out, and guest services. There is no front desk, but guests can still easily access concierge-level support through digital tools.

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This is not a property only for tourists. The size of the units and the range of in-suite amenities — such as a full kitchen and in-suite laundry — also make this hotel property optimal for long-term stays, including for visiting medical professionals, researchers, and families of patients at the nearby future St. Paul’s Hospital campus. The interior design also features custom art by Canadian collective Opposite Wall, styled in warm wood tones and modern neutrals. Guests also have access to a fitness gym.

Keefer House hotel, Vancouver Chinatown. (Keefer House)

Keefer House’s premium accommodations are the Terrace Apartments — luxurious suites on the building’s rooftop that feature expansive private outdoor spaces and additional thoughtful furnishings that provide a cultural nod to Chinatown.

“Keefer House isn’t just a place to stay — it’s how people want to travel now,” said Javier Cepeda, managing partner of Kalido Hospitality Group, in a statement.

“Guests want connection, flexibility, and authenticity, and Keefer House delivers all three through thoughtful design, technology, and community partnerships.”

Keefer House hotel, Vancouver Chinatown. (Keefer House)

Although the hotel is contained within a building with a very narrow streetfront, it is also visually distinguished by its massive mural on the building’s west facade — a new five-storey-tall public art installation by artist Rory Doyle.

The mural, called “Humanity Heals,” features a cluster of people that together form the shape of a heart, as an expression of “love, resilience, and shared humanity.” The public art installation is a partnership between the hotel and Dr. Peter Centre, which provides care for people living with HIV and complex health and social needs.

“This mural is about connection and the idea that healing doesn’t happen in isolation. We’re all held by community, by compassion,” said Doyle.

keefer house hotel vancouver chinatown humanity heals heart mural

“Humanity Heals” heart mural at Keefer House hotel in Vancouver Chinatown. (Keefer House)

This is Kalido’s second hotel property in Vancouver, following the late 2024 opening of their Smithe House hotel in Yaletown, which has a similar boutique apartment hotel concept and is accessed using digital tools.

Keefer House hotel is situated immediately east of Beedie Group’s 570 Columbia St. (formerly addressed as 105 Keefer St.) vacant site, where the developer is seeking to achieve a newly revised concept of building a nine-storey building with 111 strata market ownership condominium homes, 5,600 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space, and a 1,100 sq. ft. social services centre. The design has also changed considerably, particularly with the inclusion of a publicly accessible atrium and courtyard inside the building.

The City’s development permit board is in the process of considering the revised 570 Columbia St. proposal. A decision is anticipated before the end of 2025.

If built, the 570 Columbia St. project will fully conceal Keefer House’s heart mural.

Both Keefer House and the 570 Columbia St. project will provide the Chinatown district with some much-needed additional activity to improve the area’s vitality.

105 keefer street 570 columbia street vancouver chinatown beedie james cheng architects 2025

2025 concept of 570 Columbia St. (105 Keefer St.) in Vancouver’s Chinatown. (James Cheng Architects/Beedie Group)

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