TRAVELLERS who are curious about cruising but are not ready to commit to a multi-day journey may be able to get a taste of the cruise ship life, without ever leaving the dock.
A six-storey, 250-key floating hotel has been proposed by Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (VHFC) for the Canadian city’s Coal Harbour, in a bid to offer a much-needed boost to the region’s hotel room supply.
A letter of intent penned by VHFC chairman Graham Clarke said the ‘floatel’ (render pictured) would “operate like a normal building on land, with no discharge to the water”.
If approved, the project would include a publicly accessible hotel-bar, shops, a restaurant and a viewing area, as well as one-storey buildings for a cafe and spa.
According to the 2025 development application, the floatel could be operational by 2027 “if approvals are achieved expeditiously”.
Due to the “unusual nature” of the project – which has already attracted critics – a public hearing is scheduled to take place next week.