Former Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Vancouver to be demolished

A former luxury hotel tower in downtown Vancouver is slated to be demolished.

The Four Seasons Hotel, located atop CF Pacific Centre mall at Howe and West Georgia streets, opened its doors in 1976, hosting many celebrities and artists during its 44 years in the downtown core.

The hotel closed in 2020 after the building’s owner, Cadillac Fairview, decided to undergo extensive renovations at the property.

Zeidler Architecture shared public renderings of what those renovations would look like, once the 372-room hotel was gutted – but those plans have been scrapped, and the owner has instead applied for a demolition permit from the city.

"There's no rule saying you have to follow through on plans, and I don't know the specifics as to why they made that decision,” said Peter Meiszner, city councillor. “But it was unfortunate when the hotel closed, because we can't afford to lose more hotel rooms in our city.”

The mall at the base of the tower is one of the highest grossing shopping centres per square foot in Canada.

“The next phase in CF Pacific Centre’s evolution is focused on the redevelopment of the former Nordstrom store as well as the replacement of the former 25-storey hotel structure with a new modern and efficient tower that will complement our world-class shopping centre and surrounding office complexes,” Cadillac Fairview said in a statement to CTV News.

The company’s applications states it is looking to demolish the building from the top floor down to the fifth floor.

The former Nordstrom building at Howe and Robson streets is also owned by Cadillac Fairview, and has sat empty since 2023, when the company exited the Canadian market.

According to Meizner, Cadillac Fairview has also requested a demolition permit for the inside of the former Nordstrom location. It’s unclear how the space might be used going forward.

"I've heard that Uniqlo is interested in being downtown Vancouver, I've heard that Simons is interested in being downtown Vancouver, I've heard that even Ikea and Walmart are interested in being in downtown Vancouver,” said Meizner.

As for what might replace the former Four Seasons, Cadillc Fairview isn’t sharing any specifics just yet.

“Cadillac Fairview’s plans for the new tower are aimed at bringing exciting uses to the centre, which would continue to include a hospitality offering,” it said.

"I'm expecting what will likely be a larger building on the site, with more hotel rooms. And that's fantastic from my perspective, given the hotel shortage that we have in our city,” Meizner said.

According to the city’s website, the demolition permit for the tower still under review.