ancouver meet the Ritz-Carlton. You two are going to hit it off so well. Mere months after it was announced that the world’s most luxurious hotel chain would be gracing Toronto with a building, the company has decided that Vancouver will get a Ritz-Carlton location as well. Canada has quickly gone from Ritz-light to a cross-country Ritz-heavy.

With an opening date of 2011, top Canadian design film Yabu Pushelberg has been entrusted with the task of designing the building and their plan is every bit as ambitious as this prestigious chain deserves. The company has already designed major hotel and commercial properties throughout the world (including the new Wall Street Tiffany location in New York) and they are going to pull out all the stops for this new location.

The plan is for the Ritz to occupy the first 20 floors of the new twisting 60-storey tower on 1133 West Georgia (designed by Arthur Erickson). With a budget of over $500 million to play with, the firm is sure to produce one of the most beautiful and impressive hotels in the country.

Yabu Pushelberg recently designed the uber-chic 77-room Hazelton Hotel in Toronto, which industry insiders believe will become the city’s first five-diamond rated property. The company’s co-founder Glenn Pushelberg recently stated that he felt that Toronto had no glamorous hotels and wanted to rectify the situation with the Hazelton. Now he plans to bestow a similar gift to Vancouver. The odd design of the building has meant that all of the rooms in the hotel will be different. Pushelberg views this as an exciting layout challenge and hopes to create a hotel that offers guests a completely unique experience in every room.

No specific designs or conceptual drawings have been made public yet, but with the creative and financial combination of Yabu Pushelberg and The Ritz Carleton, Vancouverites can expect something special. This is sure to be the type of hotel that guests will refuse to leave. Armed guards will have to pry them from their rooms at gunpoint, Elian Gonzalez-style. Ok…that’s probably taking it too far. Exaggerations aside, Canada is fast becoming a major player in luxurious properties. It’s a good time to be rich in Canada.