The building at 340 Cambie street has had many names over the years. Its life started in 1898 as the
Commercial Hotel, when this corner of the city was a magnet for the riches of the
Klondike Gold Rush. In the 1970s it was transformed into the
El Cid, boasting crushed velvet wallpaper and heart-shaped waterbeds. Today it has a heritage designation due to some of its
Richardsonian Romanesque architectural features, although it's a run-down
SRO hotel. Sandwiched in between the hotel and the massive Flack Block is Vancouver’s smallest building, known only as
Rose Brothers Barbers, after one of its tenants over its 125-year-old life.
(Photo courtesy City of Vancouver).