The demolition of Vancouver's 42-storey Empire Landmark Hotel is set to begin this month, but onlookers eager for a major implosion are likely to be disappointed.

The contractor in charge of levelling the former hotel and revolving restaurant, JMX Contracting, says it will be using "cutting-edge, European demolition technology" to keep the process quiet and relatively dust-free.

That means the building will come down floor-by-floor over the course of one year, instead of the hallmark boom and crash of some major demolitions.

The company says tearing down the building will be "the tallest demolition in the City of Vancouver's history."

Starting Friday, JMX Contracting will be handing out postcards to all residents within a two-block radius of the building to notify them of the process.

The company has scheduled an information session on Friday, March 9 at the Listel Hotel on Robson Street from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for anyone interested or concerned about how the building will come down.

The Empire Landmark Hotel closed after 44 years last September. It will be replaced with two new condominium towers.