Charleston Welcomes aloft
NEW YORK, NY, August 29, 2006. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) and its much-anticipated new select-service brand, aloft hotels, announced today it has signed a deal with LTD Management Company, Inc. and Sree Hotels, LLC to develop an aloft hotel in the historic coastal city of Charleston, South Carolina. Located minutes from Charleston International Airport and the city's Convention Center, the 140-room property will reflect aloft's innovative, stylish design and hip, urban attitude, making it a refreshing alternative in an otherwise stale travel segment.
Scheduled to open in 2008, the aloft Charleston Airport Hotel will be one of the first aloft hotels to open its doors. As a Vision of W Hotels, aloft Charleston will feature all of the unique industry firsts of the brand concept - its loft-like design incorporates exposed beams and structural steel, natural materials like cork and wood, and guestrooms with 9 foot ceilings and oversized windows to allow for more natural light. A combination high-tech office and entertainment center, each guest room features plug & play, a signature one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry (blackberries, cell phones, mp3players and laptops, etc.), all linked to a large flat panel HDTV ready television. Accompanying the signature centerpiece - the ultra comfortable "r&r" bed and custom-designed body and bath amenities designed by renowned retailer blissTM.
The aloft brand has been created to be both relaxing and inviting, day or night. The public spaces are designed to draw guests from their rooms to socialize or wind down after a long day: The relax communal lobby area and bar w xyz provide a comfortable environment to grab a drink with friends, read the paper, or get some work done via hotel-wide internet access. In the backyard, an open-air area, guests can socialize outdoors or attend aloft events. aloft also satisfies guest's needs 24-hrs-a-day with re:fuel, a one-stop food and beverage area offering sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab & go. The recharge fitness center and splash, the indoor or outdoor pool, provide the weary traveler with outlets to de-stress and re-energize. With business in mind, aloft properties also feature flexible meeting and function space.
"We have collaborated extensively with key development partners to refine and improve aloft's design and signature features. We have even fully built out an actual lobby and guestrooms to 'road test' our concepts. As a result, and for the benefit of the entire development community, we will be launching a third Generation product right out of the gate," said Brian McGuinness, vice president of development for aloft.
According to Paul Sacco, Vice President of Development North America for Starwood, the company is extremely excited about the enthusiastic response it has received since the brand's launch last summer. "We are receiving intense interest from industry development partners as well as qualified entrepreneurs and other entities interested in exploring the hotel business. Partners such as Dilip Desai with LTD Management Company, and Ravi Patel with SREE Hotels, reflect the quality of developer interest in aloft."
In yet another industry first, aloft has opened its doors in virtual reality, allowing guests to check in even before the first brick and mortar hotels break ground. Come September, aloft will become the world's first hotel brand to place a 3-D computer generated replica inside a virtual world when it debuts an aloft hotel inside the popular online game Second Life. Second Life, a virtual environment where players create digital alter egos and exchange virtual currency for digitally rendered goods and services, will allow its visitors a sneak peek at aloft's urban-inspired rooms and energetic lounge scene even while each new hotel is under development. Visitors using a companion weblog, www.virtualaloft.com will be able to view weekly progress and read diary updates detailing the hotel's weekly progress. The interactive platform will allow future guests a mouthpiece for providing valuable design and self-service feedback -- all prior to each property's launch. This is part of the brand's commitment to providing a user-friendly hotel alternative truly from each property's inception.
In addition to aloft Charleston Airport Hotel, aloft currently has three company-owned sites in various stages of development in Lexington, Mass., Philadelphia Airport and San Francisco Airport.
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