STAMFORD, CONN.—Aloft, the design-led brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts, expects to bring the brand to 70 hotels around the world in 2013.
Initiatives in music, design and technology have positioned Aloft as a brand for Gen Y travelers. Aloft has reported consistently high guest satisfaction scores since launch, reflecting the success of the concept. The brand’s social guest experience, with the re:mix lounge and wxyz bar, has earned select hotels within the portfolio designations in TripAdvisor's 2012 "Top 25 Trendiest Hotels in the U.S." rankings.
Conversions and adaptive reuse projects will help Aloft meet demand from partners and developers to bring more properties online, according to Simon Turner, Starwood’s President of Global Development. “Adaptive reuse projects aren’t just an expedient way to bring more Aloft properties online quickly; they’re also a way to expand sustainably, and merge Aloft’s urban aesthetic with historic structures in a way that appeals to guests, partners, and developers,” he said.
Aloft's first conversion project, Aloft San Francisco Airport, was once a Clarion. It will undergo significant renovation before opening as an Aloft in fall of 2012. A new adaptive reuse project, Aloft Detroit Downtown, is slated to open July 2014; it will transform part of Detroit’s majestic David Whitney Building into a singular Aloft property. Aloft’s first adaptive-reuse project, Aloft Dallas Downtown, won acclaim and awards after its 2009 debut, including a special “Green” award from Preservation Dallas.