Starwood has signed an agreement with Beijing Yongtai Hotel Management Co., Ltd to develop an aloft hotel in the China’s capital city.  The 200-room hotel will offer visitors a refreshing alternative to current lodging options when it opens in 2009.

As a Vision of W(R) Hotels, the aloft brand was formally launched in Asia Pacific at the Hotel Investment Conference (HICAP) in Hong Kong in late 2006, and is shaking up the lodging industry with urban-influenced design, accessible technology, style and a social atmosphere. aloft offers a total sensory experience, with guestrooms featuring loft-like nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows to create a bright, airy environment. The centerpiece of the aloft room is the ultra-comfortable signature bed, and large stylish bathrooms that complement the guest experience with oversized walk-in showers and amenities created by bliss spa(R). Each guestroom is also a combination high-tech office and entertainment center, featuring wireless internet access and plug & play, a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry such as PDAs, cell phones, mp3 players and laptops - all linked to a large flat panel HDTV ready television for optimal sound and viewing.

“Our mission with aloft is to bring style, convenience and a social environment to an otherwise tired, lonely experience, all at a great price,” said Ross Klein, President, W Hotels Worldwide and the aloft brand. “We have worked closely with key developers and guests across Asia Pacific to customize our prototype and signature features specifically for this market, to create an efficient product that guests will love. We are excited to be introducing aloft to Beijing and are looking forward to introducing more aloft hotels to other cities in the Asia Pacific region.”

aloft Beijing, Haidian will be part of an integrated mixed-use complex, including offices, residential buildings and the recently signed Four Points by Sheraton(R) Beijing, Haidian. The hotel will be located in Haidian district, near the Western fourth ring road of Beijing. The Haidan district is a newly developed area within 20 minutes’ drive to the Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park, a major information technology hub in Beijing, as well as the Haidian government district and major universities and research institutes.

The aloft hotel will stay true to its W heritage, offering atmospheric public spaces designed to draw guests from their rooms to socialize and make friends. Guests can read the paper, work on their laptops via hotel-wide wireless internet access, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at the re:mix communal lobby area and bar w xyz. The re:charge fitness center and splash, the indoor pool, give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize. The aloft Beijing, Haidan will include 200 guestrooms, 3,900 square feet of meeting space, and three restaurants including re:fuel by aloft, a one-stop food and beverage area, offering sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab & go, 24-hours a day.

Recognizing the great potential China has to offer to both inbound and outbound travelers, Starwood(R) has expanded its footprint in China aggressively in the past 24 months. The hotel giant now operates 31 hotels in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau, with 28 others currently under construction, and is the one of the largest international upscale hotel operators in China. With the signing of aloft Beijing, Haidian, Starwood demonstrates its global capabilities to be product and location centric, and will offer travelers a choice of six hotels in the exciting capital city of Beijing:

      * aloft Beijing, Haidian ( July 2009 )
      * Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian ( July 2009 )
      * The Westin Beijing, Chaoyang ( June 2008 )
      * The Westin Beijing, Financial Street ( opened in late 2006 )
      * Great Wall Sheraton Hotel, Beijing
      * St. Regis Hotel, Beijing
 
The company has received overwhelming interest from the hotel development community in Asia Pacific since its launch at HICAP in Hong Kong late last year. The first aloft hotels are targeted to open in first quarter, 2008, with locations expected to be anytown/anywhere…

For more information on aloft, please visit www.alofthotels.com .
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