Starwood and its new lifestyle brand, aloft hotels, announced the groundbreaking of aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center.The 136 room aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center is a joint venture between SREE Hotels, L.L.C. and LTD Management Company, Inc. The hotel will be located at the Intersection of International and Tanger Parkway and will be the aloft brand’s first property in South Carolina. aloft Charleston will be just minutes from Charleston International Airport and the city’s Convention Center, offering business and leisure travelers easy access to downtown Charleston and its nearby local attractions.

“Charleston is a city full of firsts - the first public college in America, the first golf game ever played in this country and the first U.S. public play house, among many others,” said Ross Klein, President, Starwood Luxury Brands Group and aloft hotels. “With the addition of aloft Charleston, we’re bringing another first - the first aloft to be built in South Carolina. We’re excited to offer a fun new way to play and stay to guests of the Palmetto State.”

“We are very excited about introducing aloft to South Carolina. The state-of-the-art facility with a contemporary feel will be a great addition to the developing Center Pointe area of North Charleston”, commented Ravi Patel, President and CEO of SREE Hotels, LLC. “We are also very thrilled to have Cox & Schepp Construction of Charleston, SC as our projects general contractor and are on track to open in the summer of 2008.”

As a Vision of W Hotels, aloft is shaking up the lodging industry with urban-influenced design, accessible technology, style and a social atmosphere. aloft offers a total sensory experience, with guest rooms featuring loft-like nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows to create a bright, airy environment. The centerpiece of the room is the ultra-comfortable signature bed, and large stylish bathrooms complement the guest experience with oversized walk-in showers and amenities created by bliss(R) spa. Each guest loft 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.

Designed in conjunction with world renowned David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group, the aloft brand stays true to the W Hotel brand’s 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 or outdoor pool, give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize; while re:fuel by aloft, a one-stop food and beverage area, offers sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab & go, 24-hours a day.
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