 |
|
aloft hotel lobby courtesy of Starwood Hotels |
Chicago, Ill.— It takes a lot of guts to open nearly 500 hotels in the middle of a recession, but Starwood Hotels isn’t known for being timid. Think W, another of their brands. This time, aloft is a chain competing head to head with Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn. Except it’s stylin’. And very tech-savvy with CAT 6 cable for super fast wi-fi and RFID-ready locks (in a couple of years you’ll just need to wave your Blackberry by the door and it will recognize your signal for entry.) Lots of fun elements defy the value rates, things like a lighted, touch-sensitive bar in the lobby, liquidy-blue-under-glass elevator floors, and a decked-out fitness room. There’s no free breakfast, but the big glass walk-in showers in every room and triple-sheeted platform beds make up in comfort. One downside: wall unit heat and a/c units are a noisy low-tech distraction for this otherwise tricked-out property. Just turn up the volume on the 42-inch flat-panel TV.— Laurie Borman
