Aloft Hotels Launches First UK Property

Aloft Hotels, which is one of the many brands operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, will making its debut in the UK next year with the opening of Aloft London ExCeL. This hotel will have 252 rooms and will be located adjacent to the Docklands international exhibition and convention centre. This will mean that 6 out of the 9 brands operated by Starwood will have a presence in Britain by the end of 2011.

Aloft has opened almost 50 hotels in the UAE, US, Canada and China since the opening of their first hotel in 2008. They are planning to open even more new hotels in Thailand, India and Belgium this year. Key features of the brand include a grab-and-go cafe called re:fuel, a buzzing bar, modern industrial design elements and roomy walk-in showers – all at a price travelers can afford.

ExCeL London chief executive Kevin Murphy says that the new hotel will provide the forward-thinking travelers of today with a space that is open to possibilities and design. The arrival of this hip concept for hotels will offer their customers a unique experience, he added.

The new Aloft London ExCeL is being developed by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, which owns ExCeL London and Aloft Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company chairman His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan said that the company is committed to innovation as evidence of their decision to partner with Starwood to introduce a new brand of hospitality to the UK. The Aloft London ExCeL will support the growing event calendar of ExCeL London, he added, as well as the London Olympics, by providing stylish, quality and affordable accommodation.