By Arlene Satchell Sun Sentinel
MAY 12, 2015, 3:11 PM
Another Aloft lifestyle hotel will debut in South Florida within the next few years and it's headed to West Palm Beach.
Travelers to South Florida who enjoy the chain's clean urban design and industrial style will soon be able to choose among Aloft locations in several additional area cities, including Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, Coral Gables and South Beach. Fans who don't want to wait can stay at the already-open Aloft Miami-Brickell and Aloft Miami Doral locations.
The Aloft West Palm Beach is set to open in January 2018 and will offer 140 loft-like rooms, an active social scene and innovative music programming, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced recently.
It's part of a mixed-use development rising up on the northeast corner of Third Street and Rosemary Avenue in downtown West Palm Beach that will also feature retail shops and an upscale restaurant, Starwood said.
Amenities of the seven-story Aloft hotel will include a 4,500 square-foot outdoor Splash pool, sundeck, spa, fitness center, and approximately 1,500 square feet of flexible meeting space. It will also sport the brand's signature W XYZ bar where guests can enjoy cocktails and watch music acts as part of the Live At Aloft Hotels music series.
Starwood launched Aloft in 2008 and increased the development pace for the brand over recent years.
In 2014, Aloft Hotels signed 22 deals in North America — the most signings in one year since 2008, according to Starwood. There were 65 Aloft hotels in the region as of April 29.
In Florida, Starwood expects to have eight Aloft hotels open by year's end, said Allison Reid, the company's senior vice president of North America development, in a statement announcing the new West Palm Beach hotel. Reid added that the brand has generated a strong following among "next generation travelers" and is attracting developers eager to open in new markets.
Aloft hotels are designed for younger travelers, sporting an urban look and industrial design elements. They offer tech- savvy spaces and a vibrant bar scene in an open lobby that promotes socializing.
Aloft West Palm Beach hotel is owned and managed by a joint venture between Sunview Cos. of Miami and HES Group, a business development company, with offices in Caracas and Miami.
The project is scheduled to break ground in early 2016.
Sunview and HES have also partnered on two other Aloft projects in South Florida: Aloft Miami-Brickell, which opened in August 2013, and Aloft Coral Gables, set to open in January 2017.
