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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. opened "aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center" in Charleston, South Carolina this summer. The Charleston location was the latest venue opening in the 2008 of aloft hotels, a new "lifestyle" hotel brand that appeals to the younger business traveler and meeting attendee looking for an affordable yet upscale alternative to more mainstream lodging.

Besides fresh, urban design elements (and a text-message like use of lower case letters in official company names), aloft hotels are typified by being within close proximity to an airport, convention or business center. The 136-room aloft Charleston Airport and Convention Center, located in Charleston’s dynamic Center Pointe district, is minutes from the Charleston International Airport and less than a mile from North Charleston Coliseum Convention and Performing Arts Center.

"We are thrilled to open the first aloft in South Carolina," said Ravi Patel, President & CEO of SREE Hotels, developers and managers of the aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center hotel. "The state-of-the art facility with a contemporary feel will be a re-freshing addition to the greater Charleston area."

Among the amenities travelers find at an aloft hotel are complimentary hotel-wide wireless Internet access; "re:mix," the communal lobby area featuring the "w xyz bar"; the "re:charge fitness center", "splash," the indoor pool and "re:fuel by aloft," a one-stop food and beverage area, which offers sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab & go, 24 hours a day.

All aloft Hotels also feature, "tatic," an intimate meeting room with state-of-the-art extras, such as an advanced A/V set-up that includes flat-panel plasma TVs with laptop hook-up, projector and DVD player. At the aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center’s , tatic features 526 square feet of meeting space, ideal for a boardroom meeting with a table that seats 12.

Guest rooms feature an ultra-contemporary, urban-influenced design. The centerpiece of each aloft room is an ultra-comfortable plush platform bed. In addition, the rooms have "loft-like" nine-foot ceilings and oversized window," resulting in a bright, airy environment. Large, stylish bathrooms complement the guest experience with oversized walk-in showers and amenities created by Bliss Spa. Each aloft room 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.

 "We are excited to open our doors in Charleston in the expanding Center Pointe area" said Brian McGuinness, Global Brand Leader of aloft and element hotels worldwide. "Guests will find sanctuary from the road or work in our spacious rooms and spa-like bathrooms. When they have finished relaxing they are welcome to join the fun at "w xyz bar," sure to be at the heart of the nightlife scene for both visitors and Charleston residents alike."

 There are 17 aloft hotels planned to open in the U.S. this year, including the aloft Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga, (only two miles from the Ontario Convention Center); the aloft Portland Airport and Cascade Station, (5.7 miles from the Oregon Convention Center) and aloft Chicago O’Hare (about one mile from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.) Additional aloft hotels at airport locations are scheduled to open at the Philadelphia, Portland, Denver, Baltimore, Phoenix, and Orlando airports. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. expects brand to open 500 aloft properties worldwide by 2012.

Guests of aloft can book their stay directly throughwww.alofthotels.com which features the best rate guarantee. Guests also may book through their local travel agents. In addition, during the year of aloft hotel’s launch—2008—members of the Starwood Preferred Guest program can earn an unprecedented 8 Starpoints for every U.S. dollar spent (quadruple the base earning) when they register and then book a stay at any aloft hotel worldwide until December 31. After racking up their Starpoints, SPG members can redeem their points for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 860 hotels and resorts worldwide. The offer is designed to celebrate the opening of aloft, the eighth hotel and lifestyle brand to join the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program.