The Hotel Bar Gets Shaken and Stirred: With Acoustic Sessions, Diva DJs and Sensational Sips, Aloft Hotels' w xyz Bars Are Worth the Trip

By: Starwood Hotels & Resorts | 2 Shares 102 Reads

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (BUSINESS WIRE) -- "Check out" has a new meaning for guests and locals alike at Aloft Hotels' w xyzSM bars - as in, check out live acoustic sets by up-and-coming bands; check out the "Diva DJs" spinning every Thursday; and check out cool custom cocktails each night of the week. From wake-up call to last call, Aloft is always on and w xyz is always a-buzz.

Aloft Hotels is the much-talked-about new style-at-a-steal brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.(R) (NYSE:HOT). Aloft's vibrant and social centerpiece is Aloft's re:mixSM lounge featuring the w xyz bar which morphs from a relaxed hangout by day to an electric destination sensation every evening.

The space incorporates industrial design elements like exposed ductwork, polished concrete floors and a bar-top of crushed glass backlit with colored LCD lights. "There's no reason why a hotel shouldn't be as cool as the people who stay there," said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood. "With w xyz, we're injecting the hotel bar with style, energy, and fun, all of which have been in short supply in this category of hotel."

A smartly curated series of parties, events and cocktail specials keeps w xyz in its own alluring groove seven nights a week. Among them:

Aloft A-List Access: Aloft brings what's new, what's fresh to its w xyz bars. Currently, Aloft hotels across the country are featuring live acoustic performances from up and coming artists like Vedera and Lenka. Monday nights during football season at Aloft Philadelphia Airport Hotel, Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson is hosting the one-hour "DeSean Jackson Show" in front of a live audience of Aloft guests and locals. Aloft National Harbor featured a themed superstar event, Hey Girl Hey!, a night of fashion and fun with DJ Roxy Cottontail.
Lounge and Listen: Aloft guests and locals can get the inside track on the latest and greatest in the music industry through exclusive preview Lounge and Listen parties. Recently, select Aloft hotels celebrated the highly buzzed about latest album from Shakira entitled, "She Wolf" through exclusive listening parties in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment's Commercial Music Group.
Spinstar: Every Wednesday, w xyz guests have the chance to show off their talents as a DJ. Starting at 9 p.m., 20-minute time slots are available for patrons to share any mix or playlist from their mp3 player with the crowd via a customized docking station that is connected to the hotel's public space sound system.
diva dj: Thursday nights are when the diva DJs come out to play. Every Thursday, Aloft showcases a female DJ spinning an eclectic mix of music. Aloft diva DJs have included Lysa Denton at Aloft Portland, Amanda Rose at Aloft Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga, and Nina Chantele at Aloft Chicago O'Hare.
Sweet and Savory Sips: The w xyz bar features signature infusions as well as an ever-changing, seasonal cocktail menu. Highlights from the latest menu include a hybrid beer cocktail featuring pilsner and elderflower liquor as well as a pomegranate, apple cider and pecan flavored cocktail, just in time for some holiday cheer. If so many temptations make a drink choice difficult, w xyz's Decisionizer 3000 - a fun interactive cocktail decision-maker - helps make selecting your libation a little easier.

About Aloft Hotels

Created to shake up the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, Aloft delivers urban-influenced, open and vibrant design and a social guest experience at an affordable price point. In the same way that W Hotels broke through the clutter of conformity in the upscale hotel arena a decade ago, Aloft is shaking up the industry for the next generation of traveler. Starwood recognized opportunity in the select serve market for reinvention and innovation and selected world renowned design and architecture firm Rockwell Group to collaborate on the new hotel concept. Aloft hotels are geared toward savvy, design-conscious consumers who grew up with the democratization of design. Aloft hotels are wired for the future and an aggressive growth plan is in place with close to 40 properties set to open by the end of this year from Abu Dhabi and Baltimore to Dallas and Beijing and everywhere in between.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 982 properties in 100 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Méridien(R), Sheraton(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(R), and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.

SOURCE: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

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