Aloft in Chicago
The last time I was in Chicago I opted to stay at Aloft, the newly launched loft-style brand by Starwood. I wasn’t sure what to expect but figured I’d give it a go. I had 1 night, was arriving late from NY, and planned to work the following morning in my room.
Upon arrival, Aloft is somewhat like an airline with kiosks in the lobby so that guests can check in and select their rooms themselves. I didn’t use this feature but understand the value and how it can come in handy. The one oddity is the “Aloha” spirit and greeting. I was in Chicago and was greeted with “Aloha” at the front desk, when I phoned down to ask a question the phone was picked up with a polite “aloha”. What is up with ALOHA when you’re not in Hawaii? It doesn’t work – and the employees are clearly uncomfortable saying it!
The atmosphere at Aloft is juvenile and playful. Board games abound and competition was heating up at the pool table. The covered outdoor pool and patio area were getting a lot of action from the young hipsters. The xyz lounge was full of sports fans watching college football.
My room was appealing and larger than expected – contemporary and sleek – urban and loft-like, perfect for a lone traveler. It was smartly appointed with a 42” LCD flat panel TV on the wall, a desk with several accessible outlets making charging the electronic devices easy and additional counter space which was the perfect place to put my luggage. The king “signature bed” was comfortable and I slumbered well.
The comfortable work environment and wi-fi were of particular importance so it was a bonus that the wi-fi was included in the room rate. This ended up being the only glitch in the stay and service. The morning I planned to work coincided with the morning work was being done on the network and it was down for 2 hours. Not good for me.
The bathroom / vanity area was split with a sink and counter on one side of a sliding mirrored door and toilet and shower on the other. The spa shower featured an oversized head with powerful pressure. Aloft goes green with bath amenities by Bliss spa served up in wall mounted shampoo/conditioner and bath gel containers – no land fill created by single serving bottles here!
Room service is not an option, however they make up for what is not on site with an extensive list of delivery menus. In addition to delivery, Refresh and xyz lounge were both well stocked. Instead of ordering out, I picked from the shelves and had a fresh, crisp chicken Caesar salad for my late night supper and for breakfast enjoyed a toasted bagel, yogurt, and fresh fruit. All of these items were self-serve and reasonably priced.
Overall Aloft is a good concept, stylish rooms with decent amenities for the business traveler and surprisingly healthy and fresh food options.
I’d go back (although next time I’m in town hopefully it will be long enough to warrant a stay in the city) and would be compelled to try other locations. Despite the cornball factor, this new Starwood concept gets a big Aloha from me!
mkmtGO | Comment (0)Leave a Reply