Texas’ First Aloft Hotel Now Open in Las Colinas
Starwood's new lifestyle brand gives Dallas-area visitors, residents the new tWist on travel; Las Colinas is first of three Aloft hotels to openin Dallas over next 40 days under Aimbridge Hospitality management
Las Colinas, Texas — October 14, 2008 — A partnership of Aimbridge Hospitalty, Hillwood, Champ Hospitality and JF Capital Partners opened the first of three Dallas-area Aloft hotels – the AloftSM Las Colinas – at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held last week. This much-anticipated lifestyle brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (NYSE:HOT) brings style and atmosphere to Dallas-area visitors and local residents by giving them a fun way to play and stay. Two additional Aloft Hotels will open in Plano and Frisco over the next 40 days.
The Aloft Las Colinas is located at 122 E. John Carpenter Freeway / Texas Highway 114, a mere 10 minutes from the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport. The hoteloffers a total sensory experience, with 136 loft-like rooms featuring nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows to create a bright, airy environment. It features the w xyzSM bar, re:mixSM communal lounge, re:chargeSM fitness center, splash indoor/outdoor pool with backyard, and re:fuel by AloftSM one-stop food-and-beverage area.
"On behalf of Aimbridge Hospitality and our joint venture partners Hillwood, Champ Hospitality LP, and JF Capital Partners we are delighted to welcome everyone to Texas' first Aloft Hotel," said Ryan Miyamoto, Aloft Las Colinas General Manager. "Not only will this lifestyle hotel shake things up in Irving with its urban-influenced design, accessible technology, style and social atmosphere, but it will bring new life, excitement, and recognition to Las Colinas.
"This hotel is the vision of Hillwood Chairman Ross Perot Jr. who is of the belief that hotels can represent change," Miyamoto said. "Today we are delivering change to Las Colinas with Aloft."
Hillwood, a diversified Dallas-based real-estate development company and the primary equity contributor, brought the first Starwood W Hotel to Texas at Victory Park.
"This is an exciting day for North Texas," Perot said. "The W at Victory Park is the most successful hotel in Dallas, and we are confident that Aloft . . .will be just as lucrative. This project was part of a greater master plan of Las Colinas, and we would like to thank the city for its support and look forward to the program's success."
Irving Mayor Herbert Gears presented a Certificate of Occupancy to hotel developer Joe Champ. The Mayor also presented Miyamoto with a commemorative plaque.
"It's a great day," Mayor Gears said. "We promised to be first to bring Aloft to Texas and we did it! This hotel is a true complement to our community, to business travelers, and to Irving residents."
Irving Mayor Herbert Gears (right) presents Joe Champ with occupancy certificate.
Paul Sacco, Starwood Senior VP of Global Development, said he is thrilled to see the vision of the Aloft Las Colinas come to fruition.
"This Aloft represents what we at Starwood do best – reinvigorate and re-energize the guest experience," Sacco said. "On behalf of Starwood Hotels & Resorts I would like to thank all of our valued partners and the city of Irving for helping us to bring this 'New Twist in Travel' to Texas."
The event concluded with hotel staff raising the flag to signify that the Aloft Las Colinas is open for business. Reservation lines are now open by visiting www.alofthotels.com or calling 1-877-GO-ALOFT.
Hotel staff raise the Aloft flag to signify that the property is open for business.
About Hillwood | Hillwood, a Perot company, is ranked as one of the top commercial real estate developers in the country and the top residential developer in Dallas-Fort Worth. The company's developments currently house facilities for close to 90 companies listed on either the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private firms. Hillwood is best known for its development of the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas project, located 15 miles northwest of DFW Airport, Alliance California in San Bernardino and the $420-million American Airlines Center and Victory district near downtown Dallas. For more information on Hillwood, please visit the company's Web site at .
About Aimbridge Hospitality | Aimbridge Hospitality is a hotel real estate and management company created to identify investment opportunities throughout the United States. Aimbridge provides management, asset management, capital renovation, supervision, accounting and consulting services for its strategic partners. Aimbridge currently operates hotel properties in the Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Sheraton, Hyatt and Wyndham brands. Aimbridge also manages a number of independent hotels, including the Phoenix Inn & Suites brand of hotels and has several projects under development in the Starwood, Marriott and Hilton enterprises. For more information on Aimbridge Hospitality, please visit the company's Web site at www.aimbridgehospitality.com.
About JF Capital | JF Capital Advisors, headquartered in New York City, is a hospitality investment and advisory firm. Prior to founding JF Capital Advisors, Jonathan Falik was a Vice President in the Real Estate Investment Banking division of Bear Stearns & Co. Inc. Together with Joe Weinberger, the principals of JF Capital Advisors have completed over $10 billion of mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions in the hospitality sector. For more information on JF Capital Advisors, please visit the company's Web site at www.jfcap.com.
About Champ Hospitality | Champ Hospitality LP is a full service hospitality development company. Champ develops hotels domestically and internationally for its own portfolio as well as provides a broad range of consulting services for third parties, including: Feasibility analysis, site acquisition, project management, brand selection, management and franchise contracts, asset management and disposition strategies. For information call (214) 432-9559 or visit www.champhospitality.com.
Barb Worcester (for Aimbridge)
PRPro
(440) 930-5770
