My husband Bill and I spent the long Memorial Day weekend taking care of some family business, which required us to drive from our home in Georgia to Virginia and back. As we were planning our trip, Bill got an email from Delta SkyMiles, inviting him to join Starwood Hotels & Resorts preferred guest program, Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG). Bill already collects Hilton HHonors points because he travels a lot on business. But the offer from Delta was tempting, mainly because we moved back to the United States from Germany last year and are homesick for Europe. Every Delta SkyMile helps. So Bill joined SPG and that’s when we discovered Aloft Hotels, a Starwood hotel run under the brand’s W division since 2005.
We were impressed by what we saw on Aloft Hotels’ Web site, and, since we were heading to Virginia, decided to spend a night at the brand new Aloft in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. We enjoyed our one night stay in Chapel Hill enough to stop at the Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne near Charlotte, North Carolina on the way back home.
The Aloft brand
Aloft Hotels cater to young or young at heart folks who appreciate comfortable lodging, but value convenience and tech savvy. Aloft Hotels are decorated in a very modern style, with lobbies that feature contemporary furnishings, full sized bars, pool tables, and piped in techno music. A typical room in an Aloft Hotel has a big, comfortable bed, a 42 inch flatscreen, high definition television with a full range of channels, free wireless Internet, and a plug and play station where guests can plug in their gadgets. Aloft Hotels are set up to be very convenient for people on the go.
Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne
Because Bill and I had already spent a night at the Aloft in Chapel Hill, we already had an idea of what to expect at Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne. Bill had reserved a standard room for us online and was pleased to discover that it was going to cost significantly less than the one in Chapel Hill had. Since we were towing a U-Haul trailer behind us, Bill was a little concerned about the parking situation at Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne. He called ahead and found out that not only is parking at the hotel free, it’s also very plentiful.
It turns out the Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne is located in a very nice office park close to the Ballantyne Resort, a large hotel with a golf course. Consequently, the area around the Aloft is very pretty, with lots of trees, green grass, and even a lake. Bill and I noticed a large shopping area as we turned into the office park where the Aloft is situated. It appears that the Ballantyne area is still somewhat under development, but not in an unsightly or unpleasant way.
Aloha!
We parked our SUV and U-Haul in the hotel’s large parking lot and made our way to the clean, modern style building. As the automatic doors slid open for us, we had our first encounter with a member of Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne’s “talent. Talent is what employees at Aloft Hotels are called and the guy who was running the “Aloha Desk” at this particular Aloft Hotel seemed to be taking his role seriously. Dressed in a uniform of khakis and a polo shirt, he looked comfortable and friendly, yet professional.
The desk clerk offered us a hearty “Aloha” and speedily checked us in to room 509. He noted that Bill is already a gold member of SPG, gave us a couple of free pens, and coupons for free coffee drinks. After advising us that the bar was open from 4:00pm to 2:00am, he bid us a happy stay. The Aloha Desk is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, though guests can also use the check in kiosks near the desk for checking into and out of the hotel or checking into flights.
I noted the pulsating techno music playing over the sound system and was grateful that it wasn’t quite as loud as it had been at the Aloft property in Chapel Hill.
Room 509
When Bill and I walked into room 509, I wasn’t too surprised to see that it was set up a lot like the room we had at the Aloft in Chapel Hill. The rooms are set up to save space and energy, yet they exude modernness and convenience. To the right of the door, there was the bathroom and storage area. A small water closet with a sliding door housed the walk in shower with the rainfall head and the toilet. The shower has shampoo and soap mounted on the wall in large squeeze bottles. Toiletries come from Bliss Spa. I actually liked the shower at the Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne better than the one in Chapel Hill. It had a really nice, big rainfall shower head that was great after spending several hours in the car.
The sink and mirror is located outside, probably so that a guest who’s showering or using the toilet can have their privacy without depriving another guest of the sink. Next to the sink, there was a small bar of soap, some foaming facial cleanser, and lotion. Underneath the sink, there was a small refrigerator and two waste baskets, one for regular trash and the other for recyclables.
On the wall opposite the sink, there was a small closet with a curtain, several cubby holes, and a couple of shelves, one of which had a few books and magazines about the Charlotte area. There was no microwave oven, though guests can use the one that’s in the Re:Fuel shop in the lobby.
The bedroom was dominated by a king sized bed with four fluffy pillows and a duvet stuffed with some kind of non-allergenic material. There were nightstands on either side of the bed. One had a phone on it, while the other had a retro looking alarm clock. Centered in front of the bed was a very nice 42 inch flatscreen television with a full range of channels, including some by Showtime. There was a futon bench under the television and two large windows on either side. A small desk sat in the corner with a lamp, plug and play station, and another telephone.
Bill and I decided not to hang out in the room because we were in the mood for a drink. As we headed out of room 509, we noticed that the peephole on the door was apparently designed for six footers. Neither Bill nor I could use it because we weren’t tall enough.
The bar
We stayed at the Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne on a Sunday night, so things were pretty quiet at the bar, called the W xyz Lounge in Aloft Hotels. In fact, it seemed we had lucked into half price night. All house liquors, beers, and wines were selling at half price.
An affable English guy was running the bar and it was pretty much deserted, except for a young, pretty, blonde woman who looked like she’d been there for awhile and was flirting with every male in the vicinity. Bill ordered a gin and tonic and I had a margarita, but after the first round, we decided to switch to beer. The Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne had a fairly decent selection, though I noticed they didn’t have Belgian beers like the Aloft in Chapel Hill did.
While we were enjoying our drinks, the blonde lady, who appeared to be getting rather intoxicated, was joined by a couple of local guys. They talked to us for a few minutes, but then I guess they decided they’d rather play pool. While they were using the billiards table near the bar, Bill and I chatted with the bartender, who said the hotel had just opened in October 2009.
The blonde lady came back to the bar and asked for another cocktail, not realizing that she already had a full one sitting right next to her. The bartender kindly pointed that out, then advised her to pace herself. She stumbled back to the pool table with her new male friends while I enjoy a nice locally brewed beer.
About twenty minutes later, the blonde was back, asking for her fifth cocktail. At this point, the bartender gently told her she needed to take a break from the booze and eat something or drink a non-alcoholic beverage. The blonde predictably got belligerent and started cussing at the bartender. He held his ground and maintained his patience very impressively until the very visibly drunk lady was escorted out by her new friends.
Aloft Hotels don’t have full service restaurants. Instead, they have what they call Re: Fuel, which is a convenient grab and go station where guests can buy sandwiches, salads, drinks, pieces of fruit, or pastries. Bill and I ended up getting a couple of substantial slices of cheesecake to top off our evening. Priced at $4 each, they were enough to hold us for breakfast, too.
Staying fit
The Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne has a small fitness room called Re: Charge that offers treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and stairclimbers. There are free weights, strength machines, and for those who like to swim, an indoor pool area called Splash. Unfortunately, there’s no whirlpool.
Aloft Hotels appeal to young people, so it’s only fitting that they’d have a kids program called Camp Aloft. Kids who stay at Aloft get goodie bags, air mattresses, and access to the Splash pool. Aloft Hotels are also pet friendly. We didn’t see any kids when we stayed at the Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne, but we did see one canine guest. Aloft Hotels run the “arf program” and allows dogs up to forty pounds to stay free of charge. Aloft Hotels even throw in a few doggie goodies, but would prefer that guests bringing pets call ahead to give Aloft staffers a heads up. As someone who owns two dogs and has occasionally needed to stay with them in a hotel, I love the fact that Aloft is so pet friendly. On the other hand, I can understand why those who don’t like animals or are allergic to them may not like Aloft’s “arf program”. So this is just a heads up for either group!
Checking out
Our night at the Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne cost about $109, which was a much better rate than the $142 we paid in Chapel Hill. Check out was quick and painless.
Overall
While the Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne and the Aloft Chapel Hill were decorated almost identically, I think we preferred the Aloft in Charlotte. The service was better and we liked the location. While I generally prefer hotels that are a little more traditional and, in fact, like properties that aren’t part of a chain, Bill and I liked our experiences at both Aloft Hotels enough to stay there again. I would recommend Aloft Hotels to anyone who likes hip, tech-savvy properties with a youthful vibe. I would probably not recommend Aloft Hotels to those who don’t like techno music or want a more formal atmosphere.
For more information: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/index.html
