Make Room on the Trophy Shelf: Aloft Charlotte Uptown Receives National and Regional Acclaim

Honored as a "Cool Hotel for Business Travelers" and the "Best Hotel Bar"

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Aug 05, 2010, 08:52 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The secret is out! The Aloft Charlotte Uptown is the place to stay when visiting "North Carolina's Queen City" for business or for pleasure. The buzz continues throughout the Charlotte area as the hotel was recognized by Elevate Lifestyle Awards "The Best of the City 2010" and by Charlotte Magazine as being home to the "Best Hotel Bar." The hotel's national reputation is growing substantially as the Aloft Charlotte Uptown was recently named by US AIRWAYS Magazine as one of their "Cool Hotels for Doing Business."

The Aloft Charlotte Uptown at the EpiCentre is a fresh, fun, forward-thinking alternative to a one-size-fits-all travel routine. Ranking an impressive second place of all hotels in the country, US Airways Magazine stated "the Aloft Charlotte Uptown has it all when it comes to a productive business environment by day and relaxation and socializing synergy by night." Guests enjoy a new twist on comfort as they read the paper, work on their laptops via hotel-wide wireless internet access, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends in the re:mix lobby area and bar w xyz. The re:charge fitness center and splash, the pool, give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize; while re:fuel by Aloft, a one-stop snack pantry, offers sweet, savory and healthy food grab & go options, 24-hours a day.

"The recognition that Aloft Charlotte Uptown is getting from these prestigious third parties is a true testament that the hotel's talent is embracing the vision for the Aloft brand," said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood.

Created to offer an alternative to the traditional hotel, the Aloft brand delivers style at a steal, with urban-influenced, modern, open and vibrant design – and a social guest experience – all 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.

Aloft Charlotte Uptown is part of the EpiCentre which features premier shopping, entertainment and fine dining. The EpiCentre serves as a central link of Overstreet Mall and provides a pedestrian bridge connecting the headquarter buildings for Bank of America and Wachovia.

About Aloft Hotels

Created to shake up the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, the Aloft brand delivers style at a steal with urban-influenced, modern, 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. Aloft hotels are geared toward savvy, design-conscious consumers who grew up with the democratization of design. With 40 hotels open in the 18 months since Aloft first arrived on the scene and 10 more opening in 2010, Aloft can be found everywhere from Abu Dhabi and Baltimore to Dallas and Beijing and everywhere in between. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com.

Aloft Hotels, like all brands within Starwood's portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest^® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. To learn more, please visit www.spg.com.

About Noble Investment Group

Founded in 1993, the Noble organization specializes in the lodging and hospitality real estate sector. Through its private equity real estate funds, Noble has invested more than $1.6 billion in hotels and resorts throughout the United States and the organization's current discretionary private equity fund represents $310 million of equity commitments. An award winning operator, Noble currently manages more than 9,000 hotel and resort guest rooms throughout the United States, most of which are affiliated with Marriott, Hyatt, Starwood, Hilton, and InterContinental Hotels Group. In addition, Noble operates convention and conference centers with more than one million square feet of meeting space, day and resort spas, upscale restaurants, and is a franchisee of Starbucks Coffee retail stores. For more information, please visit www.nobleinvestment.com

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1000 properties in nearly 100 countries and territories with 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®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Meridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(SM), 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. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.