New hotel chains offer eco-chic, hip value
New hotel chains and spin-offs offer green lifestyle at a hip value.
LEXINGTON, Mass. -- In a tranquil wooded setting near Minute Man National Historical Park, not far from where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired, two new hotel chains are aiming to make history, too.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts' 123-suite Element Lexington, the first in a pioneering built-from-scratch eco-conscious chain, opened last week. So did Starwood's 136-room Aloft Lexington across a shared courtyard. It's the fourth in a brand dubbed "W lite" by industry observers.
Each has a different mission. Extended-stay brand Element, affiliated with Westin, hopes to attract business travelers and value-minded families who want kitchen facilities. It's a laboratory for the greening of hotels throughout the Starwood empire.
Aloft (as in "a loft") is designed to offer the fun and cutting-edge cool of its forerunner, W Hotels, at a wallet-friendlier price. It's targeted at Gens Y and X and hip oldsters. Aloft rates are due to average $150; Element suites, $165 (including a hot breakfast). But both (alofthotels.com and elementhotels.com) have introductory specials, and rates vary by market.
The two so-called lifestyle brands are trying to tap into the needs of guests who want modern bells and whistles with value and to siphon customers from competitors in the select-service market — both have no room service, doormen or three-meal-a-day restaurants. Element competitors include Residence Inn by Marriott, Hyatt Summerfield Suites, Hilton's Homewood Suites and InterContinental's Staybridge Suites. Aloft is vying with Courtyard by Marriott, NYLO, Hotel Indigo, Hilton Garden Inn and Hyatt Place, among others.
At Aloft, guests are greeted with "aloha" (somewhat jarring to hear in New England) as a friendly welcome that telegraphs this is not your everyday lodging. Guests have the option of checking in via touch-screen kiosks, where they can change rooms and print boarding passes. Staffers, referred to as "talent," are hired on personality in addition to qualifications.
Popular Reads
ABC News Live