Aloft Introduces Brand to India

The first Aloft hotel, which is a brand owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has opened in India. However, this Aloft Chennai OMR-IT Expressway property is the 42nd to open in the world. Another property from the brand was also due to open on August 1 in Bangalore, while Urbanedge Hotels is planning to open several Aloft locations over the next few years throughout the country.

Aloft Chennai OMR-IT Expressway has 130 rooms and accessible technology and is located in the hub for IT development in the area. It is also close to a restaurant and more than 5,000 square feet of meeting space.

Starwood vice chairman and chief financial officer Vasant Prabhu said that India is a key focus for the company’s expansion, as it’s a market that is relatively unserviced. The country is one of the most promising Asia Pacific markets, with GDP projections topping 7% for the next 2 years and a consumer market set to rank as the 5th largest in the world by 2025, he continued. The market is ripe for products like Aloft, he added, and they look forward to opening a number of properties in India during the next few years.

Starwood vice president of specialty select brands Brian McGuinness said that the energy of their properties in India will reflect the cities’ dynamism where they are opening the locations. They are excited to connect the tastemaking Gen Y travelers in the country, who have been anxious for a hotel experience that matches their forward-thinking sensibilities, he added.