Starwood Brings aloft to Beijing

Starwood's aloft brand will come to Beijing with the 2009 opening of a 200-room hotel. The aloft Beijing, Haidian will be part of a mixed-use complex that also will include a Four Points by Sheraton property. The agreement is part of Starwood's plans to spread its new brand in cities in Asia and the Pacific. In the larger picture, for the last 24 months Starwood has been expanding its China presence, with 31 hotels in operation in China, Taiwan and Macau as well as another 28 under construction.