Starwood's aloft Up To 50 Deals

Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced on Tuesday it had 50-signed deals in place for its lifestyle aloft brand. The brand was first launched in 2005 and expects 20 groundbreakings this year, with a goal of opening 500 properties by 2012. "Aloft represents the new twist in travel, providing the next generation of business and leisure travelers a fun new way to play and stay," said Ross Klein, president Starwood Luxury Brand Group and aloft hotels worldwide. As a vision of W Hotels, Starwood is touting aloft as a select-service lifestyle brand with loft-like rooms and accessible technology. Most alofts will be located in secondary and tertiary markets. Starwood expects the first aloft properties to open in 2008. Visit [www.starwoodhotels.com].