JB123

I have stayed at 4 Alofts. I love the idea of a low priced Starwood hotel. I am not a hater and will stay at one again. I even like the minimal style of the hotel and room. I don't mind the size or minimal features of the room (curtain instead of a closet door, etc). Two things really seem like a miss and very unlike Starwood. First I was told this is supposed to appeal to the young professional - bar in the lobby, free wifi, etc. There are simply not enough electrical outlets in the right places in the room. There should be a handful of outlets above the desk bar the runs across the room for laptops, iPads, etc. I can't sit at this and do work on my laptop while it is plugged in. There are some outlets underneath the desk bar(I am not sure what you call the piece of wood that runs the length of the room in front of the window) but you would need an extension cord to use them while you worked. I did use one of those to charge my phone on the floor. There are only two outlets on the nightstand and one is used for the alarm clock. My family is staying at an Aloft with me now and my wife used the remaining outlet for her Kindle that she was reading before going to sleep. There is no outlet to charge my iPad - yes I can get out of bed and use one in another part of the room. The Westin I stayed at last week had four outlets on top of the desk and two open outlets on the nightstand. Why does a newer designed room has less and more inconveniently located outlets?

My second issue is the lighting. There is not a separate bathroom light. There is only a light switch that turns on the lighting in the whole part of the room leading to the bathroom - where the sink and closet are located. Since the room is a loft (I assume that is where the name comes from) and the interior wall does not go to the ceiling if someone wants to turn on the light in the bathroom at night it turns on lights that shine in the entire room. This does not matter if you are alone but there is no way to use the light in the bathroom without waking up someone else. I can't think of another type of hotel that does not have a separate light in the bathroom.

frequentjohn

Yes, the lack of bedside outlets bother me and so does the combo gel/shampoo. Mix would still like separate toiletries instead of the European style...

The lounge area is hit or miss on whether you can get work done. Sometimes they get too crowed with the music pretty loud. Other times, there is not another person in there.

remymartin

Um, what's "European style"?

MSPeconomist

IKEA?

remymartin

No, that's Swedish DESIGN!

frequentjohn

I guess it was a poor word choice but I seemed to notice some of the mid-priced European hotel chains use the combo shampoo/shower gel packs instead of having separate soap, shampoo and hair conditioner.

roverkt

The only Aloft I've stayed at is the London Excel, and there are bedside power sockets on both sides, plus a couple at the desk area. IIRC there's also one near the sink for a shaver.

They also have separate dispensers on the walls of the shower for a Bliss tried+blue shower gel and a shampoo/conditioner, rather than a mixed product.

I guess it's all fine for lone travelers on work trips, but may not be the best for families.

In any case, you get what you pay for. Stay at a Westin if you need Westin-style amenities.

I much prefer the Aloft decor compared with Four Points though. It's a bit more modern... you know, aptly like a poorer vision of the W Hotels... (FPs are cheapskate versions of Sheratons, so you tell me which you prefer.)

remymartin

I think toiletries (combo shampoo/soap) is default in all low to mid hotels globally.

While I know OP referred to toiletries, I actually find aloft décor rather American - a bit too strong colours, which go out of fashion in a second (well, a few years...).

Full disclosure - I've only stayed in one aloft in Asia. I didn't like it due to the décor and the badly implemented sound-proofing.

MSPeconomist

Sweden is part of Europe.

remymartin

Scandinavian design is a lot different from design in e.g. France or Italy.

skrosvik

Yeah, stayed at the Aloft DIA. Reminded me of Ibis Budget. Not Scandinavian, by any means!

Puppenstein

I like it better than Four Points, but yes, I get what they were trying to accomplish with the room design, but it just isn't what I prefer. I don't mind the dispensers in the shower to be honest. I don't know if it saves them a lot of money, but I like that I never have to worry about amenities not being in the room.

TRAVELSIG

I have stayed a few times at the aLoft in Bangkok on S11 and it is perfectly suitable for one person there for work. I stayed once with Ms. Travelsig and it was a little bit tight for two people however one person is very good.

I also don't like the combo gel/shampoo thing however as another poster noted unfortunately this is quite common in many European hotels and as such I counteract this by bringing my own toiletries (which admittedly is a bit of a hassle).

pricesquire

Traveling alone, I'll stay at an Aloft. I don't like them, but I don't actively hate them. I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to hotel stays (my wife being a complete traditionalist).

Awkward layout design...but it'll do in a pinch.

My problem is many of the Alofts I'd stay at are really high priced. Try staying at the Aloft Asheville!

EricH

The lack of power outlets is something that drives me nuts across Starwood's hotels.