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Aloft Frisco Now Open! 3rd Aloft is a Charm for Aimbridge Hospitality
Starwood's new lifestyle hotel brand gives Dallas-area visitors, residents a fun place to stay and play; Frisco is third Aimbridge Hospitality managed Aloft hotel to open in North Texas
FRISCO, TEXAS - December 9, 2008 – The third time's the charm, and the Aloft Frisco, the latest additionto the stylish, new lifestyle brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), is no exception. On Dec. 5, Aimbridge Hospitality and its joint-venture partners Hillwood, Champ Hospitality, and JF Capital Partners, opened the doors to its third Aloft hotel in North Texas at 3202 Parkwood Blvd.
North of Downtown Dallas and just 25 minutes from DFW International Airport and Love Field Airport, Frisco is one of the fastest growing cities in America and Texas' Rising Star for sports, shopping, art, and overall lifestyle living. The Aloft Frisco offers 136 loft-like rooms featuring nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows to create a bright, airy environment. It features the W xyz bar, re:mix communal lounge, re:charge fitness center, splash outdoor pool with backyard, and re:fuel by Aloft, a one-stop beverage-and-food area.
“Aloha! On behalf of Aimbridge Hospitality, welcome to the Aloft Frisco,” General Manager Chris Silasavage said to guests at the hotel’s ribbon cutting ceremony. “Frisco is a ‘city with the heart of a town’ rich in culture, business and recreational opportunities in safe, family-oriented neighborhoods, business parks, and retail centers. In other words, it’s a 24 hour/day live, work and play zone that attracts corporate and leisure visitors to our arts and entertainment offerings - from minor league baseball and major league soccer to more than 4 million square feet of retail shopping space. Frisco is truly on the map in Texas, and Aloft is Frisco’s new shining star.
“We invite everyone to truly experience Aloft,” he said. “It’s electric and eclectic. It’s hip and hospitable. It appeals to young, style-conscious travelers who expect the high style that Starwood in know for but in an interactive, high-tech and highly social environment. It’s fun. It’s fresh. And, it’s a great way to live life Aloft - right here in Frisco!”
Frisco Mayor Maher Maso, who assisted with the ribbon cutting, concurred that Aloft is the right fit for the city.
“We’re excited to have Aloft opening in Frisco,” Mayor Maso said. “[This hotel] will add a level of service and uniqueness to our community and will compliment our growing reputation for being ‘the place to be.’ Given this hotel’s innovative design, refreshing approach to service and exciting brand, Aloft is a perfect fit for our community. We welcome Aloft and its family of employees to our Frisco family.”
Silasavage thanked the Mayor, the city of Frisco, and the Frisco Convention & Visitor’s Bureau for its support in launching and promoting the project.
Lifestyle Development Abounds
Bringing Aloft to the Dallas area is the vision of Hillwood Chairman Ross Perot Jr. Hillwood, a diversified Dallas-based real-estate development company, is the primary equity contributor to the Aloft Frisco project and the group responsible for bringing the first Starwood W Hotel to Texas at Victory Park.
“Aloft provides a bold new lodging alternative for forward-thinking travelers,” said Brent Rumsey, Starwood Hotels & Resorts director, new builds and transitions, franchise group during the opening event. “It’s a compelling combination of creativity, culture and fun. On behalf of Starwood Hotels & Resorts and our friends at Aimbridge Hospitality, Hillwood, Champ and JF Capital, we couldn’t be more pleased to bring Aloft to Frisco.”
The event concluded with hotel staff raising the flag to signify that the Aloft Frisco is open for business. Reservation lines are now open by visiting www.aloftfrisco.com or calling 1-877-GO-ALOFT.
Photo Caption Image 1 Ribbon Cutting: Jill and Joe Watson, Frisco Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, hold the ribbon and Chamber banner as (from left) Curtis Pitts, Aloft Frisco; Chris Silasavage, Aloft Frisco; Joe Champ, Champ Hospitality; and Frisco Mayor Maher Maso cut the ribbon to signify the opening of the Aloft Frisco.
About Aloft
Infused with the DNA of W Hotels, Aloft is a new destination sensation featuring loft-inspired design, accessible technology and a stylish urban attitude. Aloft opened its first hotels in 2008 and expects to open 500 properties worldwide in the next five years. For more information on Aloft, please visit www.alofthotels.com.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Worldwide Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 850 properties in more than 95 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood® Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels and resorts with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, Four Points® by Sheraton, W®, Le Méridien® and the recently announced Aloft and Element Hotels. Starwood Hotels also own Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
About Hillwood
Hillwood, a Perot company, is ranked as one of the top commercial real estate developers in the country and the top residential developer in Dallas-Fort Worth. The company's developments currently house facilities for close to 90 companies listed on either the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private firms. Hillwood is best known for its development of the 17,000-acre Alliance Texas project, located 15 miles northwest of DFW Airport, Alliance California in San Bernardino and the $420-million American Airlines Center and Victory district near downtown Dallas. For more information on Hillwood, please visit the company’s Web site at www.hillwood.com.
About Aimbridge Hospitality
Aimbridge Hospitality is a hotel real estate and management company created to identify investment opportunities throughout the United States. Aimbridge provides management, asset management, capital renovation, supervision, accounting and consulting services for its strategic partners. Aimbridge currently operates hotel properties in the Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Sheraton, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and Wyndham brands. Aimbridge also manages a number of independent hotels, including the Phoenix Inn & Suites brand of hotels and has several projects under development in the Starwood, Marriott and Hilton enterprises. For more information on Aimbridge Hospitality, please visit the company’s Web site at www.aimbridgehospitality.com.
About JF Capital
JF Capital Advisors, headquartered in New York City, is a hospitality investment and advisory firm. Prior to founding JF Capital Advisors, Jonathan Falik was a Vice President in the Real Estate Investment Banking division of Bear Stearns & Co. Inc. Together with Joe Weinberger, the principals of JF Capital Advisors have completed over $10 billion of mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions in the hospitality sector. For more information on JF Capital Advisors, please visit the company’s Web site at www.jfcap.com.
About Champ Hospitality
Champ Hospitality LP is a full service hospitality development company. Champ develops hotels domestically and internationally for its own portfolio as well as provides a broad range of consulting services for third parties, including: Feasibility analysis, site acquisition, project management, brand selection, management and franchise contracts, asset management and disposition strategies. For information call (214) 432-9559 or visit www.champhospitality.com.