Practicality makes room for style in Southern California
HOTEL REVIEWS
Rancho Cucamonga's Aloft and Custom in Los Angeles may appeal to your wallet but their cool design touches will put a smile on your face.
Wit and style have come to the airport hotel, those often dully practical shelters for the business traveler. With the June opening of the 136-room Aloft in Rancho Cucamonga and last year's arrival of the Custom Hotel near LAX, leisure travelers can share the road warrior's affordable lodging.
Aloft, a new brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, made its U.S. debut in Rancho Cucamonga, about five miles from Ontario airport. The hotels are positioned as lower-priced and highly stylish, and the chain is poised to grow to 500 locations near airports, college towns and business centers.
Aloft borrows the playful essence of its sister brand, the W hotels, with a smart mix of features that budget-savvy travelers will appreciate.
As part of a grand-opening special that runs through the end of the year, rooms booked by Friday for Friday or Saturday stays cost $79 a night ($86.90 with tax); Sunday through Thursday stays cost $119 a night.
I checked into America's first Aloft on a blustery October Saturday and found a bustling social scene. In the lobby, labeled re:mix, a man played pool while young travelers chatted in the deep sofas. The techno terminology extends to the self-serve cafe, re:fuel. The lobby lounge's name, w xyz, is a nod to the W's habit of labeling some hotel features beginning with the letter "w." Thankfully, I found no sleeping chambers called "wombs."
The public spaces blaze with vivid colors, clever lighting, fireplaces and photo-print pillows. A pool, gym (re:charge) and an outdoor fireplace allow for socializing.
The rooms steal from loft apartments, borrowing the high ceilings, tall windows and industrial-tinged décor. The walls are papered in textured gray.
My guest room's two queen platform beds were dressed in white down duvets and striped bolster pillows. Sheets of cork upholstered the headboards, which were built into a room divider, the back side of which efficiently functioned as shelf space, closet and bathroom wall.
Many stylish hotels overlook practicality, but this room included more than 10 feet of desktop and an adjustable task chair. An integrated plug system lets techies run programs from their laptops or their iPods through the 42-inch flat-screen TV.
With free Wi-Fi access throughout and rooms wired for cutting-edge technology, the Aloft hotel brand is aiming to be the hotel of the future. Yet its blend of style, function and affordability makes it right for right now.
