Aloft Strikes Strategic Partnerships With Hip Vendors

NEW YORK— Two years before its first properties open, Aloft W Hotels has entered into joint marketing agreements with a satellite radio vendor, celebrity chef, and New York fashion show, among others, as a way of building consumer awareness for its new brand. According to president Ross Klein, Aloft is looking to associate itself with products, services, and celebrity brands that represent the same hip attitude and lifestyle as the guest Aloft is targeting. While the satellite radio vendor, Sirius, will be available at the properties and the celebrity chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is overseeing the grab-and-go offerings to be sold at the hotels, other marketing alliances are more aspirational. Aloft, for example, was the only hotel brand to sponsor New Yorks recently-concluded Fashion Week in Bryant Park, where it displayed prototypes of its guestrooms, services and amenities and promoted the brand to fashion designers, models, and members of the fashion press..