NEW YORK— As they evolve many emerging brands often alter initial concepts, be it at the design, prototype or amenity level. With its 50th hotel in sight, Aloft is using its strong foundation to continue to grow into its niche while it considers some new concepts for the brand as it matures.
Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s SVP/Specialty Select Brands, said with the amount of original research done for Aloft, the brand has “a good foundation for where we wanted the brand to be both from a ‘future-proofing’ perspective—what did it look like in five years—and also what did it look like on day one. Technology was our version of luxury…our target customer and the psychographic of our customer said to us: ‘I need high-speed Internet access. I need it in the lobby and in the guestroom and I need it wired and wireless and I need it for free.’ So right from the beginning technology was one of the definitions of luxury.”
Bringing in technology
Toward this, the brand has retrofitted its Aloft in Lexington, MA, so guests may check in with an RFID-enabled Starwood Preferred Guest card.
“You actually no longer have to go to the front desk to check in. We have your reservation. We text message you your room number, you can go directly to your room and that key that’s in your wallet will unlock that lock,” said McGuinness. Aloft properties in Dallas, TX, and in Harlem and Brooklyn, NY, also feature the technology.
Aloft also is expanding its food and beverage options. While the properties offer a grab-and-go set up off the lobby space, the XYZ bar has not offered food beyond snacks. Now, said McGuinness, the brand is exploring food options to meet guest demand. “Appetizers like popcorn shrimp are not enough; they want real food, food that sticks with them,” he said, noting there are several pilot programs right now looking at “big, hot bites” and “regional flavors.”
McGuinness was asked what his key concerns for the brand might be in terms of keeping its core concept as it grows. “The biggest concern that we have is that we’re not challenged enough…as we start to see the next generation that our competitors are rolling out, it challenges us to say: ‘Okay, Starwood, continue your innovation. What is next before the customer knows what’s next?’ What keeps me up at night, really, is what is the next thing? What’s comforting is that the whole industry continues to move and is continuing to innovate through our lead and that keeps us on our toes and keeps us thinking of what the next generation of product is,” he said.
McGuinness said there’s a team philosophy of keeping “eyes wide open” to stay ahead of the curve and stay relevant. “It’s whether you’re sitting in a church pew or a public park: How are people interacting? What are they doing around you? And what is keeping them engaged? What are they reading? What are they wearing?…we look at that from a global perspective,” he said. “How are people living their lives on a day-to-day basis and how can we enhance that when they’re on the road?”
McGuinness also views the staff at Aloft as key to the overall experience, noting the GSI (guest satisfaction index) and OSAT (overall satisfaction index) scores “rank among the highest we have seen within brands, and certainly comparable to that in the luxury category. Additionally, we continue to watch social media”—Aloft has some 30,000 fans on Facebook, said McGuinness. “TripAdvisor, etc., continue to give [Aloft ] about four out of five stars on average, which again, for a select-service product is a pretty amazing story.
“So, for us to be able to say we’ve nearly opened 50 hotels in two-and-a-half years is a statement that is not only relative to the innovation and strength of Starwood, but certainly the strength of our owners and operators who have been in it with us every single day and weathered times that were not forecasted. Without a doubt our position is extremely solid…this brand is truly positioned to be a category killer in 2011, 2012 and beyond. It’s only up for us,” said McGuinness.
—Stefani C. O’Connor