DALLAS, TX — A former Santa Fe Railroad freight terminal and commercial dry goods warehouse has become a193-room Aloft hotel, marking the Starwood brand's foray into adaptive reuse.
The 85-year-old, eight-story building in downtown Dallas with buff bricks, large windows and high ceilings is the setting for the latest Aloft hotel, a Starwood line featuring loft-like lodgings and decor that's intended to reflect a hip, urban feel.
Starwood launched Aloft in June 2008 as an alternative in the select service segment of the lodging industry. Other models in the niche include Courtyard by Marriott and Hyatt Place.
Starwood sought to keep the amenities and service level associated with such hotels as well as the general price range (a 285-square-foot room with a king bed at the new Aloft Dallas Downtown hotel had a posted rack rate of $199 a night early today) -- and overlay them with an element of urban chic in establishing the Aloft brand. The line now includes more than 30 properties in three countries, the company says.
Looking at older buildings with character, such as the Dallas site, as potential hotels could become a new model for the brand, according to the firm.
"In today`s challenging economic environment, adaptive re-use projects like the Aloft Dallas Downtown can offer developers significant advantages and provide great benefits to communities in search of urban renewal opportunities," Simon Turner, president of Global Development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., said in a statement.
"Through the redevelopment of historic or older structures, developers can gain access to prime real estate to create an innovative and historically meaningful hotel, while benefiting from unique zoning opportunities and public subsidies. We see great opportunities to use this approach in many cities throughout the world."
The hotel is owned by a joint venture involving the Dallas development companies Hamilton Properties Corporation and Sava Holdings, Ltd. The project to convert the property took three years and was led by an architecture and design team from One Group Design, LP. LEED certification is being sought for the property.
Aloft Hotel in Downtown Dallas -- Image courtesy of Aloft Hotels.