http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2009-11-24T04:16:47Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Aloft%20Hotels http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/13/91735/734 <![CDATA[<p>In many cities, a suburban stay equals hours on the train each morning and night. But <b>Washington D.C.</b> is small enough that its closest suburbs are often destinations in their own rights &#151; from Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, to downtown Bethesda, Maryland. Throw in D.C.&#146;s crime-ridden rap, combined with the suburbs-serving Metro, and suddenly it makes sense why so many D.C. tourists actually spend the night in a neighboring city (where, ahem, the residents have the right to vote).<p> <p>Of course, this is hardly a secret; so if you&#146;re looking to the suburbs for a no-frills deal, stick to family-friendly classics. Otherwise, here are our picks for five convenient suburban DC hotels that offer more than just a free (stale) KatieK 2009-11-13T16:00:19-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/9/102650/5599 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/17697/aloft.jpg" class="top"></p> <p>Remember when we were sorta obsessed with the idea of <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/aloft%20hotels"><strong>Aloft Hotels</strong></a> taking over the world? The recession may have <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/6/17/177/08090/hotels/Brands_Born_in_the_Recession_Where_Are_They_Now_">thrown a hitch</a> in that plan &#151; at least for the time being &#151; but it seems world domination is alive and well in the Dallas area, where the brand&#146;s <i>fourth hotel</i>, <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Aloft+Dallas+Downtown/local/1559"><b>The Aloft Dallas Downtown</b></a> has just opened its doors.</p> <p>The newest Aloft has us excited for two reasons: 1) it&#146;s actually located in downtown Dallas, not out in the boonies; and 2) it&#146;s the first Aloft to also be adaptive re-use, an endeavor the brand apparently has plans to continue with future projects. Operating out of a 1924 railroad freight depot and KatieK 2009-09-09T11:58:50-05:00 32.7767499 -96.802310 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/8/11/155057/135 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/aloftsignage.jpg" class="top"><p> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/city/portland><b>Portland</b></a> is a city that&#146;s all about driving less, biking more. With a bike network of more than 260 miles and nearly 40 miles of bike lanes, the city makes it easy for its biking community to pedal where they need to go.<br> <br> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/9/30/151517/421/hotels/Six_Hip_Hotels_to_Hit_Up_in_Portland"><b>Aloft Portland Airport at Cascade Station</b></a> is trying to make transportation even easier for PDX residents with the country's first ever <b>&#147;Bike & Fly&#148;</b> program. With the purchase of a one-night stay (starting at $130), guests departing Portland International Airport can stash their bikes in a secure bike parking storage area for up to 14 days. The city&#146;s MAX light rail line conveniently stops right in front of Aloft.<p> This all globetrotting gourmet 2009-08-12T08:57:26-05:00 45.5735504 -122.56086 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/6/17/177/08090 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/2009BER.jpg" class="top"><p> It's no secret that the economy has had a <i>massive</i> impact on the hotel industry. Hotel openings have been delayed; construction has been halted on properties in development; jobs have been lost; room rates have been slashed &#151; but the last several years also saw a boom in the introduction of new brands and a handful of entirely new, supposedly game-changing segments (the "budget chic" pack, for example). <p>Naturally, with the introduction of each new brand came a wave of hype and some big, <i>big</i> expansion plans &#151; and then came the recession. Needless to say, those big plans changed. <p>Here's a look at the current state of some of those newer brands &#151; a progress report, Jenna 2009-06-22T13:16:58-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/6/12/95515/3874 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/elementhouston.jpg" class="top"> <p>Not to bum you out on a Friday or anything, but we were hearing some sorta-sad whispers about a pack of budget hotels planned for Manhattan that are getting seriously delayed. Specifically, budget hotel guru <b><A href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Sam%20Chang">Sam Chang</a></b> &#151; the dude behind many, many affordable hotel developments in the NYC area &#151; and his McSam Hotel Group have delayed starting construction on five projects planned for Manhattan. We already knew McSam's <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Tri-Pack%20Hotel">Tri-Pack </a></b>hotel was having some issues and delays, but some of the upcoming hotels are already facing major setbacks before any shovels have hit the dirt. <p>But what hotels are they? We took a lookie-look at the glorious <a href="http://www.hvs.com/staticcontent/library/nyu2009/survey/NewSupply.html">HVS Hotel Market Overview</a> this morning Jenna 2009-06-12T10:49:00-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/