A Review of Aloft Hotel: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

My husband Bill and I spent Memorial Day weekend traveling from our home in Georgia to Virginia and back again. I wish I could say our travel was for pleasure, but the purpose of our trip was to take care of some family business. Until last Friday, my dad was being hospitalized at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. My sister lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a town very close to Duke University, and was hosting my mother at her home. Bill and I figured Chapel Hill would be a good place for us to stop on the way up to Virginia. I also wanted to stop in Chapel Hill because I wanted the chance to stop by A Southern Season, which is a very nice gourmet store in Chapel Hill.

Ordinarily, Bill and I tend to stay in Hilton properties because Bill collects Hilton HHonors points. However, Bill also collects Delta frequent flyer points. He got an email from them letting him know that he would get some bonus Delta points if he became a member of Starwood Hotels and Resorts rewards program, Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG), and booked at least three nights before the end of the summer. Bill decided to take Delta up on their offer and joined SPG. We decided that this trip to Virginia was the perfect chance to get one of those required hotel stays out of the way. Originally, we were considering staying at a Sheraton in Durham or Chapel Hill, but then Bill spotted an ad for Aloft Chapel Hill, a brand new hotel owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts and run under the brand's W division.

The Aloft brand

The Aloft brand is billed as a mid-scale, urban style business/boutique hotel. Launched in 2005, Aloft hotels are noted for their young, hip, splashy styled lobbies and tech-friendly rooms with free WiFi Internet access, 42 inch flatscreen LCD televisions, and 24/7 business services. Aloft Hotels are trendy, with piped in techno music, modern decor, full sized bars, pool tables, and plug and play outlets in the room.

Aloft Chapel Hill

We only needed to stay one night at Aloft Chapel Hill, a property that as of this writing has only been open for about a month. Located at 1001 South Hamilton Road in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Aloft Chapel Hill is right next to a new looking upscale shopping area that also appeared to have a number of higher end apartments or condominiums available. The hotel shares an underground parking garage with this shopping area. Parking is free for Aloft guests.

Check in at Aloft Chapel Hill is 3:00pm. We arrived at about 5:00, feeling tired and in need of a rest. We entered the lobby and immediately head the pulsating sounds of techno music, which I felt was turned up a hair too loudly. We approached the "Aloha Desk", which is just another name for the check in area. It's staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The clerk was on the phone, so I alerted Bill to the self-serve check in, which was near the desk. The self-serve check in allows guests to check into or out of the hotel as well as check in and print boarding passes for airlines. I thought that was pretty handy. The clerk rang off before we had a chance to take a closer look at the self-serve check in.

Our room

We were assigned room 502. Eager to unload our bags and get freshened up, we hurried to the elevator, where the music was still pumping. I was beginning to feel like I was checking into a gymnasium instead of a hotel. Luckily, the music was not piped into the halls.

Our room at Aloft Chapel Hill was decorated in bold colors: blues, purples, greens, and yellows. The room featured a king sized bed with a fluffy white duvet stuffed with polyester fill. Mounted on the wall was a 42 inch high definition television loaded with lots of channels, including several by Showtime. There were two windows that offered a nice view of the shopping area below. Under the television, there was a futon bench. I can't imagine anyone actually sitting there, but the funky style seemed to go well with the decor. There was a light blue retro looking alarm clock on one nightstand, while the other supported a telephone. A desk in the corner also had a telephone and a place to plug in all the gadgets we can no longer live without.

The bed was very comfortable. Bill and I slept very well and we appreciated the excellent television.

The bathroom

The bathroom has a toilet and a walk in shower. There's no bathtub, but the shower head at the Aloft Chapel Hill was great, giving a hot shower with plenty of water pressure and heat. There were two squeeze bottles mounted on the wall, offering shampoo and body wash from Bliss Spa. A sliding door offered privacy. The sink was located outside the water closet, a style I think is very convenient, since it allows people to do their bathing and toileting in private while not depriving another guest the opportunity to use the sink.

Storage and other stuff

There's a wall behind the sink with closet space and shelves with a coffee maker and a safe. A small refrigerator is under the sink area. There are also regular wastebaskets and recycling baskets. The only thing missing was a microwave, though guests can use one down in the Re: Fuel area in the lobby.

The bar

Bill and I decided to go have a drink at the bar, so we headed back down to the lobby, where the bar was open for business. When Bill ordered a Manhattan, the bored looking bartender informed him that she didn't have any bitters, though they were on order. Bill said that was okay. I opted for a Chimay and the bartender told me she only had two left. Later, when I asked for a Delirium Tremens, I was told that they were out of them.

There's a pool table in the lobby, which some people were taking advantage of. I also noticed a small display near the Aloha Desk, which contained things like toiletries, over the counter drugs, and even some travel games for kids.

Dinner

Aloft Hotels don't have a full restaurant. Instead, they have what they call "Re: Fuel", which is a grab and go type food outlet where patrons can purchase light food and beverages. Bill and I decided to see if there was anything to eat in the shopping area. Unfortunately, the area is still being populated and a lot of businesses aren't quite up and running yet. We ended up eating dinner at Saffron, a brand new Indian restaurant that was on its second night of business when we stopped by. I can definitely recommend Saffron if you like Indian food.

Aside from Saffron, there was a deli that was slated to be open for business soon. A strip mall nearby offers a Thai restaurant. It's close enough to walk to if you're so inclined.

Staying in Shape

Aloft Chapel Hill has Re: Charge, a small gym open 24/7 and equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and stairclimbers, as well as strength machines and free weights. Those who like to jog can use the jogging trail directly outside of the hotel. There's also a small indoor pool.

For kids...

Aloft Hotels definitely have a youthful appeal. For that reason, it should be no surprise that Aloft offers a program for kids called Camp Aloft. Kids who stay at Aloft get air mattresses, goodie bags, kid friendly food options, and access to the splash pool.

Checking out

Our checkout went smoothly until it was time to get out of the parking garage. For some reason, the gate wouldn't open for Bill and he had to get an Aloft staffer to help him get out of the garage.

Overall

Our night at Aloft Chapel Hill cost about $142. We were left with a good enough impression of the brand to try a stay at another Aloft location in Charlotte, North Carolina on our way back to Georgia. I would recommend Aloft Chapel Hill to travelers seeking a mid scale hotel that caters to tech savvy clientele. I would not recommend Aloft to those who don't like a "hip vibe", loud music, or self-service.

For more information: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/index.html