As part of a Starwood Platinum Challenge (by staying 18 nights at Starwood Hotels within 3 months, you can earn top tier Platinum Status – as opposed to the normal 50 night annual requirement to earn Platinum Status…click here to learn more), I recently stayed at the Aloft Chapel Hill for a night to check this relatively new kid on the block.
It was built in 2010, and is right across the highway from the UNC Chapel Hill campus. Upon pulling up, I was greeted by the valet service, and headed inside to check in. I had never stayed at an Aloft hotel before, but I remember reading on their website a description of their lobby as being, “a vibrant, bold setting abuzz with activity.”
Hmm……right. I haven’t really seen many hotel lobbies that I would describe as “abuzz with activity.”
But in actuality, it really did have a good vibe….it was modern, bright, lively, and had an energetic feel to it. It wasn’t overcrowded or too busy by any means, but there were several couples at the bar, a group sitting on the couches, and a few people playing pool. Overall, I was impressed. These pictures below were taken the following morning, so the lobby was relatively empty then, but it gives you an idea of the space:
Check-in was friendly, although I had to wait about 5 minutes before someone was free to check me in. I was informed that both self parking and valet were the same price – $10 per night. I have to say that I was a bit surprised by the charge for parking, as we weren’t in the middle of Franklin Street or somewhere with severely limited parking. For 1 night, it wasn’t a big deal, but it’s something to keep in mind for a longer stay.
My room was on the 5th floor, a standard king room. Upon entering the room, the bathroom was immediately on the left. The sink area was open to the entryway; there was a door separating the toilet and shower.
Continuing into the room, a large flat screen TV was on the wall facing the king bed, which took up the majority of the rest of the room. It didn’t feel too claustrophobic, but certainly wasn’t overly spacious. There was a functional, moderate-sized workspace looking out over one of the windows.
Everything in the room was very clean, modern, and in good condition. The bed was extremely comfortable and had conveniently placed power outlets on both sides of the bed. One thing that struck me as a little odd, however, was that on the far side of the bed, the wall backed up to the shower, and the wall was simply frosted glass from floor to ceiling (to the right of the bed in the last picture above). Since this was a room with a single king bed, I’m guessing that most people staying in this type of room would either (a) be traveling solo or (b) traveling with a significant other. I’m not sure if other room types (such as with 2 queen beds) had the same frosted glass wall section, but I feel like this would be very odd if I was traveling with a friend/co-worker to be able to see partly through to the shower.
The hotel featured a good-sized gym (called re:charge) on the first floor that had all new equipment in very good condition. The treadmills and other machines featured built-in LCD TV screens, allowing you to plug in your own headphones and watch TV. Complimentary earbuds were also available on a shelf near the towels.
There was also a nice indoor pool with comfortable looking furniture. I thought lots of the small details were well-thought out, such as the tables next to the lounge chairs that were well designed for a laptop or tablet. There was a large, partly-enclosed sofa that looked a little odd in an indoor pool, but was a nice touch to offer a variety of seating around the pool.
Near the front desk was a very well-stocked cafe area (called re:fuel) with a variety of snacks, sandwiches, salads, drinks, and more. Prices for the items seemed reasonable (about $7-$9 for a sandwich or salad) when considering the convenience and variety available.
When I checked in and left my keys with the valet, he asked what time I would need my car. I told him I wouldn’t need it until around 9:00 the next morning. When I came downstairs the next morning a few minutes after 9 to check out, my car was lined up out front waiting for me. Little touches like this really go a long way in differentiating average hotels from above average hotels.
Other than the frosted glass shower “feature,” I was very pleased with the hotel. My rate was only $107 + tax, which was very reasonable. Service was very friendly, and the hotel truly does seem to go the extra step to make guests even more comfortable. I would definitely consider staying here again in the future, although I would want to check on the room/shower setup if I was traveling with a friend/co-worker.
Has anybody else stayed at this Aloft? How did your experience compare with mine?