Quite a few noteworthy openings have come across our desks recently. Here's a quick round-up of the latest and greatest.
Aloft London Excel
Aloft’s first property in the United Kingdom has opened with time to spare before the 2012 Olympics. Located close to Olympic Park in East London, the 252-room Aloft comes with the brand’s namesake loft-like guest rooms, signature grab-and-go food pantry, free Wi-Fi, and, best of all, affordable nightly rates averaging around $200.
Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach
In December, Hyatt introduces its first Hawaii property in happening Honolulu on the island of Oahu. Located across the southern end of Waikiki Beach, the two-towered hotel affords ocean views and a whopping 426 rooms. Nightly rates start from $174.
Armani Hotel Milano
Following the success of its premier property, Armani Hotel Dubai (the tallest building in the world), collaborative team Giorgio Armani and Emaar Properties debuted their second hotel, Armani Hotel Milano, yesterday. The transformed palazzo fosters the iconic designer’s sleek style. All 95 rooms and suites (touted as the largest guest rooms in the city) feature a small foyer, Asian limestone floors, backlit head boards, and beautiful bathrooms with one-way glass showers (you can see out from within the shower, but not in from outside). Nightly rates start from €500.
PUBLIC Chicago
We covered news of Ian Schrager’s new hotel brand launch this spring. The first of the buzzworthy collection opened last month in Chicago. Expect Schrager’s inimitable style on a paired-down scale and extremely reasonable pricing. Preview rates start from $135/night.