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Aloft Hotel in the Triangle?


DanRNC

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Winston Hotels is looking to launch an Aloft Hotel and wants to put in Raleigh. It is described as uber chic and may complement the more conventional hotels already proposed or being constructed. I really don't see a market in Durham or Chapel Hill at this point for this kind of hotel.

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I could see a cool yet sleek hotel being built by this company in downtown Raleigh. But I have a feeling that they may start out small and build a less than 100 room hotel in a more pricey area of Durham, RTP or Chapel Hill first. Not my preference, but I think Raleigh isn't as chic a market for them yet? Unless again, they choose downtown Raleigh! God I wish they would build something as stunning in architecture as the Soleil Center at Crabtree. (Yes of course I know they won't build anything that tall for just a hotel) Just dreaming! :wub:

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Interesting, their first choice for a site was in Durham. Since this is a limited service hotel its economics will work most anywhere in Durham and Raleigh that is near a concentration of workers. This hotel is geared for the business traveller. Think new generation Hampton Inn.

They are building one of these in Charlotte as part of the EpiCentre development. It will be 10 stories tall on top of a 5 story office building.

www.alofthotels.com

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Chapel Hill would be a dumb move given the Franklin Hotel's new high-end presence on Franklin St. Durham? Chic hotel?? Where? As for Raleigh, Bob seems to have absolutely no faith in downtown and acts like it is just a place to go to church on Sunday. His family made all of their money way, way, way outside the beltline, so their heart really isn't in it.

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I could see that in downtown Durham. Downtown Raleigh has two hotels and at least two more on the way. Durham? They have Mariott and....well that's about it. And with ADF and all the film festivals at the Carolina, plus the new performing arts theatre coming, they really could use more.

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I could maybe see it in the ATHD area or on Erwin Rd. across from DUMC. Currently the only place for folks visiting Duke to stay are the Washington Duke and the Millenium. The concept kind of fits with the Lofts at Lakeview.Pavillion East vibe-in addition there was talk of placing a hotel adjacent to these developments.
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From the website, I couldn't tell if Aloft was "W for the rest of us" or "W-like with different room dimensions".

The Google map for Durham hotels shows a concentration along the 15-501 and 40 corridors.

Hotels in/near downtown Durham have come and gone. The city is currently tearing down theHeart-of-Durham. Scroll down to the second half of this blog post on the hotel. I ate at the buffet at the Four Flames restaurant for brunch my junior year at NCSSM. The Durham Bulls, ADF, etc. apparently were not enough to draw enough business to keep it going. There were plans for condos on the site, but that fell though due to lack of funding.

There was a proposed extended stay hotel/condo complex between Brightleaf and Trinity Park. It seems like a "bait and switch" from what the developer proposed to the neighbors vs. what they are showing currently. If the space for the condos was used for the hotel, the aloft concept could work there.

Duke could build a hotel on Central Campus. It would not compete with existing businesses on/near 9th Street. It could serve the hospital, campus (family visits), and be a short train ride from downtown.

The Durham Rescue Mission converted the hotel at Avondale and I-85 into living quarters.

(Edited to add Central Campus comment)

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I don't think you will see a hotel on Central Campus due to the sh-tstorm it would cause from current hotel/motel operators. Duke would most likely not want to siphon any potential business away from the Washington Duke as well. Like I said previously, I could see it across the street from the biomed/DUMC campus on Erwin adjacent to Erwin Terrace, Pavillion East, and the Lofts at Lakeview. It would serve as a nice alternative from either extemely high end (Washington Duke) or low end (Brookwood Inn) for people visiting hospital patients as well as faculty visitors, law school/med school/grad school/prof school applicants and visiting faculty. We put up a VIP speaker at the Washington Duke and it costs us $700 for 2 nights.

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Chapel Hill would be a dumb move given the Franklin Hotel's new high-end presence on Franklin St. Durham? Chic hotel?? Where? As for Raleigh, Bob seems to have absolutely no faith in downtown and acts like it is just a place to go to church on Sunday. His family made all of their money way, way, way outside the beltline, so their heart really isn't in it.
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I think Winston and Starwood are going to butt heads over where it is going to go.....Starwood says it will be picky about where it will put one but Winston's first choice for the area was off Page Rd? I think we all see what Bob never will...that an Aloft belongs somewhere like Glenwood South..space permitting.

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From the website, I couldn't tell if Aloft was "W for the rest of us" or "W-like with different room dimensions".

The Google map for Durham hotels shows a concentration along the 15-501 and 40 corridors.

Hotels in/near downtown Durham have come and gone. The city is currently tearing down theHeart-of-Durham. Scroll down to the second half of this blog post on the hotel. I ate at the buffet at the Four Flames restaurant for brunch my junior year at NCSSM. The Durham Bulls, ADF, etc. apparently were not enough to draw enough business to keep it going. There were plans for condos on the site, but that fell though due to lack of funding.

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I agree with the comments about Glenwood So. Sounds like the best place to start with this concept in the Triangle. Put one there, then, if it's successful, move to Durham. I would wait a couple of years for ATHD to mature and for the completion of the Performing arts center before putting one of these in DT Durham.

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I agree with the comments about Glenwood So. Sounds like the best place to start with this concept in the Triangle. Put one there, then, if it's successful, move to Durham. I would wait a couple of years for ATHD to mature and for the completion of the Performing arts center before putting one of these in DT Durham.
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I can recall an article about the potential site of a hotel on Genwood south next to 510 at the Tucker St corner at the bottom of the hill. It's a 2 story brick office building now, but it's had a sign up for a while now looking for the right deal. I think that would be as good a spot as any. Walking over there by 222 last night, it's now much easier to envision the densities and building heights increasing all along the GlenSo strip.
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Hello UP been checking the forum out for a well finally decided to join.

I definately think that an Aloft hotel would fit into DT Durham because there really is nowhere else in the core except the Marriott. With both Duke and NCCU right outside of DT Durham it could do well, not even mentioning all the festivals and major events going on in Durham.

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Can someone please explain to me how staying at a hotel near an airport is "young" or "chic"? When I first read Dana's post I thought he was being overly cynical, but it turns out he was spot on.

And while you're at it, please explain WTH that headline means. I've read it a dozen times and can't figure out what its trying to say.

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I am not surprised that this new hotel will be located near RTP and the airport. I used to work for Marriott in the Triangle and the greatest demand in the Triangle market was RTP and the airport. The hotels there are doing awesome and Winston Hotels can see that. Especially with Lenovo moving their HQ to Perimeter Park....that will create even more demand.

I hope that soon the DT markets become more lucrative....I think with RBC moving in...you can bet on other hotels moving to DT Raleigh...such as a Courtyard or even an aloft.

I am now in the DC market...and all the aloft hotels planned here are in Surburban office parks as well. It doesnt seem that they want to focus on Downtown areas...which sucks.

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One more OTB piece of Bob Winston's roots is that he went to Ravenscroft. His brother's restaurant is across from North Ridge CC. So....you-know-where will freeze over when our local hotel mogul actually acknowledges the downtown area.

Just to add...he is a nice guy on a personal level. He's good a making money, but an artist with a cause, he is not.

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Can someone please explain to me how staying at a hotel near an airport is "young" or "chic"? When I first read Dana's post I thought he was being overly cynical, but it turns out he was spot on.

And while you're at it, please explain WTH that headline means. I've read it a dozen times and can't figure out what its trying to say.

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