See green with aloft

Luxury travel sometimes has its  limitations for those wishing to be  environmentally conscious.  aloft, however, has announced a “see green” program with  this issue  in mind. The scheme promotes ecologically friendly products and services, and highlights green-friendly  options both inside and outside the hotels. The parking area outside is adorned with a variety of deciduous trees and shrubbery.  A ‘backyard’ helps  to reduce noise pollution and provides guests with an opportunity to stop and take a breath of fresh air. There will also be a special area of parking reserved specifically for hybrid cars, raising awareness of the benefits of environmentally friendly vehicles. Furthermore,  aloft is in discussions with a number of car companies to provide a hybrid aloft “house car” at each location, available to interested guests. Eco-friendly cleaning agents  and reusable cleaning cloths instead of paper towels are available to those wishing to clean their cars, and each aloft hotel has its own laundry facilities where Seventh Generation eco-friendly detergent has been established as the brand standard. The first aloft hotel from Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to open in early 2008, with 500 properties worldwide expected by 2012.