Lofty Hotel Concept Set for June Open

CSK Hotels of Fort Smith and general contractor, Crossland Construction, are in a race with crews in Montreal to complete the first Aloft Hotel. Aloft is a W Hotel, which a Starwood brand. Storm Nolan, a partner in CSK, said his Rogers location will open on June 26. The six-story hotel will have 130 rooms and one suite in a total of 68,000 SF. The final price tag will be about $13 million, Nolan said.

The Aloft is an ultra mod concept geared to capture a younger audience and business travelers weary of beige-on-gray box rooms. A recent tour of the unfinished hotel proves the concept’s “wow” factor is unlike anything else in Northwest Arkansas. The Aloft’s signature blue-and-yellow rainbow motif is carried throughout the lobby and lighting in corridors. The lobby, an open and inviting yet compact space, will feature a bar called the W xyz, a 62-inch Internet connected “virtual concierge,” and 24-hour grab-and-go eatery. There is a small pool and patio area, meeting space for about 40 people, and a larger-than-usual gym.

Jodi Lightner, director of sales and marketing for the Aloft, said the ideal is to get guests downstairs to mingle.

“It’s all about light and texture,” she said.

Rates will be reasonable considering the splashy look: from $99 on weekends to $139-$169 on weekdays. CSK, which includes partners Chris Whitt and Kayne Whitt, has tentative plans for an Aloft in Little Rock at the southwest corner of Scott and Markham streets. The group purchased the lot for $950,000 in a deal that closed April 30.

But plans for that $15 million project are on hold indefinitely. Apparently, the city of Little Rock has a $200,000 purchase option that dates back to August 1999 to buy the land for the construction of a parking deck if several requirements are met, according to the city’s attorney, Hal Kemp.