One of Starwood’s newest chain of hotels, Aloft, offers “jet-setting style” at a steal. With contemporary furnishings and modern designs, this sister hotel to the Sheraton promises a unique hotel stay for guests.
Recently, we visited the Aloft at the Baltimore-Washington Airport prior to a flight to Minneapolis. The room was booked online through the Aloft website. The reservation process was fairly easy. We booked the room within two weeks of our stay, however, and were then unable to cancel without a one-night, which seems to be a bit strict. The cost of the room was around $123 with tax, however, and that was one of the lowest prices in the vicinity of the airport.
The hotel offers Park and Ride services to BWI at no additional charge, so that meant we could leave our vehicle, take the shuttle from the hotel and not have to pay for airport parking, which was an added benefit.
Check-in was very easy. Be aware that you will need to show identification at check-in, and it must be the identification of the person whose name the reservation is made under.
The lobby was very bright and decorated in very contemporary, modern decor, with large, colorful furnishings, and lots of chrome and glass. There was a bar to the left of the registration desk with bright lighting, which appeared to offer a wide-range of cocktails. There is also a small area designated for convenience items, with pre-packaged meals such as Caesar salads, sandwiches and snacks, as well as sodas and bottled water. We would probably have used more of the facilities if we were not meeting friends for dinner.
We booked a double queen room and it did not disappoint. The room is very modern, and the beds were extremely comfortable. There is a large, flat screen television attached to the wall directly across from the beds. Our remote was not functioning, so when we left for dinner, we told the front desk that we thought the batteries needed changing. When we arrived back, the front desk clerk stopped us to let us know they had replaced the remote batteries. Unfortunately, that was not the problem as the remote still did not work. Since ours was only an overnight visit, we did not worry about the remote.
The room bathroom was one of the best features of the room, however, There is a glass, enclosed shower, and a sliding pocket door separates the room from the shower for privacy. Like the rest of the hotel, the bathroom has very contemporary fixtures and the teenage girls with us were more impressed with the bathroom than with the room.
There is an indoor swimming pool and fitness center, but due to our short stay, we did not use any of these facilities.
The hotel shuttle was prompt and delivered us to the airport quickly and efficiently. The driver helped us unload our luggage and was extremely friendly.
The Aloft at BWI is located at 1741 West Nursery Road in Linthicum, Maryland and is only about one mile from the airport.
For more information, visit www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3047.