Image by Andi ErrolImage by 20080928aloft.jpg

The brand spankin' new aloft Hotel, a vision of W Hotels, in North Charleston was lit up like Paris' Centre Georges Pompidou on Thursday night. With hip rooms, special parking places for hybrid vehicles, an amazing staff, and signature bar, aloft will kick corporate training in Charleston up a few notches.

They say: aloft Hotels is the forward-thinking alternative to the typical travel destination. With its loft-inspired design and free-flowing energy, aloft lets guests customize their stay and celebrate their style.

The details:
WHO: aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center – Starwood Hotels and Resort, a vision of the sleek, modern W Hotels
WHAT: Charleston Premiere aloft Party
WHEN: Thursday, September 25, 2008
WHERE: North Charleston
WHY: grand opening; plus a line-up of internationally known DJs
INFO: aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center, 4875 Tanger Outlet Boulevard, (843) 566-7300For their Charleston premiere, aloft rolled out the red carpet. Welcoming the A-list hospitality, tourism, and media industries to the Preview Party from 6 to 8 p.m. Those lucky VIP guests enjoyed specialty drinks (Brown-Eyed Girl and Wild Blueberry cocktails) from the aloft wxyz bar, hors d'oeuvres from the aloft re:fuel snack area, room & hotel tours, and beats from local 95SX radio personality and producer, DJ Mike Kruz. At 8 p.m. the doors opened to the public and the VIP guests were invited to enjoy access to the private A-list Suite with a dedicated bar and fresh rolled sushi.

The Charleston Premiere aloft Party was a fundraising event that had local residents lining up at the door, abuzz. General admission to the Charleston premiere was $8 in advance and $13 at the door, with $3 from every ticket and $5 from every "red ribbon" martini and then $1 from every other drink donated to the Lowcountry AIDS Services. Aloft was also offering a swanky "Party Package" which included 2 tickets to the bash, special room rates, and breakfast for two. Local gallery Eye Level Art provided the contemporary onsite art installation, and international Diva DJs Kelly Trance and Annalyze kept the party rocking until 2 a.m. -- even inciting a midparty, spontaneous breakdancing battle in the middle of the lobby. Go Charleston!

Aloft may not be a destination hotel for your parents, but keep your fingers crossed your company will put the hip locale on their list for meetings, trainings, and holiday parties. Check their website for upcoming weekly DJ parties, hoping to lure local tri-county residents from their suburban abodes.

Check it out for yourself! Aloft Hotel amenities include: re:fuel, a 24-hour grab and go gourmet eatery, wxyz, their uber hip bar, re:mix, an interactive lobby, 42" LCD TVs in every room, VIP hybrid vehicle parking, in-touch info kiosks, loft style crash pads, re:charge gym, splash indoor pool with oversized pod lounges, camp aloft for kids, and arf pet program, all set to the tune of their green eco program. My favorite item in the hotel: The Standby = Trojan-enz condom, Astroglide packet, lip balm, and altoids. Perfect for the corporate work environment. They should have called it "Climbing the Corporate Ladder."