Aloft Hotels Debuts in Tampa

STAMFORD, Conn.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Liberty Group announced that Starwood’s Aloft brand will soon debut in Tampa, Fla. Opening in early 2014 along the Tampa Riverwalk, Aloft Tampa Downtown will occupy the former Mercantile Bank office building as part of an adaptive re-use project developed, owned and managed by the Liberty Group in a joint-venture partnership with Convergent Capital Partners, which acquired the vacant office building earlier this year. Orlando-based Baker Barrios Architects has been selected as the lead architect and interior designer for the project.

Aloft Tampa Downtown will 130 loft-like rooms and will be the fifth Aloft in Florida, following the opening of Aloft Miami-Brickwell in 2013.

“We are thrilled to add Tampa to the Aloft brand’s rapidly growing list of destinations in Florida and look forward to working with Liberty Group on this exciting adaptive re-use project ,” said Brian McGuinness, senior vice president, speciality select brands for Starwood. “The go-to brand for savvy travelers, Aloft delivers high design, accessible technology and a social atmosphere.”

The project is a vision of joint-venture partners Punit Shah of Liberty Group and Santosh Govindaraju of Convergent Capital Partners. Collectively, the companies have invested over $550,000,000 in performing / sub-performing commercial mortgages and real estate including hotels, golf courses, multifamily, and office in just the past four years.

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For Liberty Group, Aloft Tampa Downtown represents yet another opportunity to adapt and reposition another distressed property in a prime location, having acquired more than 20 hotels throughout the United States since 2010.

Hotel amenities will include the Aloft brand’s signature w xyz sm bar located adjacent to the waterfront pool and a 24-hour fitness center. Aloft Tampa Downtown will also feature a 4,000 square foot rooftop flexible meeting and outdoor terrace area.

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