Aloft Hotels is a lifestyle hotel brand owned by Marriott International, conceived in 2005 by Starwood Hotels as a division of W Hotels and positioned as “a vision of W Hotels.”[1] The concept was developed in 2005, with the first property opening at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport in 2008.[1] The brand is known for its modern architecture and for giving basic amenities playful names, such as calling its swimming pool the “splash.”[1]
Design and History
The Aloft name and logo were developed over nearly a year in collaboration with the Starwood team, with hundreds of names and directions explored before the final concept was chosen.[2] Creative director Naoto Ono, whose work included naming the brand and creating comprehensive global style guides, describes the logo as the consistent element that keeps Aloft properties identifiable around the world as the brand grows.[2]
Early trademark filings from December 2005 document two distinct marks: “ALOFT LOGO W/W HOTELS” and “ALOFT (SLANTED) LOGO,” both registered in 2006 and 2007 respectively.[3][4] These filings confirm that the wordmark-based identity was established during the brand’s development phase under Starwood, before the first hotel opened.
Years later, after Marriott International acquired Starwood, the brand underwent a strategic and visual refresh. Marriott hired architecture and design firm Danny Forster & Architecture to re-imagine the story and elevate the experience of Aloft Hotels, developing a fresh, contemporary identity that wove music, art, and social media throughout the guest experience.[5] Separately, Cummins&Partners NYC led a redefinition of Aloft’s strategy and visual identity, with the resulting identity described as “fun, expressive, and unapologetically different,” celebrating the brand’s commitment to being “different by design.”[6] The “different by design” positioning has since been used consistently in Marriott’s communications about the brand.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The current Aloft identity is built around the “different by design” brand philosophy, which Marriott describes as championing personality and passion for music while injecting personality into each property.[7] The brand’s design approach is characterized as a vibrant mix of urban-influenced modernist style with a bold yet sophisticated use of colour.[8]
Documented color information for the Aloft brand assets includes a dark gray tone (hex #32373C, named “Outer Space”) and a light blue tone (hex #8ED1FC, named “Malibu”).[9] These colors appear in the brand’s digital asset library, though Marriott has not published an official interpretation of their symbolic meaning.
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
