New hotel planned

[OurTulsa]

Hotel planned in retail mecca



 


By ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer
6/27/2007
Last Modified: 6/27/2007  3:40 AM


Aloft, with 140 units, will have a contemporary feel.


Tulsa will be among the first wave of cities across the world to receive a new, modernized hotel brand.

Ground will be broken soon at 71st Street and U.S. 169 for Aloft, a recently created subbrand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, said local hotel developer Andy Patel.

"The new hotel will cater to Generation X, Banana Republic people and middle-age business travelers," he said. "Tulsa doesn't have any hotels as contemporary as this."

The 140-unit facility, which will be the first Starwood hotel in Tulsa, is still in the planning stages and the ultimate development cost has yet to be determined, Patel said. He estimates it will be completed by late 2008 or early 2009.

Patel purchased 3.67 acres for the hotel for $960,000, according to CB Richard Ellis/Oklahoma. An additional 13 acres is for sale in seven lots for retail development.

None of the approximately 94 Aloft hotels planned around the world is open yet, but Patel said he has trust in the new brand.

"We were impressed by W, the Starwood hotel that preceded Aloft, and Starwood is a well-known brand," he said. "Their track record's very strong."

He's also not intimidated by the towering Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, which looms over U.S. 169 directly across from the Aloft site.

"The market should support both hotels," Patel said. "There are some loyal travelers who stay with Starwood wherever they travel, and many travelers prefer to stay along 71st Street because of the restaurants and shops."

Aloft hotels will have a modern, high-tech design. For example, each room will feature flat-screen televisions, wireless Internet and iPod docking stations.

Tulsa's hotel won't have a traditional restaurant, though a shop called Re:fuel will offer coffee, bottled beverages, pastries and pre-packaged salads and sandwiches. The lobby area will have an upscale bar dubbed "w xyz."

Patel also has plans for three additional hotels in the region. Two of them, both 85-unit Fairfield Inn and Suites, will be constructed in Muskogee and Bartlesville for just under $5 million apiece. Construction on each is expected to begin in September.

The Fairfield hotels, a brand by Marriott International Inc., will mark Patel's first development outside the immediate Tulsa area.

"It's a different experience for me, but the people from Marriott contacted me and wanted to see if I was interested," he said. "I saw a good opportunity there."

Patel has targeted a third future hotel at U.S. 75 and 71st Street, near the Tulsa Hills shopping center, which is under development. He hasn't yet decided on a brand or a specific floorplan.

"We decided to go into that area because of Tulsa Hills and the business offices already there," he said.

Patel operates La Quinta Inn & Suites at 6030 E. Skelly Drive, Fairfield Suites and Inn by Mariott-Woodland Hills at 9020 E. 71st St., and Homewood Suites by Hilton at 4900 W. Madison Place in Broken Arrow.


"The new hotel will cater to Generation X, Banana Republic people I thought most of these people avoided that area like the plague; at least the ones I've come in contact with usually do.  Seems like someone trying to do something hip would be served better in the Utica Sq., Brookside, or Blue Dome areas.  
Do people actually searching for contemporary nightlife consider going to a bar isolated on a highway?

[sgrizzle]

Wow.. the banana republic crowd..

Trendy for 1980.

I appreciate the thought but the location isn't good for a hotel that you want to be iconic and the building looks like all concrete prefab with a jump ramp on top of it. There was talk about putting a skybridge over 169 in that area at one point but I didn't know they were so desperate that they're just going to try and jump 169 instead.

[brunoflipper]

no kidding... having stayed at W's in four different cities, i can't possibly see how one would "fit in" in the middle of suburban-retail-sprawl-hell... and if the rates at the Aloft are on par with a W, they will not get local/regional guests in there... i'm afraid mr. patel might be in for a rude awakening... oh well, good luck buddy... hope i'm proven wrong...


hipster guest: so what is nearby?

concierge: mathis brothers...

hipster: huh? anything cool?

concierge: there is a giant church.

hipster: ummmm? what about for eats? maybe a drink? see some people...

concierge: you can go to braums or zio's. there is always sam's club. they usually have some hot old broads giving out really awesome samples.

hipster: great. nice town.

[TheArtist]

I love this brand of hotel.   http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/index.html

But, I would have loved to see something like it perhaps in the old Helmerich and Payne spot by Utica Square, which would be close to Brookside and Cherry Street as well.  Or it would be a great fit for the Towerview spot.  Would be nice to have a trendy "high tech" looking hotel right by our new Arena. Would definitely show some class for Tulsa. Regardless the Woodland Hills area is the worst place to put such a hotel.  I have run into many a young professional type from out of town who have been in that area and they absolutely curse it and say how desolate backwater and lame that area is.  I cant imagine the type of person that hotel would cater to would want to actually stay in that area. No way.

What really flummoxes me is the fact that there isnt a hotel in or around Utica Square.  The Hospital complex itself would be reason enough to have one nearby for the family members and visitors of people at the hospital.  Not to mention its the nicest area of town and would immediately become THE hotel I would recommend visitors stay at.  They would be close to many attractions plus, Brookside, Cherry, and downtown, so they could have things to see and do, plus they could just walk outside and have several places to eat and just relax in a beautiful, walkable environment. Most people end up going to that part of town anyway and I can't think of a single hotel nearby?  If I had the ability to build a hotel that vacant Helmerich and Payne spot would be the place.  

Perhaps I should give it a try, seems as though its easy to do lol. http://development.starwoodhotels.com/flash.html

[DM]

I don't see anything wrong with the location or the hotel. Renaissance seems to be doing pretty good. Close to the Ren convention center (I am sure they will have a shuttle), Asbury, and the UMAC. Not to mention all the stores and restaurants around.

I still think a trolly or something like that would be great along 71st between Memorial and Garnett.

It looks like they are getting ready to do something behind Mathis though too. Anyone know what this might be?

[sgrizzle]

The area is ripe for a hotel and the hotels in the area stay packed, but not for this kind of hotel.

We put iconic hotels behind best buy and kum-n-go on the river. That make sense?

[tulsa1603]

quote:Originally posted by OurTulsa

Hotel planned in retail mecca



 


By ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer
6/27/2007
Last Modified: 6/27/2007  3:40 AM


Aloft, with 140 units, will have a contemporary feel.


Tulsa will be among the first wave of cities across the world to receive a new, modernized hotel brand.

Ground will be broken soon at 71st Street and U.S. 169 for Aloft, a recently created subbrand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, said local hotel developer Andy Patel.

"The new hotel will cater to Generation X, Banana Republic people and middle-age business travelers," he said. "Tulsa doesn't have any hotels as contemporary as this."

The 140-unit facility, which will be the first Starwood hotel in Tulsa, is still in the planning stages and the ultimate development cost has yet to be determined, Patel said. He estimates it will be completed by late 2008 or early 2009.

Patel purchased 3.67 acres for the hotel for $960,000, according to CB Richard Ellis/Oklahoma. An additional 13 acres is for sale in seven lots for retail development.

None of the approximately 94 Aloft hotels planned around the world is open yet, but Patel said he has trust in the new brand.

"We were impressed by W, the Starwood hotel that preceded Aloft, and Starwood is a well-known brand," he said. "Their track record's very strong."

He's also not intimidated by the towering Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, which looms over U.S. 169 directly across from the Aloft site.

"The market should support both hotels," Patel said. "There are some loyal travelers who stay with Starwood wherever they travel, and many travelers prefer to stay along 71st Street because of the restaurants and shops."

Aloft hotels will have a modern, high-tech design. For example, each room will feature flat-screen televisions, wireless Internet and iPod docking stations.

Tulsa's hotel won't have a traditional restaurant, though a shop called Re:fuel will offer coffee, bottled beverages, pastries and pre-packaged salads and sandwiches. The lobby area will have an upscale bar dubbed "w xyz."

Patel also has plans for three additional hotels in the region. Two of them, both 85-unit Fairfield Inn and Suites, will be constructed in Muskogee and Bartlesville for just under $5 million apiece. Construction on each is expected to begin in September.

The Fairfield hotels, a brand by Marriott International Inc., will mark Patel's first development outside the immediate Tulsa area.

"It's a different experience for me, but the people from Marriott contacted me and wanted to see if I was interested," he said. "I saw a good opportunity there."

Patel has targeted a third future hotel at U.S. 75 and 71st Street, near the Tulsa Hills shopping center, which is under development. He hasn't yet decided on a brand or a specific floorplan.

"We decided to go into that area because of Tulsa Hills and the business offices already there," he said.

Patel operates La Quinta Inn & Suites at 6030 E. Skelly Drive, Fairfield Suites and Inn by Mariott-Woodland Hills at 9020 E. 71st St., and Homewood Suites by Hilton at 4900 W. Madison Place in Broken Arrow.


"The new hotel will cater to Generation X, Banana Republic people I thought most of these people avoided that area like the plague; at least the ones I've come in contact with usually do.  Seems like someone trying to do something hip would be served better in the Utica Sq., Brookside, or Blue Dome areas.  
Do people actually searching for contemporary nightlife consider going to a bar isolated on a highway?

Why are they building this there?  I think I fall squarely in the demographic they are trying to lure, and I think the location is wrong wrong wrong.  Should be closer to Brookside or downtown, or even Riverwalk, since that's where all the nightlife is.  What attractions are near this??  Woodland Hills Mall?  It ain't that special!  I guess my out of town friends (who also fit this demo) will continue to stay at the Doubletree downtown.

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by tulsa1603
Why are they building this there?  I think I fall squarely in the demographic they are trying to lure, and I think the location is wrong wrong wrong.  Should be closer to Brookside or downtown, or even Riverwalk, since that's where all the nightlife is.  What attractions are near this??  Woodland Hills Mall?  It ain't that special!  I guess my out of town friends (who also fit this demo) will continue to stay at the Doubletree downtown.

I, too, would NEVER stay at this hotel simply because of the location.  If I wanted to go to Woodland for nightlife, I'd rent one of the apartments across 71st St.  I'd take the downtown DoubleTree any day over this even though it doesn't have a pretentious name.  Perhaps the developer is too aloft himself to see what a nightmare 71st Street is.  Ew.

[TURobY]

Perhaps it would make sense for us young (and even old) professionals to contact the developer and give them our opinion. I know that developers can be a little protective about their decisions, but there might still be time to save the trainwreck in progress.

[OurTulsa]

I'm not sure how you serve this area efficiently with a trolly system.  Will it be door to door service?  Btwn what and what?  Will people really get off the trolly to walk in that automobile designed hell?  Anywhoo...

I see that he has purchased 3.67 acres.  There is the biggest issue with building infill; although I'm wondering why he didn't consider the Camelot site...  It would be very hard to accumulate 3.67 acres in any of our trendy areas and apparently he has no interest in being creative and designing something to fit into an existing context.  This parcel permits him to sprawl out and throw the parking area all around.  There really aren't many design challenges with this area whereas if he were to attempt to build this in City the prevailing mindset would say: 'Oh God, where do I put the parking lot?'  I have to consolidate my footprint?  And...unfortunately, if he were to attempt to insert this hotel, in any form, I think he, or anyone, would have major nimby issues around Brookside and Utica Sq.  Or at the very least there would be so many people interested in providing input on the development that it would scare away the typical developer (which in reviewing this guys existing hotels there is nothing to suggest that he would have the passion required to run the infill gauntlet).

With all that, this is still definitely NOT the area anyone looking for the hipster and contemporary generation goes to.

[PonderInc]

The "hippest" people I know stay at the Ambassador and the Savoy when they come to Tulsa.  

...but I think a lot of people with big hips stay down at 71st and Mingo...

(just kidding)

(sort of)

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by DM

I don't see anything wrong with the location or the hotel. Renaissance seems to be doing pretty good. Close to the Ren convention center (I am sure they will have a shuttle), Asbury, and the UMAC. Not to mention all the stores and restaurants around.

I still think a trolly or something like that would be great along 71st between Memorial and Garnett.

It looks like they are getting ready to do something behind Mathis though too. Anyone know what this might be?

I think everything you quoted as being reasons why this type of hotel would work are exactly the reasons why I would say it wouldn't. People who would be likely to want to stay in this hotel are the very same people that would most likely be appalled at staying at something like the Renaissance, I couldn't imagine them going to anything at the Ren Convention center, are defintiely not the "Asbury" type and wouldn't have ANY desire to go to any of the crappy suburban type stores you would find at the local "mall area" of some midwestern town.

Every town and medium sized city in the US has exactly the same cookie cutter sprawl, there is nothing unique about it or slightly desirable for the young urban demographic that would go to what this Aloft type hotel seems to want.  I know the TW article says its catering to the Bananna Republic/middle-age business travelers, but that statement in itself is either contradictory, or represents a very broad demographic lol.  How many middle-age businessmen would go to Bannana Republic?  How many YP's would go to a Bannanna Republic? Thats more the high school mall kids or early 20s suburbanites demographic, your urban YP wannabe's.

However, the Patels have several hotels already in the area and I can only imagine they know something about what they are doing.  There are a lot of YP types from other cities that have to come to Tulsa to train and for business. The companies do put a lot of them in that area of town to stay. It certainly does not give Tulsa a good image though when those types of visitors see that part of town. I would certainly prefer this type of Hotel be some where in a more urban or trendy setting than this "mall sprawl", but what can ya do.

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

The "hippest" people I know stay at the Ambassador and the Savoy when they come to Tulsa.  

...but I think a lot of people with big hips stay down at 71st and Mingo...

(just kidding)

(sort of)

I typically stay in a Doubletree wherever I go in the lower 48 as my first choice, Sheraton running a close second. Last time I came to visit T-Town, in fact, I stayed at Doubletree.

[azbadpuppy]

That article says it will be the first Starwood property in Tulsa- isn't there a Sheraton on 41st & the freeway?

I know there used to be at least 2 Sheratons in Tulsa along with a Westin, so technically it isn't the first.

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by DM

I don't see anything wrong with the location or the hotel. Renaissance seems to be doing pretty good. Close to the Ren convention center (I am sure they will have a shuttle), Asbury, and the UMAC. Not to mention all the stores and restaurants around.

I still think a trolly or something like that would be great along 71st between Memorial and Garnett.

It looks like they are getting ready to do something behind Mathis though too. Anyone know what this might be?

 i see the 71st st area eventually morphing into something like the Galleria in Houston...sans skyscrapers of course.  i think this new hotel feels the same way.

i second the trolly idea.  that would be the glue that brings this all together.