Consider it a hostel - but more expensive
I've like the Starwood brand for many years and was eager to try out their aLoft brand. Here's the scoop - it's a hotel where NO ONE does anything for you. You take your bags to your room with airport-styled luggage carts, you pick up ice in small bags from the lobby and bring the dripping bag back to your room, no valet, no nothing. Now if the price reflected all this lack of service, that would be one thing, but it's not a cheap hotel. It's is to a hotel what an ATM is to banking. No one at this hotel is helpful in any way. During my stay, the building's fire alarm was pulled by a drunken wedding guest at 3:30 in the morning. After hoofing down 9 flights of stairs (and then back up) the staff was as unhelpful as they could be. Hotel security is nonexistent so their was no guidance from anyone. aLoft? aNO.