The first Aloft in Australia opened its doors today in Perth. The different-by-design hotel is part of the Starwood Hotel portfolio recently purchased by Marriott International Hotels. The hotel is located in the Springs, Rivervale which is near Crown casino, the airport and the city centre.
(For the best price on ALoft Perth, check the current rate here)
I’ve been watching the 224 room property being built over the last year so we decided to join the launch party on May 26th and review the hotel is a great addition and only the second SPG hotel in Perth which is great news for guest chasing status and points with Starwood Preferred Guest hotels.
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How Did I Book This Stay?
I booked this hotel 30 mints before checking in using my SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) points. The redemption was only 7000 SPG points with no added taxes. As you may know, SPG is a transfer partner for American Express Membership Rewards and you can transfer points at a 2:1 ratio. In this case it cost me 14,000 MR points for a 1 night stay, saving me $174. Alternatively you can use the free $200 travel credit that comes withe the Amex Platinum Edge credit card (currently this card has no annual fee and comes with 10,000 points when you sign up with this link ) to book your stay.
Aloft Perth Hotel Rooms
I booked a standard king room which is about 33-36sqm in size and features a chase lounge chair, 55inch flatscreen tv, dining table and a spacious bathroom. We checked in around 8PM and the launch party was in full swing at the downstairs XYZ bar. The check-in staff where friendly and polite but had some trouble figuring out that my booking was paid with points.
The room was nicely appointed and the interior designers have done a great job creating a functional space to stay and relax. Anya Brock art on the walls adds a touch of “Perth” to the overall aesthetic of the space. On the practical side, there are plenty of power points to be found all around the room with dedicated usb charging ports by the bedside tables. The floors in the bedroom are carpeted whilst the entry and bathroom has a wood-like tile which looked really nice.
Aloft Perth Hotel Bathroom
The bathroom is very spacious and well thought out with a built in open closet to hang your clothes and a shower with both a regular shower head and a rain shower.
Toiletries are by Bliss and nothing overly special. In fact, they look rather cheap and the design of them clashes with the rest of the hotel.
Lighting is on point and easily controlled, this means you won’t be hunting for light switches all over the place when you want to go asleep.
The room has excellent natural lighting with 3 massive floor to ceiling windows which make up the entire outward facing wall.
Aloft Perth Beds
The bed is a king size but definitely, on the smaller size, I’m an average size 180m tall but my feet stuck out a bit while sleeping. Four pillows are provided but unfortunately, they are all the same size and thickness. I think hotels should at least offer a choice of 2 pillows to suit their guests. Luckily the pillows themselves weren’t too bad and didn’t hinder my sleep. I would say they are probably of medium thickness.
My biggest issue with the room was the linen. It was terrible! Just imagine sleeping on sandpaper, that’s exactly what it felt like. I noticed the linen is provided by Atlas Linen so either their product is bad or Aloft opted for the cheapest option possible. It’s not a hard thing to fix and would make a huge difference to someone’s stay. Unless of course you like the feeling of being exfoliated with every turn?
Aloft Perth Rooftop Bar
Aloft Perth has a great rooftop ballroom for events and they showcased exactly that with their opening launch party. The space is pretty big and has a huge outdoor terrace overlooking Perth city skyline and the river. It’s unfortunate that this space is not just an outdoor lounge area for guest on a day to day basis.
Aloft Perth Hotel Gym
One the first level of Aloft Perth there’s a full size gym which was very well equipped by hotel standards. I’ve come to expect a lousy treadmill in most hotel gyms but Aloft have stepped it up a level. So if a good gym facility is important to you, Aloft won’t disappoint.
Aloft Perth Conference Rooms
Meeting spaces and conference rooms can be found on level 1 as well, which come in a variety of sizes to suit small to medium groups. The ground floor features a small swimming pool which is built in a really awkward and shady spot right by the street. There’s also a outdoor lounge with sun chairs but I doubt the area gets much sun at all.
Aloft Perth Breakfast
To the right of the reception is the breakfast area which flows into a cafe/restaurant which is open to both guests and locals. The whole space has a nice functional design and open areas flow into each other.
Breakfast itself was a buffet style situation with plenty of choice for everyone. The cafe area will make you any type of coffee on request and it’s included with the breakfast.
My overall first impression of Aloft Perth was very positive. If you don’t need to be directly in the city, the location is pretty good and only 5 minutes from the domestic airport and about 10 minutes from the international terminals. The rooms are generously sized and beautifully designed. The one and only let down was the linen, please get rid of the sandpaper Aloft! I’m happy to see a second SPG property in Perth and look forward to the third one opening up in 2018 with Westin.
