Aloft hotel partners with local companies in new contemporary space at Newport on the Levee

NEWPORT, Ky. -- The impression when you walk into Newport's newest hotel is that it's young, contemporary, vibrant.

 

That's pretty much the crowd it seeks -- millennials traveling for business or fun with a desire to socialize and take advantage of what the 144-room Aloft has to offer. The new hotel, at 201 E. Third St. at Newport on the Levee, opens Tuesday.

Partnerships are a big part of the hotel's business style -- local beer, bourbon, art and room service that includes selections from Hofbrauhaus, located across the street.

 

Proximity to the famous German beer hall was only one reason why Newport was chosen as the location.

 

"Newport is already a great entertainment district," Aloft General Manager Kris Thomas said. "We figured that a nice four-star, four-diamond hotel would work here. There's some nice hotels here, but nothing like Aloft."

 

Having the Reds and Bengals just across the river was another plus. Thomas hopes fans stop by Aloft before or after the game.

 

"We're hoping they park here," he said.

 

The  lobby, the heart of this new hotel at Newport on the Levee, is a giant open space that houses guest

services, a breakfast bar, a bar, hangout space and a pool table. Nearby, guests have access to a state-of-the-art workout room and salt water swimming pool.

 

"One of the elements of Aloft is that there are no walls, you walk in the front door and you see the the check-in station, you see the bar,"  Thomas said as he looked around the lobby while workers buzzed around prepping for Tuesday's opening day.

 

"We actually have nice rooms but we don't want you to stay in your rooms too long," Thomas said with a laugh.

 

All the spaces throughout the hotel have inventive names -- part of  redefining and reinventing the hotel experience. The hotel's main space is called Sassy Savvy, for instance. The continental breakfast area is called Refuel, the lobby is called Remix and a 2,200-square foot event space is called Tactic. The gym is Recharge.

 

"When you're in our lobby space we want you to experience the community -- Cincinnati and Kentucky," Director of Sales Amber Badgett said.

 

Hotel officials say partnerships partnerships will make the hotel different.

 

Thomas said officials are working with New Riff Distillery to book rooms for events held at New Riff just a few blocks to the east.

 

Hannah Lowen, general manager at New Riff Distillery, said New Riff leaders are excited “to have such a fun, unique, modern hotel in the neighborhood.”

 

New Riff plays host to weddings as well as other events, and Lowen said having more hotel options in Newport is a good thing.

 

Hofbrauhaus will provide room service and they hope to team with Southbank Partners to host events on the Purple People Bridge.

 

WXYZ, the bar on one side of the giant room, will serve bar food along with more than 70 Bourbons, as well as local beers (think hamburgers and Braxton or Rhinegeist).

 

Expect live music on the weekends. Thomas said hotel leaders hoping to draw from visitors at the Levee and residents from Aqua.

 

Guests can also enjoy local art as part of a partnership with Art on the Levee, and they can purchase a piece if they fall in love, Badgett said.

 

"It was a great opportunity," said Francisco Marziano, manager at Art on the Levee. An art display at  Aloft will rotate among the 150 artists at the store, which is right inside the main Levee.

 

"Everything on that wall is for sale," Marziano said. "And there's much more to see next door."

 

Rooms are contemporary, with slate and carpet floors, white linens and a punch of color. The six suites also have

leather sofas with room for the family to hang out.

 

Badgett said that guests with young children can expect a kid-sized tent and games in their room, and those with pets can stay in rooms on the second level, where all the floors are hard surface (just in case).

 

This Aloft, which is owned and managed by Musselman Hotels out of Louisville, is one of about 200 across the world with the same name. Musselman operates 16 hotels across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.

 

The new hotel is part of an $80 million mixed-use development that began construction in November 2014. Aqua's high-end apartments also are part of that development and will share a parking garage with Aloft.

 

When all is  said and done, the hotel will employee about 50 people. Rooms at Aloft start at about $149 per night, Badgett said. The hotel is offering a special to celebrate its opening starting at $99.