Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and its new lifestyle brand, aloft(sm) hotels, celebrated the groundbreaking on a new aloft hotel in Chantilly, Va., immediately south of the Dulles International Airport and the National Air and Space Museum. Developed and owned by Columbus, Md.-headquartered Ampac Group, aloft Dulles South is scheduled to open in spring 2009. Marshall Management will operate the hotel, as well as provide construction oversight and pre-opening services.

"aloft Dulles South will bring its definitive sense of style and urban sensibility to dynamic western Fairfax county, one of the most rapidly growing areas in the country," said Brian McGuinness, Vice President of aloft and element hotels worldwide. "Custom-designed for forward-thinking travelers, aloft provides a fresh, new lodging alternative that fits in well with the cutting-edge development and technology that dominates the area.

"The aloft brand is the next generation of hotels, offering a combination of innovative lifestyle options, a technology-rich milieu in a high energy social environment," said Annie Kim, owner of the Ampac Group. "Our company focuses primarily on the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast markets. Our aloft Dulles South, which will be one of the first to open in the region and the country, will attract a broad and eclectic mix of business and leisure guests from around the world."

"The uniqueness, freshness and newness of the aloft Dulles South will create a buzz in the tech corridor that will immediately distinguish the hotel from older, more traditional hotels in the area," said Mike Marshall, president and CEO of Marshall Management. "We also will add energy to the local economy with the addition of nearly 50 new jobs upon opening."