Aloft Hotels Set to Debut in Columbia, South Carolina

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.® has announced its rapidly expanding Aloft brand will soon debut in Columbia, South Carolina. Aloft Columbia Downtown is scheduled to open in January 2016 in The Vista, the city’s recently revitalized epicenter for the arts, entertainment, shopping and dining. Owned by Lady Vista, LLC, and managed by Lexington Hospitality, the new Aloft hotel will feature 108 spacious, loft-like rooms, forward-thinking technology and a lively, social atmosphere. Located at the corner of Lady and Lincoln Streets, Aloft Columbia Downtown will be part of a new mixed-use development in The Vista that will include 4,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. Once a bustling cotton warehouse district and commercial railroad terminal, The Vista has been redeveloped into the city’s premier arts and entertainment district, with more than 60 restaurants and bars, live entertainment including jazz and blues, numerous art galleries and specialty shops. Walking distance from the University of South Carolina, the new Aloft will also be close to Colonial Center Arena, the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Publix Market and Columbia Museum of Art.

Hotel amenities at Aloft Columbia Downtown will include an outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center and 800 square feet of flexible meeting space, ideal for both business meetings and social gatherings. Guests and area residents will also enjoy live music performances featuring emerging local artists at the hotel’s W XYZ bar.

Daniel Fountain / 01.12.2014

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

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