Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has announced the successful roll out of the recently launched aloft hotel brand.

Designed by the Rockwell Group, aloft branded hotels feature loft-style guest rooms, private business booths, a fitness centre and a swimming pool.

According to Ted Darnall, president of Starwood’s real estate group, 30 aloft deals are at the application stage and more than 100 aloft Uniform Franchise Offering Clusters (UFOCs) have been requested.

Owing to the domestic success of the brand, Starwood is now pursuing international deals in China, Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, France and India. The company anticipates rolling out more than 500 aloft hotels by 2015.

Starwood has also just launched Project ESW – an upscale, extended-stay brand. The residential-style developments will feature extra large fitness centres.

The new brand is being promoted in 150 markets and Starwood anticipates executing at least 25 agreements per annum over the next five years.

In addition to the hotel brand expansions, Starwood has teamed up with private-equity firm Catterton Partners to launch an international, upscale restaurant and licensing business.

The new company will develop, own, operate, manage and licence restaurants created by chef Jean-Georges Vongrichten and partner Phil Suarez.

The new company will serve as a third-party development arm for restaurant concepts in Starwood’s luxury hotel brands, which will include W, Westin, Le Meridien and St Regis. It will also own and operate freestanding restaurants outside of Starwood’s hotel portfolio. Details: ww.starwood.com