Influx

Starwood was at the front end of the recent stampede of brand pioneers into the new territory of Second Life. It went out into the virtual world and a prototype built for its new brand, aloft .

Influx wanted to know more about the motivations behind the move, so we got the chance to interview Ross Klein, President of W Hotels Worldwide, to chat about the aloft initiative.

How did Starwood decide to put Aloft onto Second Life?

Since aloft will not open its doors in the “real world” until early 2008, we saw Second Life as a great opportunity to introduce the brand to a community of tech-savvy early adopters, and get their feedback on various elements of the hotel.

What was the criteria used to make the decision?

We designed aloft to meet the needs of today’s travelers, using their direct input to craft the brand concept. The result of our efforts is a new lifestyle brand, with urban-inspired, loft-like guest rooms, landscaped outdoor spaces and an energetic lounge scene (our bar w xyz). It’s important to us to stay in touch with consumers to ensure our brand offering fits their changing needs, and Second Life was the ideal platform for us to obtain this direct feedback.

Will other Starwood properties have a home in SL?

Yes, though they are yet to be determined.

How do you know if the latest effort has been a success?

Our official Second Life launch party was on October 19th. In the few weeks since our launch, we’ve already received input on the virtual hotel and what future guests would like to see at a real life aloft when it opens in 2008. SL guests have given feedback on everything from wanting to see more artwork on the walls to the kinds of products offered at our re:fuel grab & go food and beverage pantry. Since aloft has just opened in Second Life, we’re expecting more comments as aloft continues its presence in the virtual world.

As this interview shows, aloft is using SL as a virtual test bed for its new concept. An opportunity to get learning and feedback in the development process, something many other brands could be using SL for.