PHOTOS: Aloft Hotel Brings Modern Design To Millbrae

Last September, Millbrae’s former Clarion Hotel received a makeover when the modern, stylishly decorated Aloft San Francisco Airport Hotel took its place. It celebrated its grand opening, attracting city officials from Mayor Marge Colapietro to the city’s community development director.

The festivities continued on Thursday evening, as the hotel gave tours to visitors attending the 2013 Bay Area party for Gogobot, a Menlo-Park based travel website. 

The dim yet colorful lighting stretched passed the lobby lounge, and into the rooms, hallways and even elevator of the hotel, the 62nd Aloft in the world.

“It’s all about having fun and making the atmosphere interesting,” said sales and marketing manager Janfred Agarao.

The Aloft has a focus on staying local, said Agarao. Its ice cream bar boasts a variety of It’s It Ice sandwiches, made in neighboring Burlingame. Every Thursday it hosts live music from a nearby band, with validated parking for attendees.

When the Clarion closed, 60 percent of the employees began working at the Aloft when it opened 13 months later, said Agarao. 

Now the hotel attracts 252 guests every night, said Agarao, ranging from business travelers to those seeking refuge from too-high luxury hotel prices in San Francisco. 

The hotel is about a half mile walk from the Millbrae BART and Caltrain Stations, with a florescent, brightly lit logo leading the way there on Millbrae Ave at night.

Rooms range from around $180 a night to over $300. The hotel also hosts local events, and Agarao said he’s hoping to see a boom during the summer months.

The Aloft is located on 401 East Millbrae Ave. For more information, visit their official website.