The Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) is the region’s leading forum that brings together the key decision makers from the hotel investment industry and this year, it has taken the opportunity to showcase the efforts and innovations behind some of the most exciting hotel developments in the Middle East.

Stephan Vanden Auweele, General Manager of Aloft Abu Dhabi commented on the award saying: "It is a privilege to have been recognized by AHIC for our achievements as Best New Hotel. Today’s savvy, design-conscious consumers understand that great style can be both accessible and affordable. The Aloft guests’ experience is next-generation, seamless and accessible and this award is encouraging all of us to provide our guests with this unique experience and everlasting memories”.

Sanjay Tanna, Business Development Director of ADNEC added: “We are extremely pleased with the award; the fact that Aloft was selected among many other ‘more recognised’ brands underscores ADNEC’s strong commitment to innovation and industry leadership. Our philosophy as a hotel owner is simple – the needs of all our guests and visitors have to come first and we aim for a satisfaction score of 100%”.

A vision of W Hotels, Aloft Hotels offer atmospheric public spaces designed to draw guests from their hotel rooms to socialize and make acquaintances. Guests can read the paper, work on their laptops using free Wi-Fi or play a game of pool. Aloft gives guests urban flair, convenience and a vibrant social atmosphere. The Aloft brand is one of the fastest growing hotel brands in the world, Aloft Abu Dhabi, which opened in October 2009, was the first Aloft Hotel to open in the Middle East. The Aloft Schuman in Brussels followed in September 2010 as the first Aloft Hotel in Europe and with many more hotels in the pipeline with focus on the Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific, the Aloft London ExCeL is planned to open in November 2011.

Aloft Abu Dhabi is owned by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), a strategic international venue development and management company. ADNEC’s venue portfolio includes - the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, and ExCeL London, the UK capital’s largest exhibition and conference venue. The success of the Aloft Abu Dhabi, inter-connected with ADNEC has led to the establishment of the Aloft London ExCeL, which is connected to ExCeL.