• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts recently opened two new properties in Europe, both in restored historic buildings: a Renaissance palazzo in Florence, and a 19th-century Ottoman palace in Istanbul. Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is located on the edge of Florence's historic center and besides its own architectural artistry, offers guests the chance to view restored 15th- to 19th-century frescoes, bas-reliefs and silk wallpapers in their original contexts. Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Bosphorus includes Turkish touches and traditional Ottoman artwork, while offering plenty of fully-modern amenities including a heated pool, whirlpool and bar pavilions, as well as three nearby hammams (Turkish baths).
• Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has opened the nation's first aloft-branded hotel in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Much like Starwood's W Hotel brand, aloft aims for a high-end urban sensibility with high-tech entertainment offerings like wireless Internet access and flat-panel HDTV. Guests who can tear themselves away from their room's amenities can socialize in the hotel's bar, "w xyz," or visit "re:charge," aloft's fitness center.
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