Starwood's lifestyle brand, aloft, made its debut in Montreal in early June, three years after Starwood announced the concept. Developed and owned by the joint venture Silver Hotel Group and Northampton Group, the 136-room aloft Montreal Airport aims to complement the sophistication and style of the Canadian city, according to Brian McGuinness, vice president of aloft and its sister brand, element.

Located at the entrance to Trudeau International Airport, the debut aloft, about 20 minutes from downtown Montreal, features "loft-inspired design and free-flowing energy," according to a Starwood news release. It also boasts the highest of tech and an "ultra-comfortable plush platform bed" as its centerpiece.

Aloft aims to appeal to "youthful-minded travelers" with its "emphasis on creativity, culture and fun," McGuinness says.

"Montreal is the ideal location for aloft, a new lifestyle brand that we know will quickly become the choice for travelers in the know," says Deepak Ruparell, president of Silver Hotel Group.

How well this aloft will do may depend less on marketing than the economy, however. With international travel becoming more difficult because of fuel costs and security issues, style, a hallmark of Starwood's brands, may not carry the day.