UPDATE | This hotel will not be going ahead as its planned location has been compulsorily acquired to make way for the new Sydney Metro.

"Starwood Hotels & Resorts remains committed to expanding its footprint across Australia with the right partners, including bringing the Aloft brand to Sydney," a Starwood spokesperson told Australian Business Traveller.

PREVIOUS | Sydney will gain its first Aloft-branded hotel in November 2016 with the opening of Starwood’s Aloft Sydney Pitt Street property.

The city’s iconic Druids House building at 302 Pitt Street is being transformed to house the hotel and its 136 rooms in the heart of Koreatown amidst a variety of dining, shopping and entertainment outlets in the CBD.

Also close to Hyde Park and Pitt Street Mall, the hotel will bring modern features to its 1909-built surroundings including free wireless Internet for all hotel guests and 42-inch HDTVs in the rooms with plug-and-play connectivity to connect electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Guests in a hurry can stop by Re:fuel, a 24-hour gourmet grab-and-go food and beverage outlet, or can down a refreshing cocktail at the W XYZ Bar while enjoying live music.

The property will also allow travellers to use their smartphone or Apple Watch as a room key.

Overtaking the Aloft Perth Rivervale to become Australia’s first Aloft hotel, the Aloft Sydney Pitt Street property will be joined by the Westin Perth in 2017 and the W Brisbane in 2018 as part of an aggressive expansion of Starwood’s Australian portfolio.

Members of the chain’s SPG loyalty program will be able to earn and redeem Starpoints at the new Sydney property, although selected perks such as room upgrades aren’t offered when staying at any Aloft hotels.

Also read: Aloft New York Midtown Manhattan hotel opens 2017

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