Aloft Brussels Schuman has opened in the Belgium capital, marketing the debut of the select-service Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide brand in Europe.

Owned by London-based Thornsett Group, the 147-key Aloft Brussels Schuman is located in the heart of the buzzing European Union district.

“The launch of Aloft in Europe underscores the strength of the Starwood network and the power of the Aloft brand,” says Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of specialty select brands for Starwood. “Aloft’s emphasis on high design and affordability translates globally and is attracting a growing group of loyal travelers. In fact, Aloft represents one of the strongest brand launches in industry history, and its international expansion so early in the brand’s life cycle is unprecedented.”

Aloft Brussels Schuman is the fifth Starwood Hotel in Belgium, joining Le Méridien Brussels, Sheraton Brussels Hotel, Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel and Four Points by Sheraton Brussels.

With more than 40 hotels open since its June 2008 debut, Aloft Hotels currently operates hotels in five countries: the United States, Canada, China, the United Arab Emirates and India, with Belgium marking its sixth country market. Aloft’s pipeline includes additional properties in India and the United States, as well as brand introductions in Thailand and the UK.

“We are thrilled to introduce Aloft to Brussels, a fitting choice for the brand’s debut in Europe,” says Roeland Vos, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “The hotel’s strategic location in the heart of the European Quarter makes a bold statement about how the brand is taking its innovative, fresh perspective on hotels to the most important locations around the world.”

Aloft Brussels Schuman will boast atmospheric public spaces where guests can mix and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at the Re:mix lounge and the W XYZ bar.

For work meetings, training courses and presentations, the hotel’s Tactic meeting rooms, which are equipped with the latest generation of audiovisual hardware, provide a creative space for groups of up to 50 people.

The projects are among 10 hotels expected to open this year for Starwood’s latest brand.

After a year of tremendous growth that made it one of the fastest and most successful hospitality industry launches ever, Aloft Hotels this week announced expansion plans for key global markets from Brussels to Bangalore—and one of Aloft’s first New York City properties, in downtown Brooklyn.

Aloft, a Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. brand, is set to open 10 new hotels in the coming year, with half of its 2010 pipeline consisting of international properties. With nearly 40 hotels open since its June 2008 debut, the Aloft brand became the talk of the hospitality industry by going global while in launch mode, opening China’s Aloft Beijing Haidian and Aloft Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in the brand’s first 15 months.

“The Aloft brand is an important source of fuel for Starwood’s strategic, global expansion, with owners, developers and guests embracing the game-changing concept,” said Simon Turner, pPresident of global development. “The brand, which has an existing presence in four countries, is at a pivotal point in its growth cycle and is poised to continue to break new ground in 2010 as it debuts in India and Europe, while further establishing its presence in the U.S. and China.”

Created to offer an alternative to the traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, the Aloft brand delivers style at a steal, with urban-influenced, modern, open and vibrant design – and a social guest experience – all at an affordable price point. In the same way that W Hotels broke through the clutter of conformity in the upscale hotel arena a decade ago, Aloft is shaking up the industry for the next generation of traveler.

“Along with sharp design, smart technology, and accessible price points, there’s a genuine buzz inside Aloft properties that’s been appealing to guests around the world,” said Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of Starwood’s specialty select brands. “The energy of Aloft matches the dynamic business environments where we’re expanding.”

This year, three Aloft hotels will open in India alone, where the corporate travel market is estimated at more than US$3 billion by Business Traveler magazine. The Aloft brand plans properties for Chennai, India’s fifth-largest city and its second-largest exporter of software and infotech; Bangalore, the “Silicon Valley” of India; and Coimbatore, one of India’s fastest-growing cities and a powerhouse in textiles and engineering.

Europe’s first Aloft hotel will open its doors in Brussels, near the heart of the Belgian capital and European Union hub. And stateside, the Aloft brand will open two New York City properties—one in the Big Apple’s Brooklyn and the other in the heart of Harlem.