This Brand of Design-Savvy Hotels Is Built for Entrepreneurs Aloft leads the pack in the tech-savvy select-service hotel category.

When the price is nice, who's to argue if a hotel has no room service? The select-service category--hotels that typically lack restaurants and offer amenities in moderation--has grown 38 percent in North America in the past six years, according to Smith Travel Research, showing that travelers are booking with an eye on the bottom line.

Still, there's plenty of room for style, as seen by the proliferating Aloft brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which has engendered the loyalty of entrepreneurs such as Todd Horton, founder and CEO of Cambridge, Mass.-based KangoGift, an employee-recognition company.

"Where possible, I do choose Aloft over other options," he says, citing value, comfort and business-friendliness. He calls the open-plan lobby, trimmed in modern décor with fun features like pool tables, his "temporary office" for sales and networking meetings. Often, Horton will treat clients at the bar, and he considers the contemporary feel of the property a draw. "People these days enjoy meeting in a fun, well-designed space," he says.