Checking out the new Aloft Orlando Downtown

I still can’t believe they turned the old OUC office building into a hotel.  And a pretty cool hotel at that!
Thanks to YELP, I was invited for a happy hour at the WXYZ lounge inside the Aloft Orlando Downtown.
The bar area was pretty great.  It was sophisticated without being snobby and will be a great place to grab drinks before a show at the new Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center.
Drinks were provided by Tito’s Vodka and Bungalow 23 Mixers.  I’m not a huge vodka fan.  But I may have found a new drink.  The vodka and the prickly pear margarita mix was an excellent combination.
The good was great, the music was excellent…like I stepped back to high school.  The DJ kept playing songs I forget even existed.
And thanks to my picture taking/collage makingg/tweeting skills, I even won a free night stay! I can’t wait to head back and check out the room.
If it wasn’t 8 million degrees outside, I would have liked to hang out on the patio.  It’s a cool space that faces the main stretch of Orlando traffic.  I would enjoy drinking a cocktail while laughing at everyone sit in traffic.  But, I also like air conditioning in Florida summer.

P.S.  For a special adventure, head into the woman’s bathroom that is closest to the pool.  The view is pretty, fascinating.

Special thanks to the Aloft Hotel team for hosting, Jim White Photography for photographing the fun event, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Bungalow 23 Mixers for starting off our weekend with a fresh cocktail!