On March 25, representatives of developer Matthew Adell, of Adellco, filed a proposal with the Buildings Department to build a 32-story Aloft hotel at 815 Sixth Avenue. According to the proposal, the building will include 19,903 square feet of residential space and 53,558 of commercial space.

Aloft is Starwood Hotel’s hip, budget brand. 4hoteliers.com recently described the brand thusly:

Aloft is a brand meant to synergize with the environment in which each hotel is set. Case in point: The urban style and design of the aloft product is an obvious fit for the 300-acre, waterfront Washington National Harbor mixed-use development, located just outside of Washington, D.C. With aloft’s trendy style, creative design features, chic amenity package, and target demographic, the proposed hotel, set to open in April of 2009, is poised to be the “hip” driver and focal point of this redevelopment project.

In keeping with that notion of integrated-into-the-neighborhood hipness, the Web site for the new Chelsea hotel, at 28th Street, promises lodgings “close to all the action, from businesses to Broadway shows. Explore our area’s galleries, chic boutiques, enticing eateries—and nonstop nightlife.”

Even better, the stylish low-cost traveler will be able to “Meet & mingle with friends at our w xyz(SM) bar, grab a sweet, savory, or healthy snack from re:fuel by aloft(SM), our 24/7 pantry, or play in our re:mix(SM) lobby. Plus, you can always stay connected with complimentary hotel-wide wired and wireless Internet access!”

According to its site, Starwood is also planning Aloft hotels in Long Island City, Harlem, and Downtown Brooklyn.

All this, as the market for hotels across the board is softening.

Dow Jones Newswires reported on Friday, March 27, that room rates in New York in February were down 19 percent.