Happy Chinese New Year!

on january 26th, 2009 we celebrated the Year of the Ox or the Year of Ji Chou. the Chinese New Year gets determined by the chinese new year calendar and so it is sometimes called the Lunar New Year. in 2009, the Chinese Lunar Year Festival starts from 26th of January. as every one is aware of its significance, the working people in china can take weeks of holidays so that they can join the company of their near and dear ones and a feast with their family members on the chinese new year eve or Lunar New Year's Eve. although with the changing times and increasing mobility of the people the celebration of Chinese New Year Festival has undergone some changes, everybody still very fervently follow all the customs that their elders have taught them.

Chinese have a unique way of representing the New Year through animals. they have 12 different animals to represent each year of the 12 year -cycle and the order remains the same throughout with the year of the rat beginning the cycle and the year of the boar/ pig ending the same. as the Chinese year 2008 was signified as the year of the rat, the following year, 2009, is going to be the year of the ox Chinese New Year of OX, 2009 will fall on January 26th and will mark the 15 day long festivities beginning on the said date and going on till the 9th February.

the aloft talent team wishes all a very Happy Chinese New Year!

Milan Patnaik

General Manager

hotel for dogs!

among all the different aloft fans we have encountered, many are dog lovers, and why shouldn't they be with our very own ARF (animals*r*fun) pet program? so when we heard there was a movie coming out entitled Hotel for Dogs, we couldn't wait to find out what the buzz was all about!

basically the movie is about a two brothers who recently find themselves in a foster home with a strict "no pets", so they must quickly find a new home for their dog - Friday. they find an abandoned hotel that they begin to convert to a doggy home for Friday and for other city strays.

among the actors in this movie include the following: Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillion, and Don Cheadle. if you haven't visited the website, you should, it is very cool!

we'll see you all at the movies!

Milan Patnaik

General Manager

aloft to congrat Orbital in Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Dulles, VA Campus Expansion

Although we were not physically at the official ribbon cutting ceremony - Orbital Sciences Corporation announced in early Dec. 2008 that it will hold the official ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Building #7 at the company's Dulles, VA campus on Monday, December 15, 2008. we at the aloft just want to send a warm aloha welcome to our neighbors!

Orbital has commenced on an extensive expansion to its headquarters and satellite and space systems manufacturing facilities in Dulles, Virginia. Orbital occupies over 500,000 square feet and employs approximately 1,700 people at its Dulles campus in Loudoun County and Orbital has completed the first of four new buildings that will add another 220,000 sqft of office and engineering space capable of housing another 600 employees.

Orbital is one of the largest employers in Loudoun County, with approximately 1,700 space industry professionals employed at the company's Dulles campus. Orbital is expected to generate over $1.1 billion in annual revenues in 2008 and employs approximately 3,700 people nationwide.

To our neighbors - live life aloft...and come on over to the new W xyz bar where there is always something to do.

Milan Patnaik

General Manager

tonight DJ Neekola spinning the hottest music at the W xyz bar!

aloha aloft fans! tonight is our very first DJ Diva night featuring D.C.'s hottest DJ - DJ Neekola! we had the pleasure of having DJ Neekola spin the latest in music trends during our opening day events on Dec. 18th, 2008 - an believe me - this is a party you do not want to miss!

great music, high energy, and a gorgeous crowd at the W xyz bar - what else can you ask for on a thursday night!

Don't forget - there's always something fun and flirty happening at the W xyz bar for everyone!

I'll see you at the W xyz bar - the newest destination sensation!

Milan Patnaik
General Manager

an inaugural ball close to home...

yesterday I received an email from the Loudoun County democrats association: with a title of "Your Invited", and as the social bug that I am, I quickly opened to see what I was invited to. in big bold letters at the top of the page the title read: Virginia's Inaugural Black Tie & Blue Dominion Ball.

I was so excited especially when I saw the guest list:



the Honorable Timothy Kaine, The Honorable L. Douglas Wilder, Attorney General Designate Eric Holder, Congressman Jim Moran, Major General Roger Nadeau and The Honorable Kate Hanley
Celebrity Hosts:
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Actor Gian Carlo Esposito, Actress Jasmine Guy, Artist Rep, S.D. Lockhart Gaye, Author E. Lynn Harris, Former Redskins: Brian Mitchell, Charles Mann, NFL Hall of Fame, and Art Monk with musical hosts: The Commodores!

to top it off, I don't even have to fight hours and hours of traffic to get into Washington, D.C. because this inaugural ball is being hosted at the Udvar Hazy - Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum right here in Chantilly, Virginia from 7pm till midnight! this is only 5 miles away from the aloft Dulles North hotel and lounge.

upon further investigation, tickets cost a mere $1000 which includes a VIP reception, dinner, entertainment, and preferred seating. the alternative is a $250 ticket per person or $400 per couple which includes a hors d' ouvres and entertainment...military discount will get you a $150 ticket!

well if I'm going to go, I will to have to pull some serious strings, so stay tuned for more details and maybe I'll see you there! you can always stay at aloft after the ball!
www.aloftdulles.com

Milan Patnaik
General Manager

2009 Presidential Inauguration Hotel - we still have a few rooms left

If you still haven't made plans yet to travel to the Washington, D.C. area for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, you should. The aloft Dulles North hotel still has a few rooms left and if you call the hotel directly at 703 723 6969 and speak to Carla Carandang or Irssy Perez, they can give you an a-mazing deal for a 3, 4 or 5 day package. You can also make your reservations via our website http://www.aloftdulles.com/ or use our toll free aloft line at 888 627 7245. Either way, we want you to enjoy your travels to the Washington, D.C. area and what better way then with the brand new aloft Dulles North hotel and W xyz lounge.