Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced plans to expand its Aloft and Element brands with the signing of a dual-hotel development in London, scheduled to open in early 2017.

Scheduled to open in early 2017, the new-build Aloft and Element hotels will be located in the heart of the historic Tobacco Dock area of East London. Aloft London Tobacco Dock will be the second Aloft hotel in London and third in the United Kingdom (UK), while Element London Tobacco Dock will mark the debut of Starwood's eco-wise Element brand in this established market.

The new Aloft London Tobacco Dock will feature 251 urban-influenced rooms, and the Element London Tobacco Dock will have 77 studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites will be stylish, sustainable and designed for comfort.

"We look forward to a long-term collaboration with the Fawzia Mubarak Al-Hassawi Group as we expand our portfolio of mid-market hotels in London," said Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa and Middle East. "These agreements mark an exciting milestone for Starwood's growth in the United Kingdom and illustrate the strong demand for stylish, yet affordable accommodation in mature and strategically important markets such as London."

Starwood Hotels & Resorts currently operate hotels 10 hotels in the UK, eight of which are in London. These are represented across six of Starwood's nine brands, namely The Lanesborough, a St. Regis Hotel; The Park Tower Knightsbridge and Turnberry Resort in Scotland which operate under The Luxury Collection; W London - Leicester Square; Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh; Sheraton Heathrow and Sheraton Skyline at Heathrow Airport; Le Méridien Piccadilly and The Park Lane Hotel in London; and Aloft London Excel.