'Second Life' gets first look at new hotel chain

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Still, the principals say they don't want to bite off more than they can chew.

"Some people have talked about bringing in a fast-food company," Electric Sheep's Constable said. "But that doesn't make much sense." Any food that appears in the virtual world is purely ornamental, he said, because avatars don't need to eat. On the other hand, he said, a hotel in a land of sleepless avatars makes perfect sense.

"This isn't about taking something from reality and turning it all into a virtual world," he said. "It's about taking key elements and about getting feedback."

Virtual vacancy
As September draws nearer, the collaborative talks have begun focusing on Aloft-hosted activities. The developers envision turning Aloft into a hub of social activity with concerts, parties and events where active digital folk can freely congregate, flirt and then later retreat into hotel rooms with friends.

This is part of their plan to turn a digital hotel into a profitable venture and to get the early feedback that will make their earthly hotel profitable too.

So far, what's been completed in the Starwood project is the outer shell of the modern, angular, five-story hotel, which is located on Aloft Island's tropical beachfront property. It was built based on a single exterior rendering provided by Starwood.

"We're trying to make the hotel as close as possible to the actual hotel, but the environment will be different," Constable said.

Surrounding the hotel is a walkway, a marina and a bridge that connects to the mainland, making it more accessible to the roughly 390,000 residents of "Second Life."

Constable said the lobbies of other Starwood hotels begin the day for weary travelers by offering them a place to grab a coffee and croissant. At night, they're transformed into cozy little bars with mood lighting and music, inviting people to stop in and stay.

This same format will be integrated into the new Aloft.

"That's the power of the platform," he said. "It's one thing to go to a Web site and look at some pictures of a design, but its another thing to be able to walk into a space, immerse yourself in the space, and then to walk into it with a friend and have a debate and talk about what works and what doesn't work."