aloft

How about some Hungry Hungry Hippos with that infused pineapple-chipotle tequila cocktail? That combination of fun is the main idea at w xyz (yes, that's its name), a colorful, LED-lit bar inside the aloft hotel. As the name suggests, they do things a bit differently here. The chipper staff greets you with a big "Aloha!" They call their drinks "elixirs." And littered throughout the joint are childhood board games -- it's like a chic version of the Chatterbox in south Minneapolis. About that name: it's a play on sister company, W Hotels. The bar, lying close to both the Guthrie Theater and the Metrodome, hopes to be a neighborhood staple among downtown Minneapolis' condo crowd. It's off to a good start. Today it hosts a Twin Cities fashion show. Soon it'll start "Diva DJs" a Thursday groove night featuring local female DJs. And while they might only have four tap beers, they're all local, too. (900 Washington Av. S., Mpls., 612-455-8400, starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels.)