Apartments Pool Tuscany

S.A.'s new European-inspired development

Tucked into the hillside near Interstate 10 and Loop 1604 is a development that resembles a small European town.

Éilan is a 120-acre mixed-use project that will include a hotel, apartments, restaurants, offices and retail across Interstate 10 from The Rim shopping center. Phase One of the project is scheduled to open later this year.

The project's name is inspired by the French word , meaning vigor and distinctive elegance. But its design is inspired by Tuscany with multicolored stucco exteriors, stone facades and clay roofs.

The developer, Netherlands-based Wereldhave, operates properties in Washington; San Diego, Calif.; Dallas; and Austin. This is the first project the company has tackled in San Antonio and the first mixed-use project it has developed in the nation.

“In San Antonio, there's a lot of growth: new jobs, new corporate headquarters coming here,” said Carmen Taveras-Cruz , president of Wereldhave USA. “But for us it was a natural transition because we have significant investments in Dallas and in Austin. So we were looking to San Antonio because of what the culture offers here, the topography and an economy that is diversified.”

Wereldhave purchased the property in October 2005 for $18.5 million. The development, which will be constructed in two phases, is expected to cost about $400 million. Plans for the second phase have not been announced.

This year, the property was assessed at more than $70 million, according to the Bexar Appraisal District.

Construction on the property started in 2007 with 205,000 square feet of Class A office space and 60,000 square feet of retail that was completed in 2009.

That office and retail component is in two limestone buildings at the front of the development.

Currently, the entire development has one tenant, Security Service Federal Credit Union. About four retail businesses and multiple companies associated with the medical and oil and gas industries are expected to sign leases in the next month or two, Taveras-Cruz said.

The developer also hopes to get a specialty grocery store on the property.

In between the two office buildings, stairs lead to the entrance of the 186,000-square-foot hotel, still under construction.

The hotel will offer city views and will incorporate a fitness center, indoor lap pool, outdoor pool with a waterfall and swim-up bar, retail space and a restaurant that features contemporary Southwestern cuisine and is designed by Stephan Pyles , who operates a restaurant in Dallas. A brand for the hotel is expected to be announced in the next 30 days.

Tuscany Apartments for Your Next Holiday in Italy | Want to travel ...

Tuscany apartments are the smarter choice for your holidays in Tuscany. When you stay in Tuscany you usually want to be in a place that gives you a homelike feeling without many frills. Also you want to be in a peaceful place that will give you the chance to relax in the wonderful scenery that Tuscany offers. Therefore you tend to choose accommodations in the countryside, and as a natural choice your preference should be on apartments.

The advantages of renting a Tuscany apartment over any other accommodation rental in Tuscany are that you will find yourself saving quite a lot of money for the same quality. Sure, if you rent a villa in Tuscany you are likely to get a wonderful living space, large enough to throw a large party, but the price would also soar exponentially. Keeping all things equal, apartments are smarter because cheaper. Unless you need a huge space for yourself and your family during your holiday, a villa may be definitely too much. Consider that you will be taking daytrips to Florence, Siena, Pisa, Pienza, and other special places you cannot miss. So how much will you actually stay at home?

Another important reason that makes Tuscany apartments a better choice is that owners are usually on site. Yes, we all know how wonderful it is to get a tan in total freedom by the swimming pool, say whatever you want, talk about your private arguments without being heard by other guests or strangers. That is more of a mental state, however. How many times would you actually completely liberate yourself if you were totally isolated from the rest of the world? Keeping it practical, having owners on site, which does not mean having them in your face day in and day out, is a great advantage. If you need anything, they are there to help you, if something breaks in your apartments, they will fix it as quickly as possible, if you need a piece of advice on best restaurants, routes, daytrips, cheaper gas station, doctor, grocery store (you name it), they have all the information on their fingertips. I remember once I forgot to ask if there were mosquito nets in our room. My wife is allergic to mosquito bites, as she gets narcoleptic. I mentioned that to the owner and he said there were no mosquito nets, however he would provide some temporary ones within the day, and so it was. Priceless!

Comparing Tuscany apartments to hotels, the smart choice is still on apartments. Unless house chores and cooking are hideous to you or your family members, hotels provide a low value for your money. Rooms are usually crammed, there is no homelike feeling, the quality of the service and the food varies without you being able to predict it. And hotels do cost a dear amount. Even a three people family can run into expenses of 100 to 150 Euros per day for a three star hotel. For that price you get a very nice apartment in Tuscany for even more people.

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