SAN ANTONIO — The renovations at a San Antonio hotel are expected to not only restore the rich cultural heritage of the building, but also create new jobs for the metro. The Hilton Doubletree will be transformed into Estancia Del Norte over several months.
The hotel, located on 410 and McCullough, was originally constructed back in 1978.
“It was built by Mr. Pat Kennedy. It was built as a sister property to the La Mansión del Rio in San Antonio and it was built to be the next best thing to being on the San Antonio River Walk," said Charles Leddy, CEO of Presidian Hotels and Resorts. "Architecturally, they really had to a lot of things to create an experience."
It's a bit of a personal endeavor. Leddy said he grew up in the Alamo City, just down the road from the hotel, which has hosted everything from weddings to proms. When there was an opportunity to acquire the property, he jumped on the chance to invest in the building.
He said envisions the hotel becoming a place of celebration again, adding that new designs will incorporate San Antonio’s unique charm, where the new name comes into play.
“We have a very significant interior courtyard that’s open to the sky and we have a beautiful arcade, columned arcade that goes all around it. A beautiful setting,” Leddy said.
The hotel will include the first restaurant by Don Strange of Texas. Leddy said that, during construction over the next year, they will be able to provide people with work.
“We are excited to be able to do that during this period where there is really a lot of people who are in need of jobs,” he said. “We are in this for the long run. We really believe in San Antonio. I want to invest in San Antonio. I know, long-term, San Antonio is going to be one of the places that people in the United states will want to come to, as it has been.”
Construction on the renovations are expected to be completed by the time Fiesta 2021 begins.