A Star is Born!

The La Cantera area outside of San Antonio is beautiful. Known to be the home of Fiesta Texas and the Shops at La Cantera, this area has a new star. The Eilan Hotel Resort and Spa is brand new and will be having their grand opening celebration on June 7th. Luckily for me, I got to get a sneak peak during a girls weekend. The gorgeous grounds have a very European feel with fountains galore, gazebos, and blooming flowers. When you walk into the lobby, you are greeted with a cool color palette that immediately calms you, making you feel very much at home. The back patio overlooks the piazza below that will soon boast shops and restaurants, making it its own little piece of paradise.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted with a plate of edible art. These handcrafted truffles, peanut butter and chocolate, accompanied by chocolate covered strawberries were almost too beautiful to eat. But boy am I sure glad we did! They were creamy, melt in your mouth treats that were absolutely delicious. The hotel also provided some romantic comedies for our viewing pleasure and some keepsakes to bring home.

The hotel has a wonderful new restaurant called Sustenio, which puts a Southwestern twist on their dishes. We opted for appetizers that we could share so that we could try more of the menu. Don't get me wrong these were not two bite appetizers. They were well portioned and very filling. We were able to enjoy the tamale tart with crabmeat, sea scallops, Southwestern caesar salad, and poblano-asiago soup. In addition, there was a wonderful assortment of bread and a lobster bisque compliments of the chef. The perfect ending to this meal was "coffee and doughnuts", which was a espresso creme brulee and homemade baked doughnuts. This was truly an incredible meal and a must try restaurant if you are going to be in the area.

No girls weekend would be complete without a visit to the spa, which is always a real treat for me. I opted to go for a pedicure and ended up with "pink flamenco" toes. This was a huge spa with many different relaxation rooms, a patio, locker rooms, and of course the spa rooms. The calming water features and ambiance made time seem to stand still and I really got to enjoy the service. It seemed to not last long enough and was very relaxing.

The Eilan Hotel Resort and Spa is a fabulous place and should definitely be a place you stop into when you are in San Antonio. Whether you are looking for your own little piece of the European piazza or an incredible meal, this is the place. If you get a chance to stop in, come back and let me know how your experience was.