AUSTIN–The developers, a joint venture between the Interfin Cos. and Riverside Resources, say construction will begin this week on the full-service boutique Hotel Granduca Austin. The 194-key, nine-floor hotel will sit on the northwest corner of Bee Cave Road and Loop 360.

"We selected this location for the hotel just a few minutes from downtown, in the gorgeous, highly visible and accessible Westlake area, providing a unique oasis of sophistication and elegance, unlike any Austin hotel" says Alex Borlenghi, vice president of development for Interfin. 

The property will be modeled after the 122-suite Hotel Granduca in Houston, which is the brain child of developer Giorgio Borlenghi's - combining old-world Italian charm with modern luxury. The Austin hotel will mimic the look and feel of a private Tuscan villa.

"With Hotel Granduca Austin I want to bring a unique, exclusive, residential style to the Austin hospitality market," says Giorgio Borlenghi, president of Interfin.  "And, of course, it has to be Italian."

Amenities include a 220-guest ballroom, conference rooms, a library, game room, massage rooms, fitness center and swimming pool. The site will also host an Italian cuisine restaurant, which will be similar to the Houston's Ristorante Cavour.

"It will be a private sanctuary for everyone from elite clientele and celebrities to business leaders whether they are visiting the restaurant and bar, utilizing our conference rooms and event spaces or enjoying a morning cappuccino overlooking the area vistas,” Borlenghi says.

As construction begins, the developers received $33 million in construction financing through IBC Bank. HFF arranged the deal. The total cost of the project was not disclosed.

Construction is expected to complete in the later part of 2015.