Buy a condo at Williamsburg's The Oosten, get a trip to Amsterdam

By Virginia K. Smith | February 6, 2015 - 3:06PM

If you're shelling out several million dollars for an apartment, it's fair to expect some high-end extras as part of the deal. Not all perks are created equal, though, and in the ongoing amenities arms race among luxury developers, South Williamsburg's the Oosten has added an intriguing new option to the mix: free travel as a sort of signing bonus.

Buyers who spring for a penthouse, loft or townhouse apartment in the 216-unit building will have the option of an all-expenses-paid trip to Amsterdam for a consultation with the building's designer Piet Boon, developer XIN Development said in a release yesterday. The first penthouse just went on sale for $6.4 million, and there are currently three townhouse units available, according to StreetEasy, and two lofts, with prices ranging between $3.3 million and $3.64 million. As for the rest of the building, apartments range from one- to three-bedrooms, with the cheapest option being $850,000, as well as duplex penthouses.

"Normally buyers don't get to sit down and talk about their personal residence with an architect at this level," Halstead Property Development Marketing President Stephen Kliegerman, whose firm is handling sales, tells us.

As for the trip, the developer will cover the cost of flights and hotels, likely for four or five days, Kliegerman tells us. (And no, buyers can't trade in the cost of travel for other amenities, or cash; we asked.) "[The trip] isn't in lieu of a concession, it's really an incentive to continue on with the design envisioned" for the building, he explains. In the consultations, Boon can help buyers pick out potential pieces to add to their apartments, and Kliegerman notes, "There can maybe even be a discussion about him designing custom furniture."

Granted, if you've got the cash for a $6.4 million penthouse, you can probably afford your own ticket to Amsterdam, but as far as pricey perks go, we'd take a trip to Europe over a "virtual golf" room any day.

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