The Biltmore- Coral Gables, FL

The Biltmore’s jewel box lobby is impossible not to love. Dramatic and grand, with its magnificent starry vaulted ceiling, it’s proof that a long neglected property can be returned to its former glory. I feel very fortunate to have been able to step into its storied past, considering it all could have been lost, consigned only to the historic prints that now line the halls.

Built by renown hotel architects Schulze & Weaver in 1926, immediately following The Breakers, The Biltmore hotel was the centerpiece of South Florida’s first planned community, Coral Gables. An essential part of George Merrick’s vision for his Mediterranean influenced suburb, it was modeled after Seville’s Giralda Tower, with its ceilings and walls covered in Moorish Frescos. Built in collaboration with hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman, of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels Corporation, it capitalized on the great Florida land boom, attracting affluent visitors from northern cities.

Boasting hand painted frescoes on barrel vaulted ceilings, travertine floors, marble columns, carved mahogany furnishings, lush gardens, polo fields, a country club with Donald Ross designed golf course, and the world’s largest swimming pool (150 x 225 feet), the $10 million hotel was the ultimate lifestyle resort.

Opening on January 15, 1926, guests arrived via special trains to a grand gala featuring three orchestras and a fantastic feast. It soon became the winter destination for the fashionable set and gangsters alike, weathering the 1926 Miami Hurricane unscathed. The same could not be said for the surrounding area; the great Florida land boom was over.

In just a few short years, Merrick’s Coral Gables company was forced to declare bankruptcy; his stake in the hotel was bought out by Bowman for $2.1 million, who in turn sold it in 1931 to millionaire Henry Latham Doherty. Considering it was during the Great Depression, I would guess he got a good deal.

The hotel managed to stay afloat during those lean days by hosting large aquatic galas, which attracted upwards of 3000 spectators to watch synchronized swimmers, alligator wrestlers, and a four year old who dove off the 85 foot high dive platform- which is amazing, as it is not even open to adults these days. During this time, Johnny Weissmuller was a Biltmore swimming instructor, who broke world records at the Biltmore Pool, drawing crowds of his own. He later left for Hollywood, to make movies such as Tarzan.

With the arrival of World War II, the War Department took over the property, converting it to a 1200 bed hospital in 1942. The windows were sealed with concrete, and linoleum covered the once grand floor; in perhaps the most egregious act, the walls were painted over battleship gray. Following the war, the property was transferred to the Army and renamed Pratt General Hospital, which operated at the site until 1968. Following the hospital’s departure, the building sat vacant, and became a target for local teens, drawn by tales of its haunted halls.

Although the City of Coral Gables was granted ownership of the hotel in 1973, it languished for another decade until new federal tax credits aimed at the preservation of historic buildings made it possible to attract investors willing to commit $55 million to save the structure. On December 31, 1987, the property once again opened as a first class hotel, to much acclaim. Unfortunately, the hotel failed to turn a profit, and closed just a few years later.

Under new management, the hotel reopened in 1992, undertaking a 10 year, $40 million renovation, which included guest rooms and completely resurfacing the famous pool with polished marble; the 85 foot diving tower was transformed into a waterfall. This time the venture was successful, and the resort flourished. In 2018, both the hotel and golf course underwent additional updates, including a $25 million makeover that updated the magnificent lobby with its current jewel tones, which perfectly complement the blue vaulted ceiling.

The hotel’s guest rooms have also been updated, in muted tones, complete with jeweled chandeliers over the beds. Tower rooms offer views of the golf course, or Coral Gables, reminding you of how close you are to sea level. An all around magnificent property, with several fabulous restaurants, bars, and that glorious pool, I look forward to returning in the future.