Miami Biltmore Hotel
Miami-Biltmore Hotel & Country Club | |
Spanish Revival/Italian Renaissance[1] | |
NRHP reference No. | 72000306[1] |
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Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | September 27, 1972[1] |
Designated NHL | June 19, 1996[2] |
The Miami Biltmore Hotel, commonly called The Biltmore Hotel or The Biltmore, is a luxury
When completed in 1926, the Biltmore became the tallest building in Florida at 315 feet (96 m),
In 1986, Miami Biltmore Hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark.[2]
History
20th century
In 1925, land developer George E. Merrick joined forces with Bowman-Biltmore Hotels president John McEntee Bowman at the height of the Florida land boom to build "a great hotel...which would not only serve as a hostelry to the crowds which were thronging to Coral Gables but also would serve as a center of sports and fashion." In January 1926, after ten months of construction at a cost of $10 million, the hotel debuted with an inaugural that brought people down from northern cities on trains marked "Miami Biltmore Specials."[5][citation needed]
Visitors included the
Just months after the hotel opened, on September 18, the
Merrick's Coral Gables company declared bankruptcy on April 13, 1929, and Merrick's stake in the hotel was bought out by his partner, John McEntee Bowman in November 1929 for $2.1 million.[6] Bowman resold the hotel in September 1931 to millionaire Henry Latham Doherty. A large part of the hotel's revenue in the 1930s came from aquatic galas.[citation needed] As many as 3,000 would come out on a Sunday afternoon to watch the synchronized swimmers, bathing beauties, and alligator wrestling. Johnny Weissmuller, before he was known for his role in Tarzan, broke a world record at the pool.[citation needed]
With the onset of
In 1973, through the Historic Monuments Act and Legacy of Parks program, the City of Coral Gables was granted ownership control. The building remained unoccupied for almost 10 years. Then in 1983, the City oversaw its full restoration to be opened as a grand hotel. It was reopened on December 31, 1987 as a luxury hotel and resort.[citation needed]
In June 1992, a multinational consortium led by Seaway Hotels Corporation became the new operators of the hotel under a long term management lease with the City of Coral Gables, and again made extensive refurbishments to the property. New lighting and telephone systems, repairs to the pool, furnishings, a complete guestroom renovation program and spa were completed.[citation needed]
21st century
In February 2009, the hotel opened the Biltmore Culinary Academy, a recreational hands-on cooking school with classes for adults and children taught by the hotel's chefs.[8]
On April 18, 2012, the AIA's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture, 100 Years, 100 Places.[9][10]
In popular culture
The hotel has been used as a setting in various movies and television programs, including Bad Boys, The Specialist, Shock Waves, CSI: Miami, Popi, and Miami Vice.
Golf
The hotel has an 18-hole, par 71, championship course designed by
The course annually hosts the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship.
Spa
The hotel has a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m2) full service spa which is a member of the
Gallery
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Front of hotel
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Rear view
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Pool
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Pool
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Golf course
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Arcade and courtyard with fountain
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One of the reception halls
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Fountain
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Biltmore Hotel at Coral Gables from the air
References
- ^ a b c d "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "Miami-Biltmore Hotel & Country Club". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
- ^ "The Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables | 123896". Emporis. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ^ Greg Jenkins Florida's Ghostly Legends and Haunted Folklore: South and central Florida, Volume 1 page 22
- ^ Biltmore Miami History — The Biltmore Hotel Coral Gables ...
- ^ a b c https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/72000306_text
- ^ a b "Our History - Miami VA Healthcare System". Miami.va.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ^ "Get Your Dough On: Biltmore Miami Cooking Classes - TravelMuse". February 20, 2009.
- ^ "Start Voting for Your Favorite Florida Architecture!". 2018 People's Choice Award (Florida Architecture). Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places".
- ^ "Renovation at Miami's Biltmore Golf Course brings Donald Ross design back to life". January 18, 2019.