The Biltmore Hotel in the City of Coral Gables in Miami is a stunning National Historic Landmark which was built by George Merrick in 1926 as a luxury hotel which would also serve as “a center of sports and fashion”.
The 400+ room hotel was designed by Leonard Schultze and S. Fullerton Weaver who also designed Atlanta’s and Los Angeles’ Biltmore Hotels and NYC’s Grand Central Terminal. The inspiration for the design of the hotel had been the Giralda bell tower from the Cathedral in Seville, Spain and when it was completed it was the tallest building in Florida. It also boasted the largest hotel pool in the Continental USA. Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Frank D. Roosevelt, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Al Capone were guests of the hotel.
In Wold War II, the hotel was seized by the government and was converted into a military hospital. Even after the war ended it served as a hospital for veterans until 1968.
Shockingly, the hotel was almost torn down after being empty for almost a decade until the City of Coral Gables took over ownership and began a $55 million restoration in 1983.
• To see more of the stunning interior including the lobby, Alhambra ballroom and the grounds of the @thebiltmoremiami including its stunning pool where Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller worked as a swimming instructor, and its legendary 18-hole golf course and outdoor restaurant where we had a casual dinner, please watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
• Full video: https://youtu.be/lTYed0vdiDA
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