As
the creator of Coral Gables, land developer George E. Merrick also founded
the University of Miami, and developed the suburbs with strict building
codes to ensure the beautiful surroundings. Coral Gables is a largely
residential, affluent area graced with broad, planted boulevards, golf
courses, and country clubs. Stately Mediterranean homes, Banyan trees,
and tropical foliage line its quiet streets. The thriving business district
is also home to over 150 multinational companies and multinational headquarters.
In 1925, young Merrick joined forces with Biltmore hotel magnate 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, ten months and $10 million dollars later, The Biltmore debuted with a magnificent inaugural that brought people down from northern cities on trains marked "Miami Biltmore Specials." The Giralda Tower was lit for the first time and the champagne corks popped as the guests fox-trotted to the sounds of jazz, all in celebration of the birth of The Biltmore.
In its heyday, The Biltmore played host to royalty, both Europe's and Hollywood's. The hotel counted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Al Capone and assorted Roosevelts and Vanderbilts as frequent guests. Fashion shows, gala balls, aquatic shows by the grand pool and weddings were de rigueur as were world class golf tournaments. A product of the Jazz Age, big bands entertained wealthy, well-traveled visitors to this American Riviera resort. .
The
Biltmore made it through the nation's economic lulls in the late 1920's
and early 1930's by hosting aquatic galas that kept the hotel in the spotlight
and drew the crowds. As many as three thousand would come out on a Sunday
afternoon to watch the synchronized swimmers, bathing beauties, alligator
wrestling and the young Jackie Ott, the boy wonder who would dive from
an eighty-five foot platform. Johnny Weissmuller, prior to his tree-swinging
days in Hollywood, broke the world record at the Biltmore pool and was
a swimming instructor. Families would attend the shows and many would
dress up and go tea dancing afterwards on the hotel's grand terrace to
the sounds of swinging orchestras.
But with the onset of World War II, the War Department converted The Biltmore
to a hospital. It served the wounded as the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital.
Many of the windows were sealed with concrete, and the marble floors covered
with Government Issue linoleum. Also the early site of The University
of Miami's School of Medicine, The Biltmore remained a VA hospital until
1968.
In
1973, through the Historic Monuments Act and Legacy of Parks program,
the City of Coral Gables was granted ownership control of The Biltmore.
Undecided as to the structure's future, The Biltmore remained unoccupied
for almost 10 years. Then in 1983, the City oversaw its full restoration
to be opened as a grand hotel. Almost four years and $55 million later,
The Biltmore opened on December 31, 1987 as a first class hotel and resort.
Over 600 guests turned out to honor the historic Biltmore at a black tie
affair.
In June of 1992, a multinational consortium led by Seaway Hotels Corporation, a Florida hotel management company, officially became the new owners and operators of The Biltmore and again made significant refurbishments to the property. Approximately $3 million has also been spent by the City of Coral Gables to restore the adjacent 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Donald Ross, who is considered "golf's all-time greatest golf architect," according to GOLF DIGEST MAGAZINE.
Seaway
invested in new lighting and telephone systems, computer systems throughout,
repairs to the pool, furnishings, a complete guestroom renovation program
and also remodeled a space into a state-of-the-art health club and spa.
At the 1926 gala opening of the Miami Biltmore Country Club, Dr. Frank
Crane predicted that "many people will come and go, but this structure
will remain a thing of lasting beauty." He was right and in 1996, the
hotel celebrated yet another milestone in its illustrious history. The
70th anniversary of this grand South Florida monument and an official
designation by the Federal Government as a National Historic Landmark,
an elite title offered to only 3% of all historic structures on the National
Register of Historic Places.
Today, The Biltmore proudly boasts a four-star, four-diamond ranking and is the only resort in South Florida recognized as a National Historic Landmark. 2001 welcomes the 75th anniversary and the beginning of a new millennium, a future marked with opportunity for this local legend.