The Mediterranean-inspired Biltmore Hotel has hosted royalty, celebrities and presidents since opening in the 1920s. With its l5-story tower modeled on the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain, the Biltmore rises majestically above Coral Gables, Fla., welcoming travelers with its red-tiled roof, Moorish arches, hand- painted ceilings, Italian-marble floors and open-air courtyard with flowing fountains. For guests wanting to drink up the place's history, the Dade County Heritage Trust offers free tours of the property. On Thursday evenings around a roaring fire in the lobby, guests and visitors swap ghost stories. When not enjoying the hotel's history, guests can take dips in the hotel's 23,000- square-foot outdoor pool, which is flanked by cabanas in a lush courtyard of canary palms, bougainvillea and hibiscus. They can pamper themselves in a day spa, play golf at the challenging 18-hole course next to the hotel or play tennis on 10 lighted courts.
Hungry patrons can enjoy French-style cuisine in the Palme d'Or, create their own menus from 20 "tasting dishes" and relax in an environment with frescoes, mirrored walls and crystal chandeliers. Grilled meats, seafood, Mediterranean appetizers and pastas will satisfy tastebuds at the 1200 Restaurant and Courtyard. For business travelers, the hotel's 76,000 square feet of meeting space includes 40,000 square feet in the adjacent Conference Center of the Americas.
Guestrooms, festooned with Mediterranean decor, offer Frette linens, Egyptian-cotton duvet covers, European feather beds, signature robes and slippers. The rooms include high-speed Internet access, cordless phones, sitting areas, minibars, video games, bathrooms with marble vanities, and Gilchrist and Soames toiletries.
The hotel, on 25 acres, was declared a national historic landmark in l996. Guests come for the hotel's historic status and Old World glamour.
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