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A Brief Biltmore History Erected in record speed, the 400-room Mediterranean-revival style resort held its gala opening in January 1926 just 10 months after breaking
ground. Regular guests throughout the Roaring 20's included silver screen stars Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, and Judy Garland as well as the infamous Al Capone, whose 13th floor suite you can still tour today. With the
onset of World War II, the Biltmore Hotel was converted to a military hospital by the War Department, where it remained as such until 1968. After remaining unoccupied for nearly 10 years, the City of Coral Gables
embarked upon a $55 million full restoration of the hotel. Four years later, in 1987, the Biltmore reopened as a first class resort. After a grand reopening black tie gala, the Biltmore hotel remained open for merely
3 years, before its City of Coral Gables' owners succumbed to financial difficulties and were forced to shut it down again. With new owners a multinational consortium, the Biltmore again reopened in 1992 with 278
guest rooms and suites, flourishing ever since. On its 70th anniversary, in 1996, the Biltmore Hotel was honored with designation as a National Historic Landmark. |
