Miami’s almost 100-year-old Biltmore Hotel is a National Historic Landmark, offering a blend of its timeless storied past with elegance still today.

At the height of the Florida land boom in 1925 George Merrick joined forces with Biltmore hotels to build a grand hotel that would not only serve as a gathering place for the crowds which were thronging to Coral Gables,  but would also serve as a center of sports and fashion.

The hotel was designed by Schultze and Weaver and built in 1926 by John Bowman and George Merrick as part of the Biltmore chain.

The hotel’s tower is inspired by the Giralda, the medieval Tower of the Cathedral of Seville.

With hand-painted frescoes on barrel vaulted ceilings, travertine floors, fine marble columns,  carved mahogany furnishings and lavish gardens it became the most glamorous toast of Miami.

When completed the Biltmore became the tallest building in Florida at 315 feet.

At one time the pool was the largest pool in the world and employed swimming instructor and later Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller.

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 train marked “Miami Biltmore Specials”.

Visitors included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers,  Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Al Capone and assorted Roosevelt’s and Vanderbilts as frequent guests.   FDR had a temporary White House Office set up at the hotel when he vacationed in Miami.

There were many gala balls and Aquatic shows by the grand pool with the grounds acting as a venue for weddings and golf tournaments.

As many as 3,000 would come on a Sunday afternoon to watch synchronized swimmers,  bathing beauties and alligator wrestling.   Johnny Weissmuller before he was known for Tarzan broke a world record at the pool.

The hotel has been used as a setting in various movies and television shows including Bad Boys,  The Specialist and Miami Vice.

The Biltmore has an 18-hole par 71 Championship Golf Course and a 12,000 square foot full-service Spa.