Biltmore
Hotel
1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables
(800) 727-1926 or (305) 445-1926
Rates
start at $229 during the low season (7/1-11/30).
Checkout time is noon.
Since
1926, the ornately carved 16-story tower of this
luxury hotel has dominated the skyline of
Coral Gables, one of Miami’s friendliest
residential areas. The majestic tower is a replica
of the Giralda Tower in the Cathedral of Seville,
Spain. This jewel of a hotel is filled with
the exquisite craftsmanship found in deluxe
hotels of Old World Europe.
All 280 guest rooms and suites have European feather
beds, new sofas, easy chairs, artwork, and plants.
The 35 suites (executive, bridal, and golf suites)
feature separate living rooms and private balconies.
Taking up the entire 13th floor of the
tower is the prestigious Everglades Suite, with
hand-painted high domed ceilings depicting scenes
from the Everglades.
Elegantly
furnished public areas of this National Historic
Landmark are also graced with hand-painted
ceilings. Business travelers will find all the
amenities they need. Rooms have modem links and some
rooms have fax machines. There is also a business
center on the premises.
Here, exercise
and recreation are covered, too. The Biltmore’s
crystalline 22,000-square-foot pool, which in
earlier days featured Esther Williams in aquatic shows, is
the largest hotel swimming pool in the Continental
U.S. The hotel boasts an 18-hole championship
golf course and 10 Har-tru lighted tennis
courts. A 15,000-square-foot computerized fitness
center has all the equipment you could want, plus a
full-service spa and beauty salon.
The
best in French cooking can be found at the Biltmore.
Each month a Michelin-rated chef from France drops
by the La Palme d’Or, the hotel’s 110-seat
French restaurant, to whip up signature dishes.
Guests can participate in an interactive culinary
demonstration and lunch by the featured guest chef.
A
cigar shop in the lower lobby carries a wide variety
of premium cigars, hand-crafted humidors, and ornate
cutters. On Friday nights the hotel hosts a Cigars
Under the Stars dinner in the tropical Courtyard
Restaurant, where guests dine al fresco and are
presented with premium cigars hand-rolled by an
authentic cigar roller. Tuesday nights in the
outdoor restaurant are reserved for the opera.
