The Biltmore Hotel
Valet parking is available for $18 for the day or $32 for overnight. Self-parking is also available free of charge on the west side of the hotel. Click on the photo to the right to view parking locations.
We understand the hotel is a bit pricey. However, we strongly encourage all our guests to spend the weekend at The Biltmore, if not just the night of the wedding. Consider it a destination wedding in the greatest city in the world, which may or may not be your hometown.
The group rate is $300/night (usually around $400). Reserve online via The Biltmore website: http://www.biltmorehotel.com/groups. Use code 3199. There is currently a block of 20 rooms available at this rate. If none of these rooms are available at your time of booking, there is an "Advanced Purchase" package that is essentially the same price. You can book online directly through the Biltmore website. Please feel free to contact us if you need any assistance.
If you have any questions or concerns, call the hotel reservations department at 1- 855-311-6903(domestically)/786-664-6707(international) or email at reservations@biltmorehotel.com.
When land developer George E. Merrick (creator of Miami’s Coral Gables neighborhood and founder of the University of Miami) teamed up with hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman in 1924 — the height of the Florida land boom — they envisioned building “a great hotel ... which would not only serve as a hostelry to crowds which were thronging to Coral Gables but also would serve as a center of sports and fashion.” The Biltmore Hotel, with its Mediterranean architecture and classic Italian, Moorish and Spanish influences, opened its doors just two years later, on Jan. 15, 1926.
Soon after, the elite made their way to The Biltmore Hotel, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, gangster Al Capone, and Hollywood glitterati such as Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby. Before he became Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller was a swim instructor at the hotel’s 23,000-square-foot grand pool, which was also the setting for aquatic and fashion shows over the years.
Like many historic hotels across the U.S., The Biltmore Hotel served as a military hospital during World War II, converted by the War Department into the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital. Once the war ended, the hotel became the early site of the University of Miami’s School of Medicine, and was a Veterans Administration hospital until 1968.
The property then went through starts and stops, including the City of Coral Gables acquiring ownership of the hotel in 1973, and a $55 million investment and reopening in 1987, only to close again in 1990 because of the economic downturn.
In 1992, a 10-year, $40 million renovation program launched, and today the hotel is back to its original splendor. Inside, The Biltmore Hotel’s 273 guest rooms, 133 of which are suites, feature 340-thread-count Egyptian cotton duvet covers atop European feather bedding, and Jerusalem stone-tiled floors.
The resort’s grounds encompass 150 acres of tropical landscape, including the largest hotel pool on the East Coast (approximately 23,000 square feet holding 600,000 gallons of water), complete with poolside cabanas; a 12,000-square-foot spa; a 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness center; boutique shops; kids’ and culinary programs; two bars; four restaurants in which to dine; and, adjacent, tennis courts and the Donald Ross 18-hole, 71-par championship golf course, which debuted in 1925.
www.usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2017/02/24/biltmore-hotel-coral-gables-florida/98246016/
Despite it's rise as an early-Miami oasis, two events in the building's history would yield mystical ramifications that, to this day, stick to the building like gloopy, spooky glue: the murder of gangster Thomas "Fatty" Walsh and the temporary repurposing of the Biltmore as a military hospital during World War II.
Rumor has it the spirit of gangster Thomas Walsh haunts the hotel: Walsh was shot and killed by another gangster in 1929 at a party on the 13th floor.
Alleged paranormal occurrences at the Biltmore include being tapped on the shoulder by men in army uniforms, noise from parties that aren’t happening, and the ghost of a man in a white tuxedo appearing in the elevators – elevators that have been said to stop on the 13th floor for no reason.
therealdeal.com/miami/2015/10/30/a-look-at-south-floridas-spookiest-properties/
Aloft Hotel Coral Gables
Again, we strongly encourage our friends and family to stay at The Biltmore with us for the weekend. However, The Aloft Coral Gables is our recommendation for an alternative hotel that is close The Biltmore. It is a 5 minute drive away. The hotel is located across the street from a Publix grocery store and is walking distance to the shops and restaurants on Miracle Mile. We do not have any rooms blocked out and we will not be providing transportation to and from The Biltmore. The Aloft is just a cost-effective recommendation. Rooms are currently available for less than $150/night.