Look inside Miami's 100-year-old Biltmore Hotel, loved by US presidents and linked to mobster lore

The Biltmore Hotel overlooks the neighborhood of Coral Gables in Miami.

Nestled in the tree-covered, historic Coral Gables, the Biltmore Hotel was envisioned by the neighborhood's developer, George Merrick, as the crown jewel of his "City Beautiful."

Designed by Schultze & Weaver — an architecture firm that also designed New York City's iconic Waldorf-Astoria — the Mediterranean Revival-style hotel was inspired by Seville's Giralda Tower and was intended to serve as a social and cultural centerpiece for the neighborhood that would attract global elites and political leaders to the then-developing South Florida.

Construction on the hotel began in 1925.

Construction of the Biltmore broke ground in March 1925, and within 10 months, the building was completed.

It cost $10 million to build, or about $187 million in today's currency.

Like many of Miami's historic buildings, the Biltmore recruited Bahamian and local craftsmen and construction workers to ensure it would withstand the unique, at times harsh, weather of South Florida.

Within nine months of opening, the hotel was hit by its first storm, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, the tour guide told me.

The hotel suffered minimal damage and served as a shelter after the storm, resuming operations quickly. This early test cemented the hotel's role as both a community landmark for Coral Gables and a luxury retreat.

During its early years, the Biltmore became a staple of the Florida land boom.

In the Biltmore's early days, visitors from northern states took the "Miami Biltmore Specials" trains straight from New York City on a 36-hour journey.

The rail connection to the hotel came at a time when Florida was earning a reputation as a vacation spot for northern elites looking to escape cold temperatures.

At its opening, its pool was described as the largest in the world.

When the hotel opened its doors, its 23,000-square-foot pool, which holds 600,000 gallons of water and spans over half a football field, was said to be the largest pool in the world.

Comparable to an Olympic swimming pool — which were rare until the mid-century, after being introduced at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris — the Biltmore's pool became one of its main attractions.

Events such as beauty pageants and swimming competitions were held at the Biltmore.

During the 1930s, the hotel frequently attracted thousands to its aquatic galas, where synchronized swimmers performed at the iconic pool.

Events such as diving shows, alligator wrestling, celebrity parties, and beauty pageants also took place on the hotel's grounds.

Johnny Weissmuller, who worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor at the Biltmore, once broke a world record in the hotel's pool before becoming a five-time Olympic gold medalist and a Hollywood star best known for his role as Tarzan.

The hotel welcomed both honorable and controversial patrons.

Aside from hosting a roster of honorable guests, including entertainers like Bing Crosby, leaders like US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and members of the European aristocracy, the Biltmore also saw more infamous characters like Al Capone pass through its halls, or at least that's how the legend goes.

While there is "absolutely zero written record of [Capone] ever having set foot" in the Biltmore, my tour guide told me, the mobster is said to have run a speakeasy in the hotel's Everglades Suite, where his associate and Thomas "Fatty" Walsh was murdered during a gambling dispute in 1929.

Despite not being confirmed, the hotel often embraces the lore. Its bar has a cocktail named "AD85" after Capone's inmate number at Alcatraz prison.

During World War II, the luxurious hotel was converted into an Army Air Forces hospital.

In 1942, the government seized the hotel's property and converted it into a war hospital.

After the military's departure, the property entered a prolonged period of uncertainty. It operated as a Veterans Administration hospital and then the University of Miami's first medical school before being abandoned in 1968.

In 1973, the City of Coral Gables acquired the Biltmore. Today, it is leased to a managing company, Seaway Hotels & Resorts.

During its comeback, the hotel hosted the Summit of the Americas, welcoming 34 global leaders.

During its revival in the 1990s, the Biltmore returned to the global stage by hosting the 1994 Summit of the Americas, welcoming 34 heads of state and government from across the Western Hemisphere.

The gathering marked a return to prominence for the historic hotel after decades of uncertainty.

Today, the hotel is loved by high-profile figures.

My tour guide said every US president since Jimmy Carter — except Donald Trump and George H. W. Bush — had at some point passed through the hotel.

Inside, the hotel has kept its original, century-old lobby.

The hotel's grand lobby is defined by soaring arches, marble columns, and hand-painted ceilings that date back to the hotel's opening.

The lobby decorations match the hotel's historic, elevated vibe.

Dark velvet fabrics and a warm, muted color palette reinforce the lobby's Old World feel.

Throughout the hotel, decor choices often aim to preserve the Biltmore's historic aesthetic.

Live finches inside carved wooden bird cages fill the lobby with life and song.

Aside from the lobby's original details, two statement birdcages housing live finches stand out as central pieces.

Although not in the original lobby, the birdcages have been a staple of the hotel for the past 20 years. The birds are cared for by a hotel staff member who feeds them fresh local fruit every day.

When I visited, the cages were partially covered with embroidered fabric to keep the finches warm on a particularly chilly Florida day, but I could still see them through the wooden cages' windows.

The lobby also serves as a dining area for afternoon tea.

From Wednesday through Sunday, guests can enjoy a traditional tea service in the hotel's grand lobby, which also hosts opera and harp performances.

Downstairs, the hotel's Fontana restaurant partially sits in an open-air courtyard.

It is named after the courtyard's central fountain. The Mediterranean-inspired courtyard offers a quieter, more casual contrast to the grand spaces upstairs.

Fontana serves Italian-inspired dishes.

Fontana is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It also offers a $125-per-person brunch on Sundays, featuring a caviar bar, breakfast stations, traditional carved meats, pasta, salads, seafood, sushi, and dessert, as well as rotating specials and bottomless sparkling wine.

Brandi's, the hotel's dark, moody bar, draws inspiration from the Biltmore's past.

Dim, intimate, and tucked away under the hotel's grand spaces, Brandi's nods to the hotel's Prohibition-era history.

However, it also feels contemporary and is one of the ways the hotel has modernized to accommodate expectations of today's travelers, the tour guide said.

Another modern aspect of the hotel is its 10,000-square-foot fitness center.

At the 600-gallon pool, there's poolside dining and nine private cabanas.

The Biltmore's pool features its own poolside restaurant, Cascade, as well as daybeds and nine private cabanas tucked behind hibiscus and palm trees. The cabana rentals start at $240 and include staff service.

When I visited, the pool was closed as staff cleaned up from the hotel's centennial celebration party.

The Biltmore's clubhouse is the center of events at the property.

The Country Club Ballroom is the largest of the Biltmore's three ballrooms. Its home, the Conference Center of the Americas, features nearly a dozen meeting spaces, including two amphitheaters.

In all, the Biltmore has 23 different meeting spaces totaling 75,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.

The ballroom inside can hold up to 700 people and has welcomed presidents and royals.

Aside from hosting large gatherings of leaders, such as heads of state and royals, the Biltmore also hosts weddings, conferences, and celebrations.

For many, the Biltmore's golf courses are the real highlight of the property.

The Biltmore has around 4 miles of golf grounds.

The Biltmore has hosted major tournaments and its golf club has a long, exclusive waitlist.

The Biltmore's 18-hole golf course has hosted major tournaments, including PGA Tour events and the annual Junior Orange Bowl — Tiger Woods played in it as a 16-year-old in 1991.

Today, the Biltmore serves as the home course for the University of Miami's women's golf team, to which Kai Trump has committed.

You might spot former presidents or celebrities playing in the Biltmore's 18 golf holes.

According to my tour guide, presidents, athletes, and other well-known figures have played rounds here over the years.

Next to the course are spaces for relaxing and socializing.

Just off the course, the Biltmore's golf clubhouse and adjacent dining spaces allow socializing with scenic views of the fairways.

The Fairways restaurant, which serves American cuisine and cocktails, overlooks the first tee.

Tucked in the clubhouse, there's also a members-only lounge.

The lounge and locker rooms are quieter than other dining and bar areas in the hotel.

A night at the Biltmore can range from about $300 to a few thousand dollars.

The Biltmore has 271 rooms, including 174 suites.

Depending on the season, a standard room at the Biltmore can range from about $300 at its lowest, to over $1,000 during busier periods, like the winter months.

The hotel's presidential suites cost $4,422 a night year-round.

The tallest point of the hotel's iconic tower is home to its two luxurious presidential suites.

For a few thousand a night, guests can reserve the Everglades and Merrick suites, located at the top of the hotel's tower and overlooking the golf courses.

When I visited, both suites were occupied.

Named after Coral Gables' developer, the Merrick Suite is at the top of the tower.

The Merrick Suite is named after George Merrick, the developer who envisioned Coral Gables and the Biltmore as its centerpiece.

The 1,720-square-foot, three-bedroom suite has large living and dining areas and two balconies overlooking Coral Gables and the Biltmore Golf Course. It also has private elevator access.

During his life, Merrick used the space as his private retreat.

The Everglades Suite is often linked to Al Capone lore and was once the site of a mob killing.

The hotel's Everglades Suite is one of the most luxurious rooms, and certainly the most famous. Often associated with Al Capone, the suite is said to have served as a speakeasy and gambling site for the mobster, and was the site of Thomas "Fatty" Walsh's murder in 1929.

In fact, a hole said to be left by the bullet that killed Walsh can still be seen in the Everglades Suite.

The suite, the second-highest in the hotel's tower, features a secret staircase that the tour guide said was convenient for the type of activities believed to have been carried out there.

Some guests have reported ghost sightings. My tour guide said that during her time working there, neither she nor any other staff member had encountered any paranormal activity.

Guests staying in the hotel's standard rooms can expect decor that pays homage to its past.

Standard guest rooms are also designed to echo the hotel's Mediterranean Revival roots, with warm tones, classic furnishings, and subtle historic details.

Many of the rooms overlook the tree-lined streets of Coral Gables or the expansive golf course.

Whether it's to golf, ghost-hunt, or retreat, the Biltmore welcomes guests just like it did 100 years ago.

A century after its opening, the Biltmore continues to draw and amuse visitors for many of the same reasons it did in the 1920s, whether it's for a round of golf with prominent figures or a luxurious retreat.