HotelChatter

Locals Love It
The Biltmore has a sense of history and aura of belonging that are unrivaled in south Florida. The old thinking considers this national landmark old. But after a new 12,000 sq ft. spa opened last year, and the quality and setting of its restaurants, room upgrades, re-greening of its course this summer, that thinking should change.

Today, the hotel marks the cultural and spiritual heart of Coral Gables - perhaps all of Miami. The well-to-do denizens of Coral Gables (and almost all residents of this city are, happily, well-to-do) use the facilities here - the gym, the spa, the tennis courts and golf course, the restaurants. That imbues it with the vibe of a living hotel. Nightly events like Tuesday's Cigars under the Stars keep it fresh.

Room Dirt
I'm checking out this morning from an incredible golf suite that overlooks the pool and the golf course, and much of the 150-acre complex. The suite opens to a terrace that's fit for a fantasy life of Mediterranean castles. Which is basically what it was intended to be when it was built in 1926 its main tower a replica of the Girada tower in Sevilla.

True, a couple features in my suite, like the shower tub, would be considered passé by today's standards of decadent luxe, and in this aspect it can't compete in terms of contemporary amenities with brand-new ultra-luxury properties like Acqualina far to the north. But those properties both can't match the scope, size, or options (18-hole gold, 10 tennis courts, petanque court, health club with 130 classes a week free to guests) found at the Biltmore. Additionally, features like flat screens that rise from concealment units here keep it at the forefront of the curve. Wireless is throughout the facility. And its service is close to impeccable.

Pool Scene
The pool is the most magnificent hotel pool in Miami or Miami Beach. To say that it's the largest in the Continental US merely conveys its size. Its rows of statues, palms, waterfalls, Italianate buildings, its surprising geometry ("oh, it keep on going...") and beautiful tropical garden setting make it the picture of class. Or at least the class that defines Coral Gables - an oasis of transplanted Mediterranea.

Also, eight new poolside cabana suites, fought over on the weekends, epitomize luxurious privacy, sheltered by the lush landscaping typical of tropical Miami.

Where to Eat
The Biltmore dining options are superb. Palme d'Or is considered by many to be the best French restaurant in Florida. The 1221 Courtyard restaurant revolves a round a beautiful fountain in a stunning Andalucian-styled interior courtyard. The Sunday brunch here is the most famous in the state. Cascade is the more casual poolside restaurant, set around the falls that once served as diving platforms.

Best Suite in the House
Those in the know (folks like John Travolta and Bill Clinton) stay in the former Al Capone speakeasy, the Everglades Suite. It has a mezzanine that roams around the upper floor, a vantage to better view the painted ceilings. When I was 17 and a ne'er-do-well in Miami, a group of friends and I snuck into this suite, marveling at the neglected glory, and whispering of the things that happened here in a conspiratorial awe. Such things would be unimaginable today now that new owners and a clearly superb new management team have restored and actively cherish the facilities.

Why You Should Go
The lobby alone would make a trip worthy to the hotel. Its two wooden birdcages, modeled after cupola atop the main tower, have porthole windows to view the finches inside. It's a delightful touch that balances the grandness of the marble Corinthian columns and ornately painted ceilings.

Detail upon detail accumulates to make the Biltmore a living experience of the best of Miami, a very highly recommended choice for lodging.

What's Next
Now I'm off to the water's edge in Miami, to one of the Biltmore's competitor's for claim to Miami's best hotel, the hotel that first brought posh luxury in its pure form to the city, the Mandarin Oriental.