By the mid-1920s, Bowman’s “Biltmore” brand was already synonymous with luxury. His flagship, the New York Biltmore, and the Los Angeles Biltmore had set new standards for elegance and hospitality. The Coral Gables Biltmore would take this concept further—a resort that blended old-world romance with modern American opulence.
Construction began in 1924 on a 150-acre site adjacent to the Granada Golf Course. Bowman and Merrick spared no expense. The architectural firm Schultze and Weaver, famed for designing Manhattan’s Waldorf Astoria and the Breakers in Palm Beach, was chosen to bring the vision to life.
When it opened on January 15, 1926, the Biltmore was the tallest building in Florida and among the largest hotels in the nation. With 400 guest rooms, a 1200-seat banquet hall, marble colonnades, carved mahogany ceilings, and frescoed halls, it was a spectacle of Mediterranean grandeur.
The hotel’s 315-foot central tower—modeled after Seville’s 12th-century Giralda—became an instant landmark. From its observation deck, guests could gaze across Biscayne Bay and the growing city of Miami, a view symbolic of Florida’s promise and prosperity.
But what truly captured attention was the Biltmore’s swimming pool—a vast, lagoon-like basin 23,000 square feet in size, touted as the largest pool in the world. Surrounded by cabanas, marble balustrades, and tropical gardens, it became a stage for lavish events, synchronized swimming shows, and water carnivals featuring celebrities, alligators, and flamingos.
The Golden Years: High Society and Hollywood on the Bay
From its opening, the Biltmore became a playground for the rich and famous. The guest list read like a who’s who of 1920s America: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Al Capone, Ginger Rogers, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, and even President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used the hotel as a winter White House.
The Roaring Twenties brought an intoxicating blend of wealth, freedom, and indulgence, and the Biltmore reflected that spirit perfectly. Jazz bands played beneath the arches, champagne flowed by the poolside, and every evening brought another gala, costume ball, or beauty pageant.
Bowman marketed the Biltmore as a resort “where the world’s best people come to play.” Its ballrooms hosted charity events, fashion shows, and masquerades that rivaled those of Palm Beach. Guests could golf, ride horseback, play polo, or take lessons in ballroom dancing.
The Biltmore’s pool shows became legendary. Staged by Johnny Weissmuller (before his Tarzan fame) and other Olympic swimmers, the aquatic spectacles drew thousands of spectators. Flaming torches, diving beauties, and synchronized swimmers turned the pool into a nightly carnival of light and motion.
But as dazzling as these years were, they were fleeting. Just months after the hotel’s grand opening, disaster struck. shutdown123