Haunted Biltmore Hotel, Miami, FL
1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables, Miami, FL 33134, USA
CHECK AVAILABILITYFatty Walsh, the mobster who was killed in the hotel during a gambling dispute is said to still reside here. He is said to open doors for waitresses who are carrying trays in and out of the restaurant. He writes messages on mirrors, steals lampshades, turns off lights and plays with guests on the elevator. He’s reported to send guests to floors they didn’t want to go to. The elevators have been checked on numerous occasions and never has a fault been found.
There is the story of a husband and wife who wanted to get off the elevator on the 4th floor but was brought to the empty 13th floor instead. The door opened and continued to stay open for a good while. The woman got out of the elevator and the elevator suddenly shot behind her and went down with her husband in it. The husband asked help from the staff and when they went up to the 13th floor, they found the woman very frightened. She told them that she heard someone walking around in the shadows, talking and laughing. She also smelled cigar smoke.
Guests have reported seeing a woman in white in their rooms. It’s believed she is the ghost of a woman who jumped out of the tower for reasons still highly debated. A dancing couple is also seen in the ballroom waltzing across the floor and then suddenly vanishing.
The Biltmore Hotel is a historic hotel located in Florida. Built in 1926 by George Merrick and John Bowman and designed by Schultze & Weaver, it became a National Historic Landmark in 1996 and was also placed on the Florida Architecture: 100 Years 100 Places.
During World War II it became a hospital for soldiers and was a school campus until 1968. In 1987, it became a hotel again and was managed by Seaway Hotels Corporation. It was once the tallest building in Florida and at one time it had the biggest pool in the world. The hotel has been seen in various movies and television shows, including Miami Vice and Bad Boys. The centerpiece of the hotel is the 93-foot copper tower which was copied from the Giralda Tower in Sevilla, Spain.
All the accommodations in the hotel are arranged with attention to detail. Executive suites have views to the pool and spacious balconies. Junior suites have separate sitting areas from bedroom areas and have televisions for each area. Deluxe rooms have original Jerusalem tile floors and can be fitted with your choice of a king or queen-sized bed. Superior rooms have small sitting areas.
Guests have lots of choices when it comes to dining at the hotel. There are four fine restaurants to choose from: Palme d’Or serves sumptuous French cuisines; Fontana is the romantic courtyard restaurant that serves Italian food; Cascade gives guests contemporary French-Caribbean cuisine, and 19th Hole Bar & Grill is a classic restaurant with views to the Donald Ross golf course.
The hotel’s spa is a full-service spa that has an area of 12,000 square foot and it offers pampering and relaxing services such as facial treatments, full-body massages, manicures, pedicures, and even acupuncture. Coral Gables weddings are also an affair to remember with lasting memories that you will cherish forever.
The Biltmore is surrounded by the lush greenery of the Biltmore Golf Course. It is a championship course which was designed by Donald Ross and it offers guests a pro shop, private instruction, and a full practice facility. The course was reopened in November 2007 after a very expensive restoration.
Coral Gables is an upscale business and residential neighborhood which is beautiful and safe. It is a unique place because of its Spanish style and heritage. One of the places you can visit when in Coral Gables is the Venetian Pool. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it is the largest freshwater pool in the US. Since the 1920s, it has been a very popular swimming spot.
The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has a mission of giving people more knowledge of and conserving tropical plants. Art enthusiasts should go to The Lowe Art Museum which can be found at the University of Miami. It has a collection of art that goes as far back as 5,000 years. The Matheson Hammock Park is a park with nature trails, a marina, and a man-made beach.
When you need a bite in the park, you can always go to The Red Fish Grill, it is where the movie “There’s Something About Mary” was filmed. Going to Merrick House should also not be missed. It is the childhood home of George Merrick, the person behind The City Beautiful. The Merrick House has a museum about the history of the Merrick Family.