At the 1926 gala opening of the Miami Biltmore Country Club, Dr. Frank Crane predicted that many people will come and go, but this structure will remain a thing of lasting beauty. Today, the 276-room hotel and resort is known as the Biltmore in Coral Gables, and is indeed as elegant as the day it opened. The Biltmore’s rich history makes it Coral Gables’ most prominent historical landmark. In its heyday, the Biltmore played host to the royalty of both Europe and Hollywood. The hotel counted Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby and assorted Rossevelts and Vanderbilts as frequent guest. Fashion shows, gala balls and weddings were de rigueur, as were world-class golf tournaments. A product of the Jazz Age, big bands entertained wealthy, well-traveled visitors to this American Riviera resort.

With the onset of World War II, the Biltmore was converted to a hospital by the War Department. Through the Historic Monuments Act and Legacy of Park Program, the City of Coral Gables gained control of the Biltmore. In 1983, the City began to oversee its full restoration to be opened as a hotel. More than 600 guests came out for the black-tie grand opening. In June 1992, a multinational consortium led by Seaway Hotels Corporation officially became the new owners and operators of the hotel, which reopened in the fall of 1992 after significant refurbishment. The adjacent 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Donald Ross, was also restored.

Seaway also invested in new lighting, telephone and computer systems throughout. They undertook a complete guestroom renovation program and remodeled a space into a state-of-the-art health club and spa. In 1996, the hotel celebrated yet another milestone in its illustrious history: the 70th anniversary of this grand South Florida monument and an official designation by the Federal Government as a National Historic Landmark, an elite title offered to only 3% of all historic structures on the National Register of Historic Places.