A peak inside Coral Gables' Biltmore Hotel

Coral Gables founder George Merrick's most ambitious project may have been the elegant Biltmore Hotel. Teaming with John McEntee Bowman, founder of the Biltmore Hotel chain, Merrick opened the hotel in 1926 with great fanfare. For two years the central tower of the structure was the tallest building in Florida, just one of the building's notable historical footnotes which include:

• Hosting the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, and Al Capone as frequent guests
• Providing a temporary residence for FDR when he vacationed in South Florida
• Having Johnny Weismuller as swimming instructor (and he set a World record swimming in the Biltmore's pool, which was then the worlds largest)
• Providing a plethora of entertainment options including synchronized swimming, alligator wrestling and high diving shows

John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick

Babe Ruth and New York Mayor Al Smith tee off in front of the Biltmore

Golfing legend Bobby Jones at the Biltmore

Grandstands next to the pool for water sports exhibitions

According to historichotels.org, The Mediterranean Revival structure's lobby features "a dramatic 45-foot hand-painted ceiling, large stone colonnades and fine craftsmanship governing every detail." The 315 tower was modeled after Giralada bell tower in Spain. One of the most eye-catching features in the lobby were the intersting free-standing bird cage structures. Full of tiny colorful birds, some of the cages were draped with blankets to keep the birds warm on this cool December day.


Just blocks from the Venetian Pool, the hotel was converted into a military hospital during WWII and continued to operate as a VA hospital until 1968. The City of Coral Gables gained control of the hotel in 1973 and it sat vacant for almost ten years. In 1987 after a $55 million dollar restoration, the hotel reopened. Today it is an elegant resort and spa on the National Historic Register and a National Historic Landmark.

Wounded veterans during the hotels days as a hospital

So as my family and I approached, after 3 nights in the Residence Inn, we felt a little out of our league. We snuck into the incredible banquet rooms, sauntered warily by the ritzy swimming pools and finally came into the cathedral-like lobby. When we saw other tourist gawking and taking pictures we felt more at ease. The space is truly regal and it is without a doubt the most elegant historic hotel I've visited in the state. The hallways are lined with historic photographs and the buildings wonderful past is put on display for all interested visitors. With so many intricate architectural details, I may just have to visit again to take it all in!

Vintage images from the State Archives of Florida

Merrick's Venetian Pool

The rocks used to build the Merrick Homestead, the namesake "Coral Gables", were quarried at a site nearby the house. In fact many of the houses in the surrounding neighborhood developed by George Merrick were built with rock from the same quarry. Ever the promoter, Merrick saw an opportunity in this hole in the ground, and he solicited his uncle, artist Denman Fink (creator of several New Deal murals including the one in the Lake Wales Post Office) and architect Phineas Paist (architect of Coral Gables City Hall) to create something grand. The result was the Venetian Pool.

Construction of the pool

Construction began in 1924 and it wasn't long before Merrick was using the amenity to attract newcomers to Coral Gables. William Jennings Bryan gave speeches near the pool's edge and swimmers-turned-actors Esther Williams and Johnny Weismuller took laps in the pool's spring-fed waters. Contestants in beauty pageants paraded competed poolside and full orchestras created ambiance to help sell Merrick's new community.

William Jennings Bryan

Images from the State Archives of Florida

On my recent visit to the pool, now on the National Register of Historic Places, it was undergoing repairs so I was unable to venture inside. From the outside I could imagine the energy and the spectacle as northerners found poolside paradise in the heart of the South Florida wilderness. Today it is a well-used facility run by the City of Coral Gables with over 100,000 visitors a year. And, according to the website, the water is still spring fed, pumped up from the aquifer every night for lucky folks to swim in the next day.

The man who created a city

The city of Coral Gables began as a plantation run by a congregational minister, who purchased the land, without ever seeing it, in 1899. According to the website of the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, Rev. Solomon Merrick's Coral Gables Plantation sold fruit in Miami and operated the "largest grapefruit export business in South Florida" and were the first to ship the citrus north by train. "Coral Gables" was initially the name of the rock house built with limestone quarried on the Merrick property.

Rev. Solomon Merrick

The Merrick Homestead

After Rev. Merrick passed away in 1911, he was succeeded by his son George, who grew the family business and expanded upon his father's dream of selling plots of land to retired clergy by creating an entire planned community that became the city of Coral Gables. Influenced by Frederick Law Olmstead's City Beautiful Movement, Merrick envisioned a city of Mediterranean Revival architecture that would be carefully planned for maximum aesthetic effect. Lots went on sale in 1921 and Merrick recruited the famous orator William Jennings Bryan to help sell his inventory.

George E. Merrick

William Jennings Bryan

Carefully theming everything from architecture to advertising, lot sales boomed and by 1926 Coral Gables encompassed 10,000 acres of South Florida. In 1925 Coral Gables was officially incorporated as a town. But as often is the case in Florida history, the boom was followed by a bust and the city went bankrupt in 1929. Merrick's pocketbook was severely damaged to the point that when he died in 1942, he was still in debt.

Examples of Coral Gables Mediterranean Revival architecture

Coral Gables recovered and today is gorgeous city of historic architecture and lush tropical foliage. Merrick's legacy has endured for over 75 years and the city appears to be thriving in the face of another period of economic stagnation in the Sunshine State. Visiting the city over the holidays, I was impressed with Merrick's community. While he at one point accumulated enough wealth to help start the University of Miami with a $5 million dollar endowment, I have to wonder if he did it all for money. It seems like he created something wonderful and lasting. I wonder how many builders in Florida today can say the same thing?

Church detail, Coral Gables

Coral Gables City Hall

Black and white archival images from the State Archives of Florida