The Lady Gets an Upgrade
THE $25 MILLION BILTMORE RESTORATION
BEGAN: 2017 AND COMPLETED: DEC. 2018 COST TO UPGRADE THE GYM: $500,000 COST TO UPGRADE THE LOBBY: $550,000 COST TO REPLACE ALL 800 WINDOWS: $5.5 MILLION COST TO PRESERVE THE BUILDING: $10.5 MILLION COST TO UPGRADE THE GOLF COURSE: $2.5-3 MILLION
Few buildings are more iconic for Coral Gables than the Biltmore Hotel, the grand dame of elegant hospitality that rose in 1926 as part of the original Mediterranean-styled city. Now, the old girl is in the middle of a $25 million remake.
UPGRADED: THE VAULTED LOBBY
The massive, vaulted lobby has already seen more than half a million spent to upgrade its beige furniture and tired rugs to reflect the blue of the restored frescoed ceilings and the green of the Gables canopy. Another $5.5 million is being spent to replace the hotel’s 800 windows. Twice that amount is going into fundamental renovations to preserve the structure, including a new roof and elevator renovations. All rooms will also be upgraded with the new color scheme, with additions like gemstone chandeliers over the beds.
UPGRADED: A GUEST ROOM
Even the golf course is getting a $3 million upgrade, returning it to the 1925 Donald Ross that included more sand traps so as to “maintain the playing interest of the accomplished player,” says Brian Silva, the veteran gold course architect overseeing the restoration. The goal: A future PGA Tour event.
TO BE UPGRADED: THE GOLF COURSE
“This historic landmark is a treasure of the City of Coral Gables, and the newly redesigned elements allow us to highlight the hotel’s old-world feel,” says Gene Prescott, president and CEO of the hotel. Part of the cost will be picked up by the city, which leases the property to the Biltmore Hotel Limited Partnership, in the form of reduced rent.
