The Biltmore Hotel and it’s Haunts

The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL has a notable history. A luxury hotel Designed by Schultze and Weaver and built in 1926 by John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick, the Biltmore hotel embodied the height of the Florida land boom. When completed, it was the tallest building in Florida, surpassing the Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami. It was surpassed in 1928 by the Dade County Courthouse, also in Downtown Miami.

The Biltmore quickly positioned itself as the premier luxury destination. However, during World War II, the government converted it to serve as a hospital and subsequently as a VA Hospital and campus of the University of Miami’s first medical school until 1968. In 1973, through the Historic Monuments Act and Legacy of Parks program, the City of Coral Gables gained ownership of The Biltmore. Yet, The Biltmore remained unoccupied for almost 10 years because the city was unsure how to move forward with the use and restoration of the building. Then in 1983, the City oversaw its full restoration to be opened to it’s original grandeur. And fifty five million dollars later, The Biltmore opened on December 31, 1987 as a first class hotel and resort.

There are some reports that claim this hotel to be “haunted”. As a local Miamian, you hear the stories of The Biltmore 13th floor being plagued by ghosts. I mean, if you go to The Biltmore, and press the 13th floor, the elevator doesn’t stop and does not move to the floor. I remember trying to get into the 13th floor when I was in high school after a day at beach. We tried pressing the button but it did not function, and we knew the floor was there. Then we tried climbing up the stairs to the 13th floor, and only being able to pull the stair way door agar enough to peek in because it was secured by some for of latch on the inside. You just feel this weird energy standing by the stairway trying to enter the 13th floor. The door was uncommonly cold (mind you it was a hot Florida day).

Yet, not a lot of people know the history of the 13th floor. The most famous ghost of The Biltmore who is often blamed for the tall tales coming from the 13th floor. Thomas “Fatty” Walsh, a gangland type individual who ran an illicit casino for mobsters and the social elite in the 1920s on the 13th floor. Another gangster shot him to death one evening with the casino full of guests. So as you can see, since many hotels are superstitious to begin, The Biltmore history definitely has reason to be. Patrons often report “Fatty” stopping the elevator and employees report “Fatty” roaming the halls of the 13th floor.

The most famous guest story was that of a couple who go separated by the elevator. The story tells of a lady and her husband who tried to get off on the 4th floor, but the elevator took them to the suite on the 13th floor. The door opened into the foyer of the suite, and continued to stay open for several minutes, not responding to the attempts of the couple to get the elevator to take them back down. Curious, the woman stepped out into the foyer. The doors immediately slammed closed and the elevator descended back to the lobby with the husband. He got help from the hotel staff. When they arrived back at the 13th floor, the woman was very frightened. She had heard someone moving around in the dark room, small objects falling to the floor, and laughing. She smelled cigar smoke (“Fatty” loved his stogies), and it was very cold.

• Coral Gabels
• Florida
• Halloween
• Haunted
• Miami
• The Biltmore