The Ghosts of the Miami Biltmore Hotel
Biltmore Hotel postcard c.1930s
On March 13th, 1925, George E. Merrick, along with John McEntee Bowman and city officials, broke ground on what we know today as The Biltmore Hotel and Golf Course.
Designed by Schultze & Weaver — an architecture firm that also designed New York City’s iconic Waldorf-Astoria — the Mediterranean Revival-style hotel was inspired by Seville’s Giralda Tower and was intended to serve as a social and cultural centerpiece for the neighborhood that would attract global elites and political leaders to the then-developing South Florida.
It cost $10 million to build, or about $187 million in today’s currency. When the hotel opened its doors on January 15, 1926, its 23,000-square-foot pool, which holds 600,000 gallons of water and spans over half a football field, was said to be the largest pool in the world. The Biltmore opened to the public in grand style.
Designed by Schultze & Weaver — an architecture firm that also designed New York City’s iconic Waldorf-Astoria — the Mediterranean Revival-style hotel was inspired by Seville’s Giralda Tower and was intended to serve as a social and cultural centerpiece for the neighborhood that would attract global elites and political leaders to the then-developing South Florida.
It cost $10 million to build, or about $187 million in today’s currency. When the hotel opened its doors on January 15, 1926, its 23,000-square-foot pool, which holds 600,000 gallons of water and spans over half a football field, was said to be the largest pool in the world. The Biltmore opened to the public in grand style.
Golfers at the Biltmore c.1925
In its heyday, The Biltmore played host to royalty, both European and Hollywood's. The hotel counted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Al Capone, and assorted Roosevelts and Vanderbilts as frequent guests. Fashion shows, gala balls, aquatic shows by the grand pool, 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.
Events such as diving shows, alligator wrestling, celebrity parties, and beauty pageants also took place on the hotel’s grounds. Johnny Weissmuller, who worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor at the Biltmore, once broke a world record in the hotel’s pool before becoming a five-time Olympic gold medalist and a Hollywood star best known for his role as Tarzan.
Within nine months of opening, the hotel was hit by its first storm, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, the tour guide told me. The hotel suffered minimal damage and served as a shelter after the storm, resuming operations quickly.
Events such as diving shows, alligator wrestling, celebrity parties, and beauty pageants also took place on the hotel’s grounds. Johnny Weissmuller, who worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor at the Biltmore, once broke a world record in the hotel’s pool before becoming a five-time Olympic gold medalist and a Hollywood star best known for his role as Tarzan.
Within nine months of opening, the hotel was hit by its first storm, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, the tour guide told me. The hotel suffered minimal damage and served as a shelter after the storm, resuming operations quickly.
Fatty Walsh was killed at the Biltmore Hotel c.1929
In 1929, gangster Thomas “Fatty” Walsh was fatally shot at the Biltmore over a gambling dispute. He was the former bodyguard of Arnold Rothstein, and was questioned when Rothstein was killed, but he told police he'd left town two months before because Rothstein was "too cheap". The police believed that Walsh's slaying was connected to Rothstein, who was killed in similar circumstances. Fatty Walsh had only been in Miami for 3 weeks, and Arthur Clark, who was wounded in the altercation, said a dispute didn't cause the shooting, but that a man entered the room with the intent of shooting Walsh.
Rumor is that his ghost haunts the hotel, especially the bar, where the glasses and bottles on the shelves have reportedly shaken mysteriously. Known as a man of indulgence who enjoyed Cuban cigars and women, Fatty is said to still wander the hotel and play tricks on staff and guests. His apparition has been seen on the 13th floor, where he was killed, and in bathroom mirrors throughout the hotel. The mysterious scent of cigar smoke, presumably a manifestation of Fatty, has been reported to follow attractive women around the Biltmore.
Paranormal investigators say Fatty is a cooperative and friendly spirit. But he might not be the only soul wandering the hotel's halls. A decade after Walsh’s murder, in the 1930s, eyewitnesses reported that a woman walking in front of the Biltmore mysteriously disappeared. More recently, members of the kitchen staff claimed to have seen mysteriously swinging doors and inexplicable noises. The next time you visit the Biltmore — for the hotel's annual Halloween party — pay attention to any mysterious smells, sounds, or movements: You might have attracted the attention of a gangster ghost!
But there could be other sources for the haunting said to occur at the Biltmore. With the onset of World War II, the Biltmore was converted to a hospital by the War Department. It served the wounded as the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital. Many of the windows were sealed with concrete, and the marble floors covered with government-issued linoleum. Also, it was the early site of The University of Miami's School of Medicine, and it remained a VA hospital until 1968.
Rumor is that his ghost haunts the hotel, especially the bar, where the glasses and bottles on the shelves have reportedly shaken mysteriously. Known as a man of indulgence who enjoyed Cuban cigars and women, Fatty is said to still wander the hotel and play tricks on staff and guests. His apparition has been seen on the 13th floor, where he was killed, and in bathroom mirrors throughout the hotel. The mysterious scent of cigar smoke, presumably a manifestation of Fatty, has been reported to follow attractive women around the Biltmore.
Paranormal investigators say Fatty is a cooperative and friendly spirit. But he might not be the only soul wandering the hotel's halls. A decade after Walsh’s murder, in the 1930s, eyewitnesses reported that a woman walking in front of the Biltmore mysteriously disappeared. More recently, members of the kitchen staff claimed to have seen mysteriously swinging doors and inexplicable noises. The next time you visit the Biltmore — for the hotel's annual Halloween party — pay attention to any mysterious smells, sounds, or movements: You might have attracted the attention of a gangster ghost!
But there could be other sources for the haunting said to occur at the Biltmore. With the onset of World War II, the Biltmore was converted to a hospital by the War Department. It served the wounded as the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital. Many of the windows were sealed with concrete, and the marble floors covered with government-issued linoleum. Also, it was the early site of The University of Miami's School of Medicine, and it remained a VA hospital until 1968.
Soldiers convalescing at the hotel while it was a VA hospital
In 1973, through the Historic Monuments Act and Legacy of Parks program, the City of Coral Gables was granted ownership control of The Biltmore. Undecided as to the structure's future, the Biltmore remained unoccupied for almost 10 years. Then in 1983, the City oversaw its full restoration to be opened as a grand hotel.
Almost four years and $55 million later, The Biltmore opened on December 31, 1987, as a first-class hotel and resort. Over 600 guests turned out to honor the historic Biltmore at a black-tie affair. Since before its restoration in 1983, the Biltmore Hotel has been known for being haunted, with unexplained noises on the 13th floor, a ghostly girl out on the golf course, and restless spirits from its time as a VA hospital, just a few of the ghostly stories associated with it.
A true ghost story submitted to Miami Ghost Chronicles about one of the most infamous haunted places in South Florida, The Biltmore Hotel.
Almost four years and $55 million later, The Biltmore opened on December 31, 1987, as a first-class hotel and resort. Over 600 guests turned out to honor the historic Biltmore at a black-tie affair. Since before its restoration in 1983, the Biltmore Hotel has been known for being haunted, with unexplained noises on the 13th floor, a ghostly girl out on the golf course, and restless spirits from its time as a VA hospital, just a few of the ghostly stories associated with it.
A true ghost story submitted to Miami Ghost Chronicles about one of the most infamous haunted places in South Florida, The Biltmore Hotel.
It was a warm August night back in 1999. My friends and I decided to go see the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. So we parked at our friend's house that lived a block away then we proceeded toward the huge landmark.
We walked in like as if we owned the place, right by the bellboy and the front desk, straight to the back of the hotel and then outside. There were 5 of us including myself. Two of my friends stayed at the golf course just talking as I and my other 2 friends crept into the utility elevator in the back. We pressed the 3rd floor which then takes you to the main elevators. We got to the third floor then found the other elevators. I was surprised to see the elevator to the far left leads to the tower. We got on that and pressed the infamous 13th floor. It didn't light up. We then took the elevator to the lobby, but before getting to the lobby it stopped on the 7th floor. The doors opened, we stood still for a couple of seconds, and then the doors closed (why it stopped at the 7th floor, who knows).
We got to the lobby but before we were able to walk out a man with a suitcase walks in and asks, “Going up?" We said "Yeah" and stayed inside. The man's destination was the 14th floor. He slid a special key into the elevator which gives access to the tower floors. He asked what floor we were headed to, I kept a poker face and said 13 please. He pressed it and it lit. We got to the 13th floor and the doors opened, we thanked the man and proceeded outside.
The 13th floor is not like the other floors. It is more like a 10 foot enclosure with double doors facing you. We tried opening the doors but they were locked. So we decided to call on the elevator. We stood waiting and it sounded like rain falling down the elevator shaft. We decided to go back down to the lobby, but before we got to the lobby floor the elevator automatically took us to the 7th floor again. We got spooked then and decided to get off on that floor and take the stairs to the bottom.
We told our friends outside what had happened, and they didn't believe us. So we all went back and took the elevator to the 12th floor, got off and took the stairs to the tower. We passed the exit to the 13th floor, we got to the exit on the 14th and it was locked. We got to the 15th floor and opened the door. To your right there is a door labeled "Merrick Suite" we opened it and went inside. It was dark but through the darkness you could tell it was a detailed and beautiful room. We noticed that there was two windows opposite from each other. One was facing the front of the hotel and the other facing the rear (toward the golf course). These windows were enormous about 10 feet high. We also noticed that we were in a sitting room. There was more rooms inside the actual suite. Two on one side and one on the other side. We walked into the first dark room turned on the light and felt the temperature difference immediately. It was really cold in that room, despite the fact that all rooms were served by the same air conditioning system.
One of my friends was going to open the closet but I told him not to touch anything. We heard a noise coming from the elevator area. We all froze, looked at each other and ran down the stairs to the lobby. My legs were in pain. Imagine running 15 flights down! Somewhere on our trek down the stairs we left two of our guys behind, so we took the elevator back to the 12th floor and took the stairs to the 15th again.
We were just nosy, because we still hadn't found our other 2 friends that we had gone back for. We walked back into the room we were in and as I remembered we had left the lights on, however to our surprise the lights were off. We paid it no attention and opened the room next to it. This room faced the corner of the hotel, it too was dark but one could see the beds were unmade, which we thought was pretty weird.
We walked into the last room across which had double doors. We were shocked to find the room lit. We closed the doors and exited the suite. We decided to go back down,but use the elevator this time. Again as we waited, we heard sounds of hard rain which definitely caught our attention. The doors soon opened and we all let out a shriek when we found our other two friends inside. We all ran into the elevator and pressed lobby, but it took us to the 7th floor again! What was it with the 7th floor?!
We also noticed that it was ice-cold on that floor. We waited for the doors to close and went to the lobby. We walked back out into the golf course and looked up to the window at the Merrick Suite. We saw what seemed to be the shape of a person looking straight down at us. We all stopped and stared and one of my friends gave a suggestion by saying it was probably a vase or something. But I knew that wasn't a vase! We walked the damp golf course grass just to walk off our scare. We walked to the end and turned around heading back to the hotel. I knew we were going back a different way too. Something gave me the feeling to look back at the grass behind us. To my shock there was more than a couple of footprints.
Let’s do the math now, 5 guys’ equal 10 sets of footprints. Right? Well someone explain to me why there was at least 20 footprints going in all directions right behind us. We knew the prints weren't there before because in front of us the grass was perfectly smooth. So we all take one step at a time. When we took about 2 steps together I turned around, again the zigzagged steps, about 15 or more of them. We all ran out of the grounds and didn't stop until we got to my car, where we went home never doubting that the Biltmore is haunted.
