While driving around Coral Gables I stopped by the Colonnade Building along the
'miracle mile', a half a mile stretch of road that is the shopping strip of the planned community.
Coral Gables was a planned community developed by George Merrick in the 1920s, spawned out of the City Beautiful movement. The public buildings in Merrick's scheme were all done in a magnificent
Beaux Arts style which incorporated a lot of Floridian motifs.
Merrick hired architect Phineas Paist, who was involved with the local estate Vizcaya, to complete his own fantasy town. Below is a photograph of a lost painting of Paist, allegedly painted by Sargent, who was a friend of his.
The Colonnade, completed in November of 1926, was originally designed as Merrick's sales center, and as such, was the centerpiece of the shopping area. It certainly stands out!
Since the area experienced a real estate bust shortly after it was built, the building has undergone a series of purposes: a movie studio, pilot training facility, bank and even a parachute factory!
The building is now a part of the
Colonnade hotel, operated by Westin. You can see the hulk of the hotel behind the original building. The main foyer operates as a ballroom and contains the original Spanish fountain and plaster detailing that you'll see in a bit.
The exterior doors house a number of restaurants with the shaded loggias providing outdoor seating.
As with most good architecture, you know where you are, despite a classical design. The pink stucco and turquoise window frames with beachside motifs couldn't be anywhere but Florida!
The interior foyer, as I said, now operates as a ballroom for the hotel; imagine having your wedding here!
It reminded me vaguely of Rome's Pantheon, don't you think?
The Oculus is even painted with clouds to resemble the open one at the Pantheon. Here it is more practically enclosed.
Now, notice those pretty corinthian columns -what is that in the center?
The capitals have birds; Pelicans and Parrots!
I instantly fell in love with this room -those birds!
The niches at the ground level (empty for some reason?) continue the seaside motif with shells. Ignore those hideous 1980's marble floors. I'm not sure what the original floors were, tile or perhaps a more appropriate terrazzo (marble chips in cement)?
At the rear of this atrium begins the hotel with this 2 story entry hallway. I think it melds in pretty well with the original building. This area was originally an alley between buildings I think, based on original photos I found online.
After a maddening day driving around Coral Gables looking for Merrick's buildings (harder than I thought!) and an unexpected and stressful phonecall, I needed a drink. I grabbed a delightful lunch at Le Boudoir in the Colonnade - one of the best Salad Nicoise I've had in a long time, I would highly recommend this cafe!
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Directly across the street from the Biltmore Hotel lies the Congregational Church of Coral Gables. 
Started by George Merrick in 1923, the building of a church was a priority as he happened to be the son of a Congregational minister. 
This building stands as a grand memorial of sorts to his father. 
Designed by the architect Richard Kiehnel, the building is modeled after an earlier church in Costa Rica, in the Spanish Baroque style. These iron lanterns flanking the front door are spectacular. 
I love the contrast of the rough stucco with the smooth white painted stone and smooth terracotta tiles. Those little round windows are adorable! 
I can imagine the number of couples who get married at the church with a reception at the Biltmore to follow!
The landscaping, as in all of Coral Gables, is very rich, leafy and green, not what one neccesarily associates with Florida. Yellow stucco, green palm trees and blue sky, thats all I ask for in a vacation!
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Located in Coral Gables, a historic neighborhood within Miami, the 
Schultze and Weaver, the architects of other hotels in the Biltmore chain (as well as New York's 
Breaking records, the building was for a number of years the tallest structure in Florida and had the largest swimming pool in the world.
In fact, the pool was more famous than the hotel! Synchronized swimming was a big draw in the 20s and 30s and afterwards the guests would stay to dances in one of the many ballrooms.
The actor Johnny Weissmuller was actually 'discovered' while a swim coach and performer here at the Biltmore.
The hotel was converted into the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital in 1942 and remained a hospital through the nearby University of Miami's School of Medicine until 1968.
The windows were sealed shut and the marble floors covered with cheap linoleum, converting the lovely hotel into what was probably a very awkward, but elegant hospital. 
The Biltmore sat empty from 1968 until 1983 when it was restored and converted back into a luxury hotel again, opening in 1987.
However, the bright side in this hospital conversion and abandonment was that the building was never modernized, saving many of the lovely old features and details.
Stepping inside the enormous lobby, you're immediately confronted with 2 blanking birdcages, seen above. Such a nice lively touch I think! Have you ever seen an 8' tall birdcage like that before? I love the travertine floors, much prettier than the linoleum that covered them for 50 years!
This little staircase in the corner of the lobby was probably my favorite feature -is that a Gremlin? haha I loved the blue painted spanish terracotta tiles and the wall finish is amazing.
My favorite of the ballrooms is located directly off the lobby and features this amazing fireplace, big enough to walk into and polychromed wood ceilings.
I'm not sure if these chandeliers are original, but they fit in nicely.
I just can't get enough of these ceilings!
Behind the lobby and adjacent to this ballroom is the Cortile Loggia, which surrounds the outdoor Fontana restaurant below.
This feels incredibly Spanish to me with the tilework and colorful stuccowork.
I love seeing the patina on the old mouldings, wood window frames and stucco.
The courtyard is filled with palms and in the winter Miami weather is really the perfect place to enjoy a meal. 
I loved the light fixtures on the lower level with the star shaped rosettes.
These must be the best rooms with the balconies overlooking the golfcourse.
I hope you enjoyed this visit to the Biltmore with me! While we didn't stay at the Biltmore (staying instead at the Soho Beach House on nearby Miami Beach, read about that fabulous hotel on Heather's blog 
