There’s no two ways around it: weekend business trips stink. Luckily, the hotel doesn’t have to. Last weekend, when I was in Miami for a weekend conference, I stayed at the historic Biltmore Hotel. Located in posh Coral Gables, the hotel is smack in the middle of an upscale neighborhood. Built in the early 1920s, it would be like staying at Jay Gatsby’s place in the height of the Jazz Age (if he lived in Miami, not the Hamptons). I immediately fell in love with the historic nature of the hotel & the attention detail in the restoration. Everything from the ornate bird cages to the soaring ceilings, the lobby in particular was stunning.
The property is home to the largest hotel pool anywhere in the continental US at a staggering 22,000 square feet. The poolside restaurant was my favorite in the hotel, with light breakfast offerings & great happy hour specials (I recommend the Double Cross Collins).
My room, a Deluxe King on the 6th floor, was larger than I expected, with a comfortable seating area separated from the bed with a large desk & credenza with mounted TVs. The bed was super comfortable. The bathroom, while a decent size, was not in great shape with the glaze peeling off parts of the tub. The floors throughout the hotel – in the room, bathroom, lobby and hallways – were terra cotta tile, which means everything was very echo-y. Carts and luggage rolling up & down the hall at all hours of the night sounded like sprinting children & doors slammed with extra emphasis.
Unfortunately, for all the good things, several disappointments mean I won’t return to this property I so desperately wanted to be my new go-to place in Miami. Like many high end hotels these days, the Biltmore charges a $22 a day resort fee. It covers wifi, newspaper, local phone calls (as if anyone uses the phone in their room for that!) & self parking. I’m generally opposed to these fees, as I’d much rather pay a la carte for the services I actually use. But I’m very opposed to resort fees that I’m not told about at check in, like at the Biltmore. Imagine my surprise when my bill was almost $50 more than I was expecting! When I mentioned this to the desk staff as I was checking out, I was met with a blank stare & a mumbled “sorry.”
I also had two strange occurrences that made me feel like less than a valued guest:
– when I got back to the hotel around 7pm Saturday night, I stopped by the hotel’s little gift shop to get a bottle of water. They told me to go to the gym, as they don’t sell beverages. The gym juice bar was closed though, & when I asked about getting some elsewhere I told my only options were the ($8) bottle in the mini bar or ($10 bottle) room service. How crazy that in this day in age, I couldn’t even get a bottle of water in the evening!
– I went down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast on Saturday morning & when I asked for a table for one, was repeatedly asked why I was dining alone. Um, because I’m in a business trip? The host asked me multiple times, as did the waitstaff. It made me extremely uncomfortable & self conscious, which isn’t usually the case when I dine solo while traveling. Couple that with a disappointing breakfast & it was not a good start to my day.
In addition, I was asked for my room number several times (not unusual in itself), but was asked to say it aloud & had it loudly repeated to me several times. As a woman traveling solo, I’d prefer my room number not be announced to the world. Most hotels are actually excellent about this & will never say your room number aloud.
So while the Biltmore may be beautiful to look at, unfortunately it wasn’t beautiful to stay in. I don’t normally write negative hotel reviews, but this hotel is so notable in Miami, I wanted to share my experience. Besides, aren’t the architecture photos stunning?
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