USA/FL: Miami – Biltmore Hotel

The monumental Biltmore Hotel in Miami’s Coral Gables was built in 1926, architecturally inspired by the Sevilla Cathedral. When constructed, it became the tallest building in Florida and lasted as such for 26 years. It also had the world’s largest pool at the time. In the gangster 1930s, the hotel was the scene with all the celebrities and politicians and mob bosses – from Roosevelts to Vanderbilts to Al Capone. During WWII, the hotel was turned into a hospital. In the 1960, the building was abandoned and stood crumbling until being taken over and restored in 1992. Now, it’s a registered national historic landmark.