Our Generation Florida

The Belleview Biltmore: White Queen of the Gulf

By Sandra Friend
When it opened in 1896, it was the jewel in the crown of Henry Plant’s railroad hotel empire, the “White Queen of the Gulf,” the ultimate destination for wealthy northeasterners seeking a tropical paradise at the end of a direct train from New York City. The oldest operating hotel in Florida, the Belleview Biltmore is on the National Register of Historic Places saved from demolition after the hard-working efforts of local preservationists. In May 2009, the hotel will close for a full restoration, including removal of portions of the hotel that are not true to its origins. There is no better time than now to plan a visit to this cultural treasure, which will be closed for two years during renovations.

To build this grand hotel, Plant had nearly 1,000 acres cleared overlooking Sand Key amid palmettos and pines, using mule-powered scrapers and hundreds of laborers. When Plant died in 1899, his son Morton took over the hotel’s management. An avid golfer, Morton had the greens expanded from 6 to 18 holes by 1909, with a Donald J. Ross course that followed the natural features of this high bluff. Two wings—East and South—were also added to the hotel under Morton’s direction. In 1919, the hotel became part of the Biltmore chain under John McEntee Bowman, and the name Bellview Biltmore has stuck ever since. According to early advertisements for the hotel, each bedroom had “3 incandescent lights, a polished cedar mantel and tiling around the fireplace, polished floors, and oak or cherrywood furniture.”

Standing in a hallway, looking down the broad, never-ending corridor, it feels like you’re in a very different world, where ladies stroll side-by-side in hoop skirts. This is the largest occupied wooden structure in the world, thanks to the naturally fire- and termite-resistant properties of heart pine and cypress wood used for the structural timbers. The hotel is reminiscent of the Grand Hotel of Mackinac Island, but on an even grander scale of size. Polished wood plank floors, high ceilings with chandeliers, and transoms over the doors are all part of the vintage decor.

You’ll chuckle at the uneven upper floors, inevitable in a wooden building of this age, en route to your room, which has elegant touches such as wooden chair rails and baseboards, glass doorknobs, and a tiled bathroom. Although the furnishings have been updated, I found an antique luggage stand in the walk-in closet.

During World War II, the Biltmore was taken over by the federal government to house the Army Air Corps between 1942 and 1944. In 1947 the hotel reopened to guests. Or at least most of it did. Wandering the halls on a ghost tour, we discovered rooms that have been closed off from guest use for more than 50 years, still containing artifacts from the military era, on floors and sections of floors that are never used. Imagine a hotel big enough you can forget about operating parts of it.

We were told by the tour guide that sometimes the front desk gets calls from these long-forgotten rooms, which are not wired for electricity or phone. As you may imagine, this structure is full of ghost stories, including a haunted elevator.

It’s heartening to see most visitors pause at the many historic displays along the main corridor on the first floor, recounting the story of the “White Queen of the Gulf.” This is the last remaining destination resort hotel in Florida from the railroad tycoon era. The on-grounds Historical Museum contains vintage guest registers and photos, tools used around the hotel, guest history cards, and an original Istachatta Cypress Shingle Company shingle from the original roof. Each day at 11 a.m. a fascinating historical tour highlights the Queen Anne decorative pieces, the Tiffany Room, Children’s Private Dining Room, Sun Parlor Suite, and leads you beneath the building to the fabled Underground Railway, used to wheel in luggage on handcars directly from the railroad tracks that once sat outside the hotel.

Depending on the season, room rates start as low as $79 for Florida residents, with beach, spa, and golf related package deals available. Tours cost extra, but hanging out at the massive pool, catching the shuttle to the beach, or enjoying the old-time décor of Maisie’s Ice Cream Parlor is free. Go now, and experience Florida’s oldest remaining destination hotel before it changes.

www.belleviewbiltmore.com