The Biltmore is a historic resort hotel that was built in 1897 and takes up 820,000 sq. feet and is the last historic hotel that is also a resort. The building has many architectural features and looks amazing, inside there is Tiffany glass (which is like window with a painting on it). Barack Obama, George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Duke of Windsor, and celebrities such as Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford all visited the grand hotel. Many ghost sightings and paranormal events took place in the hotel. One a girl was washing her face in the sink, as soon as she bent down and put her face near the water. Then she felt a hand push and hold her head into the sink, seconds her boyfriend came and saved her. They quickly left the hotel and did not come back.Some other Ghost Stories of the Belleview Biltmore Hotel have been documented at http://ClearwaterGhostHunter.com which contains one of the largest online galleries of interior and exterior photos of the hotel.
The hotel was also used as a refuge for soldiers during World War II. Later on a Japanese company bought the hotel and made major modifications to it (thank Sloan), these modifications made the hotel look a lot more modern and also made some major needed repairs. Sadly however two hurricanes [Jeane and Francis(which both occurred in 2004)] ruined a lot of the new additions and other parts of the hotel. The repairs took lots of money to fix and a lot of the repairs already made had to be made all over again. Another company offered a deal to buy the property and then demolish the property.
The deal was good and they were going to take it, but however it wasn’t in favor of the public and they wanted to keep their beloved hotel. Without support from the public the plan failed and the property was not sold. In January 2009 the hotel was closed for a 100 million dollar renovation and was said to not open until January 2012. But however some “minor delays” slowed the process down and the hotel did not open again until last December! Some people plan on restoring the hotel completely, but sadly the damage is far beyond being repairable and sadly the hotel can not be restored. Recently plans are being made to demolish the hotel and replace it with 32 townhomes and 136 condominiums in an architectural style reflecting the original hotel. Some want to keep the hotel because of its historical presence but sadly however it will most likely be demolished because the damage is to far to be repaired and the hotel can’t be used a “safe” resort and isn’t making enough money.
Pinellas County History Project 