Biltmore Hotel

Since its opening during the roaring twenties, the esteemed Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables has been a magnet for celebrities and world leaders for more than eight decades. This Florida hotel's collection of elegant rooms and suites embraces the look and feel of a bygone era, with European feather bedding, oversize picture windows and comfortable sitting areas for receiving guests. Modern amenities and hi-tech gadgets are discretely present for your convenience. The resort houses four casual-to-elegant restaurants, including The 19th Hole where golfers imbibe after a day on the magnificent Donald Ross Golf Course. Sitting down to a proper afternoon tea is also part of the Biltmore Hotel culture.

Slip across the bamboo bridge and into the hotel's spa sanctuary, where a tranquil afternoon awaits. At the Biltmore Spa Coral Gables, luxuriate behind the door of one of a dozen treatment rooms, where you will be privy to hedonistic and holistic therapies. Poolside cabanas can also double as treatment chambers for a more al fresco feel. If the need to knead is more to your liking, consider enrolling in the Biltmore Culinary Academy. This recreational, hands-on cooking school offers lessons for foodies of all ages and is taught by the acclaimed chefs that work behind the Biltmore Hotel's kitchen doors. The three-hour class concludes with a sumptuous meal - prepared by you - and recipes to take back and test in your own kitchen. There really is no need to venture off the premises, but in case the urge strikes, you are just minutes from sizzling South Beach and the en fuego scene of downtown Miami.