Belleview-Biltmore Hotel
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Belleview-Biltmore Hotel
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| Location | 25 Belleview Boulevard Belleair, Florida |
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| Coordinates | 27°56′37″N 82°49′6″W / 27.94361°N 82.81833°WCoordinates: 27°56′37″N 82°49′6″W / 27.94361°N 82.81833°W |
| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1897 |
| Architect |
Kennard, Francis J. Miller, Michael J. |
| Architectural style |
Queen Anne Shingle Style |
| Demolished | 2015, except for a portion of the original 1897 structure |
| NRHP Reference # | 79000687 |
| Added to NRHP | December 26, 1979 |
The Belleview Biltmore Resort and Spa was a historic resort hotel located at 25 Belleview Boulevard in the town of Belleair, Florida, United States. The 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) hotel structure was the last remaining grand historic hotel of its period in Florida that existed as a resort, and the only Henry Plant hotel still in operation when it closed in 2009. The building was noted for its architectural features, with its unique green sloped roof and white wood-sided exterior, and extensive handcrafted woodwork and Tiffany glass inside. Constructed of native Florida pine wood, it was said to be the largest occupied wood frame structure in the world during its heyday.
The Belleview Biltmore is situated along the eastern shores of Old Clearwater Bay, with views of the bay and the barrier islands which border the Gulf of Mexico. The hotel was built in 1897 by railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant and was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 26, 1979.
The hotel closed in 2009 and thereafter the property deteriorated from neglect. Despite the venerable hotel's historic designation and efforts by preservation groups to save it, various proposals to restore the property as a resort hotel were unsuccessful and the owners began demolition in 2015 for planned condominiums. A portion of the 1897 structure has been saved and relocated on a new foundation to be used as a boutique inn.
The hotel property consists of over 160 acres (65 ha), including swimming pools, a beach club, restaurant, and a golf course. The hotel itself is located on 20.203 acres (8.176 ha) and has ballroom facilities and is a popular location for weddings and other gatherings.
The Belleview Biltmore has hosted many famous people, dignitaries and world leaders through the years, including U.S. Presidents 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. The hotel is thought by some to be the site of ghost sightings and other paranormal events. The Hotel was featured in a segment on the Weird Travels series on the Travel Channel television network in the U.S., which was filmed in March 2004 by Authentic Entertainment.
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