Great Gatsby

Posted by citizendave from Chicago on 11/15/07

We stayed in August for a few days and just loved it even if it was almost vacant. It was like a set for a movie. We were down visiting Mom and Dad and didn't take full advantage of the facilities like the golf course or the spa treatment. We didn't even get a chance to swim in the indoor pool which is a bit like the one in the movie, "Cocoon". The skeleton crew staff was helpful and effective but just not very polished. Our smaller upstairs room was clean and tidy, everything worked and the outdoor pool was just fine and dandy with decent drinks at the bar. The workout room was pretty much average and all the equipment was in good working order.The only thing this place needs is some decent marketing.

Enjoyed the stay...despite the warts

Posted by Craig from Woodstock, GA on 4/10/06

My wife and I just returned from a 2 night stay at the Biltmore. Both of us being Florida natives, we've stayed at many of the upscale hotels in the area (Don Cesar, Vinoy, etc). There is nothing like the Belleview Biltmore for a look back at "old Florida". The hotel has it's old, original charm and for that reason alone, if you want to experience what Florida was like before Disney and mass tourism...this is the place to go. That said, one could make a list miles long about all the maintenance details that nobody addresses at the hotel. Peeling paint on the ceiling in the Palm dining area, dirty rooms, half-assed repair work, and so on. Given the age and the construction of the building (and having owned a home of similar age and construction in Tampa for many years) I can attest to the huge effort it must take to maintain a building like the Biltmore. However, what I cannot speak well for was the service (or lack thereof) we experienced during our stay. While the staff was courteous, they were also slow or plain old didn't do their jobs. Wait staff in the Palm dining area was especially bad. It's a buffet. They do not take your order and then bring you food from the kitchen. The hotel is not packed. So why do the wait staff fail to clear dirty dishes from the table? Or refill a glass? Or provide new silverware? This isn't a cost issue...this is plain old atrocious service. The same can be said of the service at the Cabana facility on the beach. Awful, slow, disinterested wait staff (with the exception of the Cabana boy). Food at the Cabana was uninspiring, portions were small and overpriced for the quality/quantity. We enjoyed our stay but for the price we paid, I'd expect better service and at least a clean room. Here's hoping somebody "get's it" and gets their act together.