My mom and I went on a weekend getaway at the Biltmore over the summer. She'd been before but It was my first time and I found it to be absolutely charming.

The hotel is over 100 years old and is in need of a lot of repair, especially after last year's hurricanes nearly ripped the roof off. But it's charm far outweighs it's flaws.

We got a junior suite on the first floor overlooking the pool. It was only $119 a night.. what a deal!! Nicely decorated, the living room area had huge wrap around bay windows and a plush couch with a huge arm chair. High ceilings, a mini fridge and ceiling fans. The bedroom had a king size bed, desk, nighttables, wardrobe and tv, chest of drawers and more chairs. We had two walk in closets. The bathroom was a little small but considering the period it was built, size was forgivable and it was comfortable enough, with a large window that let lots of light in. Aveda toiletries are awesome!

The restraunt has very good food and the Sunday brunch is wonderful. There is a ice cream shop where you can get pastries, ice cream, snacks, etc. There is also a gift shop, a business center with free use of computers, a hotel museum, and art gallery, a billards room and a pub in the basement.

The spa is great and I really liked the exercise room and indoor pool/huge jacuzzi. The outdoor pool/jacuzzi area is incredible. The pool is HUGE and there is a bar that will serve drinks at your chair. There is also a playground area for the kids.

Overall the grounds and hotel are really beautiful and quite charming. There are so many hidden areas to explore and relax with a good book.

I recommend the hotel tour and I will go back, it's relatively inexpensive for a charming experience.

the first room smelled horrible, the bed was tiny, the bathroom was old, the windows were so dirty you could barely see out of them. when we asked to be switched the next room still smelled horrible and there was mold on the ceiling. when we weren't happy with the second room we asked for our money back, we were told we would be billed for a night anyway and were asked to look at a third room. the final room was renovated and was decent but there were weird bugs stuck to the tiles in the bathroom and the bed was like a rock. overall it was a horrific experience that no traveler who spends good money should go through.

The hotel and facility is grand, the grounds are gorgeous. The room, however, left much to be desired. Had to be moved twice, the first room smelled of mildew, the second was unclean (tub, floors, etc.). The room we settled on had a huge bathroom, but a pedestal sink with no counter space. Had to set up ironing board to place toiletries on. Tile and grout on floor was stained, bathroom fixtures corroded. The glass doorknob on bathroom door fell off, shattered on floor, and had to be opened from outside to exit bathroom. Fitted sheets on bed weren't, would wake up with sheets having come off mattress. The view out the window was the rooftop of a lower wing of the hotel; had empty beer bottles, beer cases, and other trash. The wooden fascia and trim on the edge of the structure right outside our window was clearly rotting.

Will say that the charm of the period and history or the Biltmore has been well preserved in other areas of the facility. The spa and salon services are excellent, service staff extremely polite and helpful. However, guest rooms are sorely in need of restoration and upgrading.

March 2004 - We stayed 3 nights at the Biltmore before heading to the beach for another 3 nights.The Biltmore is a lovely old hotel with all the amenities. It has Tiffany glass windows throughout the first floor corridor and some of the banquet rooms have Tiffany glass panes (back lit) in the ceilings. There is much history here and you really need to plan on taking the hotel tour that happens daily at 11:00 a.m.Our room was quite large and had high ceilings. We were on the second floor and didn't have much of a view - I suggest that you request a room either on the third or fourth floor, if possible. It was furnished with rich colors and nice furniture. Our bathroom had two steps up to it and was huge (half the size of our room), and there was a nice walk-in closet and dressing area in it. You?ve got to love a hotel that provides Aveda products that are restocked every day.The spa area includes an indoor exercise pool and hot tub, exercise room, hair salon, spa treatment rooms etc. It was very nice. The outdoor pool, hot tub and the grounds surrounding them were really pretty.There is a restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. It offers a lovely Sunday Brunch. And, there is an ice cream shop where you can get snacks, coffee and tea. Also, there is a store for souvenirs (tee shirts and the like), and incidentals. This is where you rent bikes and sign up for tennis lessons if you?d like.My husband golfed at the resort's course that is not at the hotel but about a mile away - no biggie. They will shuttle you there if you don't have a car. He enjoyed his rounds. There is a private golf course on the grounds of the hotel, but unfortunately the resort no longer owns it.There is no beach at this hotel - but the resort owns a beach club on Sand Key and will shuttle you over there (15 minutes) - or you can drive yourself. You can use their private beach and pool there, if you wish.The hotel is being re-roofed - a four year endeavor. This hotel is huge and over 100 years old. Yes, it needs a little painting here and there, or a little TLC to this or that, but the place is old - our room and the entire hotel and its facilities were very clean, decorated nicely and the sheer grandeur of the hotel makes the little imperfections unnoticeable.They also provide a complimentary business center where you can do some work; use their computers, etc.We enjoyed our stay and would definitely go there again.