Photographs

The Hotel Belleview, which first opened in 1897, was built on the highest bluff in coastal Florida, by shipping and railroad magnate, Henry Plant. The hotel was fashioned after a great Swiss Chalet and was constructed out of heart of pine – a dense, sappy wood which petrifies over time, allowing the hotel structure to remain sound, despite its being well over one hundred years old. A few years after the hotel opened, it was painted white and its roof was covered in green shingles, resulting in the nickname, ‘The White Queen of the Gulf’.

Most of these photographs were copied from the Town of Belleair and/or Heritage Village Historic Park archives. If you are in possession of a historic photo that you would like to contribute to this collection, please contact me.

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The exterior of the Belleview Biltmore Resort has changed little for several decades. Five of the original outlying cottages still exist on the property (though the East Gate Cottage is now privately owned.)

The surrounding neighborhood remains a tranquil setting for the White Queen of the Gulf; filled with palms, huge oak trees, colorful flowering bushes and trees, and an enviable assortment of tropical birds.

It is widely anticipated that, as a part of the renovation, the Japanese-style lobby and spa will be removed and replaced with convention meeting rooms and a lobby that is more in-keeping with the overall appearance of the Resort. A new spa will most likely be built elsewhere on the Resort property.

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Over the years, the ‘Hotel Belleview’ was renamed ‘The Belleview Biltmore Hotel’, ‘The Belleview Mido Hotel’, and most recently, ‘The Belleview Biltmore Resort’.

Regardless which name was used, the hotel offered guests from around the world a remarkable stay from 1897 until she was closed for renovation in 2009.

These photographs offer a glimpse of the interior, but pictures can’t do justice to the beauty, scope and elegance of this magnificent building. Nor can they provide the sensation of walking down a corridor, knowing you are following in the exact footsteps of both famous and common people from several past generations. They can't provide the smell of old wood or the sound of an antique key rattling in a lock. But until the Belleview Biltmore Resort reopens, they are all we have to remind us how much we stand to lose, in the event we fail in our efforts to protect her, and restore her for the benefit of future generations.

These are just a few of the photographs I have taken of the Belleview Biltmore Resort over the years. If you have a few pictures you would like to submit to this collection, please contact me via e-mail.

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To keep workers from inconveniencing wealthy guests in 1897, a basement and a labyrinth of tunnels was constructed beneath the resort. Guest’s luggage and steamer trunks, along with laundry, ice, food and other supplies made their way to the appropriate section of the hotel via inconspicuous service staircases, which provided access to all hotel wings, ballrooms and kitchen areas.

When the hotel was first built, the railroad tracks ran right up to the entrance of the hotel. In those days, workers used push carts to move supplies to and from the train on tracks that ran into the basement. Laundry and most of the baking was done down there, too. Even in later years, when the basement was mostly used by maintenance workers, the tunnels provided staff easy access to various sections of the hotel.

Today, the original boilers, ice-keep, ovens, railroad tracks, and freight lift mechanics are just a few of the fascinating historic features, still preserved in the basement.

The fifth floor is also an intriguing section of the resort. The top floor of modern hotels is usually reserved for the highest-paying guests, so it might seem odd that the fifth floor of the Hotel Belleview was originally constructed for the use of nannies and servants who were traveling with hotel guests. But when we are reminded there were no passenger elevators in 1898, the design becomes easier to understand.

The fifth floor as suffered damage from roof leaks, but the damage is mostly confined to the drywall/plaster walls and ceilings. Some floor boards are damaged in small sections of the fifth floor as well, but the primary structure beams/supports/lath remain sound

The attic is mostly empty, save a few screens and left-over mechanical eqipment like the top wheel of the original freight lift.

Initially, the attic was an important feature to help control the heating and cooling of the old hotel and it held much of the electrical wiring (remember, in 1898 this hotel boasted three electric lights in every suite!)

But what's most interesting about the attic today is the fact that it provides a good look at the structural beams of the hotel, which are in almost perfect condition, despite their age.

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These pictures were taken in May, 2011, and represent the current state of the Belleview Biltmore Resort's interior. Plans for the fabulous Resort renovation have stalled, but hopefully, a new owner will soon step up to restore the Resort to her original elegance.

Before the property was sold in lieu of foreclosure, the previous owners gutted the entire Resort and began the interior demolition, in anticipation of renovation. All of the carpeting has been removed, and several exploration holes were opened in the walls and ceilings, to determine the soundness of the underlying frame, trusses and foundation. Fortunuately, the vast majority of the Resort's "bone structure" is in great shape.

Unfortunatley, roof damage suffered during the 2004 hurricane season, as well as damage from normal wear and tear, has been largely ignored because the entire roof was going to be replaced as a part of the renovation (and in some places, raised a few feet.)

Although the roof leaks have caused some damage to the interior of the structure, including portions of the fifth floor plaster ceilings, walls and a few sections of flooring - so far, almost all of the primary structure remains sound.

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