Belleview-Biltmore Hotel, hotel in Clearwater, United States of America
The Belleview-Biltmore Hotel is a late 19th-century wooden hotel in Clearwater, Florida, built in the Queen Anne architectural style. The building sits on a bluff overlooking Clearwater Bay and features a large white exterior with multiple turrets, bay windows, and a wide wraparound veranda.
The hotel was built in 1897 by Henry Plant, a railroad developer who wanted to bring tourism to Florida's west coast. After his death, the property changed hands several times and was used as a military hospital during World War II before reopening as a resort.
The hotel was long a winter destination for wealthy travelers from the northeastern United States, a group known locally as snowbirds. Sitting on a bluff above Clearwater Bay, the building's wraparound verandas were designed for guests to sit outside and enjoy the warm air during the cooler months.
The hotel is located in Belleair, a suburb just south of Clearwater, and is most easily reached by car. Access to the exterior is generally open to visitors, but access to the interior may vary depending on the current status of the property.
The Belleview-Biltmore is considered one of the largest surviving wooden structures in the United States, which is especially rare in Florida's humid climate. The entire building was constructed without steel framing, something unusual for a structure of this size built in that era.
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