For years, Sofia Araya drove past the venerable Biltmore Hotel, the scene of major political and social events, celebrity visits and literally a centerpiece of the City of Coral Gables.
“I grew up in Coral Gables. I had my middle school prom here,” she said. “This has been a staple in the Coral Gables area for a long time.”
Now, Araya is a marketing coordinator at the 271-room luxury hotel, one of nearly 700 full- and part-time employees who serve guests from around the world. After graduating with degrees in hospitality from Florida International University and working at another area hotel, she started at the Biltmore in late March.
“This property is iconic,” she said of the century-old property. “It’s a privilege to be here, and I feel a sense of pride I was able to become a part of this iconic hotel.”
Those feelings are echoed all around the hotel’s workforce, which rallied this year to lift the Biltmore to the No. 1 position in the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Top Workplaces annual competition for large companies. (This year, 198 companies of all sizes were surveyed, and 170 qualified as a top workplace. Those classified as large companies have 400 or more employees.)
Araya and her new fellow employees have high standards to maintain at the hotel, which is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand. More than 600 luxury hotels, resorts, and residences in more than 80 countries count themselves as part of the group. They are all required to pass “annual, anonymous, 1,600-point inspections focused on high-quality standards and superior service,” the organization says.
Biltmore Hotel CEO and President Tom Prescott in an atrium at the historic Coral Gables hotel. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Multiple generations have helped maintain those standards; from grandmothers to grandsons, employees from the same families have worked at the hotel, said Tom Prescott, the hotel’s president and CEO. The staff also boasts a multi-national flavor.
“We have over 46 country backgrounds here, myself included. And that’s a source of pride for us,” Prescott said.
A January gala celebrating the hotel’s centennial brought together local and national leaders, as well as members of Miami’s diplomatic corps.
“I would say that was the closest we’ve had to our own personal state dinner,” he said.
Working at the hotel is more than a “9-to-5 kind of clock-in,” Prescott added.
“We want to make sure it’s an engaging workplace,” he said. “You spend most of your time here and not with your loved ones, so we want to make sure you have the opportunities to grow within the workplace.”
He wants to hear from his employees when they see something go wrong, or have ideas to make operations and services better.
A number of U.S. presidents have been guests. President Bill Clinton was a frequent visitor during his presidency in the 1990s, as well as a regular player on the resort’s championship golf course. Besides business meetings and conferences, the hotel handles a heavy diet of weddings.
Management support
The hotel orchestrates more than 400 events annually and upper-echelon management has the employees’ backs, said Jenny Rivera, director of catering and conference services.
“We handle a lot of high-level pressured hospitality and events,” said Rivera, who is approaching her 10th year as an employee. “The leadership shows up every day. They are supportive. They are approachable. It definitely makes a difference.”
Natalie Then, a nine-year employee and assistant director of human resources, said the hotel puts on multiple events for employees. Promotions aren’t out of the question. She started with the Biltmore in retail sales, moved up to accounting and handled payroll, and then joined human resources as a generalist.
“We’re very family-oriented,” she said. “Coming to work every day doesn’t feel like work. This is my second home. There are plenty of opportunities to grow within the organization.”
Assistant Director of Human Resources Natalie Then, left, Director of Catering and Conference Services Jenny Rivera, and Director of Human Resources Job Gutierrez at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Job Gutierrez, the director of human resources, said the hotel operates a two-day “robust onboarding program” called “Passion.”
“We want our people to be passionate when they show up for work,” he said. “It’s important for us to demonstrate that they are not just part of any job. They are creating an environment for an experience for our guests.”
The introduction is then followed by a 14-day program in the new employees’ respective departments. Then management follows up to see how the newcomers are doing.
“We have continuous conversations with the employees,” Gutierrez said. “Before we kick off the day, we all gather around and we have a conversation to see what it is they need to set up for the day.”
“Other organizations don’t have a touch-base with employees after six months,” he added.
Keeping it current
Prescott said that as the Biltmore moves forward with the balancing act of maintaining its historic stature while keeping pace with guests’ changing demands, employees will play a key role.
When City of Coral Gables founder George Merrick envisioned the city’s layout in the 1920s, Prescott said, the hotel was to be at its epicenter.
“He focused on the fact that this needed to be a luxury hotel property,” Prescott said. “Yes, it needed to be the epicenter of Coral Gables and he laid out the municipality accordingly. He knew that times would change — things would evolve. There is no way he would have said, ‘keep it preserved as a living museum and we wouldn’t have air conditioning in today’s world.’
“I have attempted updating, but in a responsible manner, areas of the hotel that address exactly that point,” Prescott said. “The modern traveler who is going to come, for example, is going to have a need to carry an average of two to three electronic devices — an iPhone, an iPad, computer laptop — they need power ports to plug in.
“People want better lighting these days. You can do those things in a responsible manner without taking away from the true and original character the Biltmore has,” he said. “It’s a balance. I try to find the right balance. My team tries to find the right balance. We consult with the city and the hotel preservation board. We think we have the right balance. Time, I guess, will tell.”
Also profiled as part of South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Top Workplaces 2026: Midsize companies winner Voloridge and small companies winner RegisHR.
The iconic Biltmore Hotel boasts one of the largest resort swimming pools on the East Coast. In the 1920s, Olympic champion and “Tarzan” actor Johnny Weissmuller worked as a swimming instructor and lifeguard there. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
The Biltmore over a century
1926: Opens in January with a massive gala. From the 1920s into the 1930s, the hotel hosts royalty, celebrities and politicians, including entertainer Ginger Rogers and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
1940-1960s: During World War II, converted into a military hospital and later a Veterans Administration hospital. Serves as a campus for the University of Miami School of Medicine through 1968. Thereafter, the property is abandoned for a number of years.
1973: City of Coral Gables granted ownership control through the Historic Monuments Act, but the hotel remains idle for more than a decade.
1983: Restoration begins to resurrect the hotel’s grandeur.
1987: Reopens as a luxury hotel and resort.
1992: International group led by Seaway Hotels Corp. becomes operator under management lease with the city.
1994: Hosts the Summit of the Americas, organized by President Bill Clinton. The event draws nearly three dozen heads of state.
1996: Declared a National Historic Landmark.
2026: Nearly 300 celebrants gather at a January gala to hail the hotel’s first 100 years.