What to expect: With its l5-story tower modeled on the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain, the Coral Gables Biltmore rises majestically in the city of Coral Gables. Its red-tiled roof, Moorish arches, hand-painted ceilings, Italian-marble floors, and open-air courtyard with fountains welcome leisure and business travelers. Built in l926, the 25-acre hotel was declared a national historic landmark in l996.

Amenity highlights: The Biltmore's 23,000-square-foot outdoor pool is flanked by cabanas in a landscaped courtyard. An l8-hole, par-71 championship course designed by Donald Ross and the John Pallot Golf Academy are adjacent to the hotel. Guests can play tennis on 10 lighted courts, and a fitness center includes free weights, Cybex machines, and a wide range of classes (surcharge). Massages, facials, aromatherapy, and body wraps are available at the hotel's spa (surcharge).

Insider tip: The Biltmore has a fascinating history from its heyday in the 1920s, through the war years, and on to today. Every Sunday afternoon, complimentary, hour-long tours of the hotel and grounds are offered by the Dade Heritage Trust. Tours depart from the hotel's concierge desk. Ghost stories are told fireside every Thursday evening in the hotel lobby.

What to expect: Rising 14 stories above the boulevards of downtown Coral Gables, the Hyatt Regency is modeled after the Alhambra fortress palace in Granada, Spain. The two-story marbled lobby is warmly lit with antique candle chandeliers. Lush Florida plants, arched hallways, a stone-and-tile staircase, antiques, and Mediterranean-style windows provide a warm welcome to arriving business travelers.

Amenity highlights: A lively crowd gathers on Wednesday and Saturday nights at the hotel’s Alcazaba nightclub. A fifth-floor terrace houses an outdoor lap pool, a deck with lounge chairs, and a spa tub. Stair machines, stationary bikes, a sauna, and Nautilus weight machines are available in the fitness center overlooking the pool. Meeting facilities include 13,700 square feet of function space and a business center.

Insider tip: The hotel is 2 blocks from the Miracle Mile, a shopping, dining, and entertainment mecca. The district stretches 4 blocks and includes 40 restaurants, four live theaters, numerous art galleries, and 170 elegant shops. Weekday afternoons and early evenings, the complimentary Coral Gables trolley rides along the Miracle Mile.

What to expect: Set in the financial district and opening onto the famed shopping/dining street called Miracle Mile, the hotel attracts business travelers and shoppers. The hotel dates from 1991, but it incorporates--and honors in design--the historic, 60-foot-high, Neoclassical-style Rotunda that developer George Merrick used as a real-estate sales office when he founded Coral Gables in 1926. The lobby is on the second floor above ground-floor shops and restaurants.

Amenity highlights: A 10th-story, 200-foot-long, rooftop sundeck fringed by bougainvillea features a 50-by-15-foot heated pool and five-person spa tub. The hotel's public areas feature pink-marble floors trimmed in green marble, delicate crystal chandeliers, dark woods, and sepia photographs documenting the history of George Merrick, founder of Coral Gables.

Insider tip: A complimentary trolley-bus operates on Ponce de Leon Boulevard alongside the hotel to the vast shopping/dining center called Village of Merrick Park.