"The grand opening party was an extraordinary display of jewelry, furs and clothing by the 1500 guests. Famous band leader conducted one of three orchestras that entertained the guests. Although the prohibited the sale and manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor, it did not spoil the party since, it was said, champagne was flowing. ... The hotel's 300-foot-high belfry is visible from just about any spot in Coral Gables's low-zoned residential area. Lighted by day by the subtropical sun and at night by powerful spotlights, the orange Mediterranean-Moorish belltower, modeled after the in , rises between two seven-story wings. Guests enter into a large impressive space with marble under foot and more than two dozen 25 foot-tall s supporting a ceiling coffered in the center and groin vaulted at either end. The room, with a fireplace in one wall, is decorated with new and antique furnishings and carpets chosen to evoke the grandeur and elegance of an earlier era."