Matthias Kammerer, Managing Director, Biltmore Hotel

Invest: sat down with Matthias Kammerer, managing director of the Biltmore Hotel, to discuss what it means to steward a historic landmark through its centennial year while preparing it for the future. “At the end of the day, in hospitality, it boils down to human relationships, and that hasn’t changed,” Kammerer said.

How do you personally define the role of a managing director when stewarding a property of this stature?

Celebrating our centennial has been a wonderful opportunity to look back, whether you look back 10 years or 100 years. You realize how much has changed, from physical surroundings to the way we do business and communicate, and even what guests expect when they arrive.

Even after 100 years, some things haven’t changed. In our case, that is how we take care of our guests. At the end of the day, in hospitality, it boils down to human relationships, and that hasn’t changed. The customer is still the top priority. Getting to know your guests, understanding their preferences, and anticipating their needs — that was true 100 years ago, and it’s true today.

The tools have evolved, but the work still comes down to one-on-one interaction and making people feel genuinely welcome.

Luxury today is increasingly emotional rather than transactional. How do you think about creating moments that guests feel, not just services they consume?

Luxury is made up of many small elements that together create a larger picture. When the details are intentional, guests may not be able to name every element, but they feel the difference.

Florals are a simple example. Exotic flowers or arrangements can create a sense of arrival, whether that is in the lobby or in a suite. Scent works the same way, from bathroom amenities to the atmosphere when you enter a spa. Texture matters too, including the choice of linens and how they feel. Those details shape a luxury environment that guests remember.

The Biltmore attracts a wide range of guests, from first-time visitors to multigenerational loyalists. How do you design experiences that resonate across such different profiles?

We do have a blend of customers, and they all need individual attention. Business guests are more likely to stay with us if meeting spaces are flexible and technology supports their presentations and audiences.

A family that returns year after year is focused on something different. For them, it becomes more important that we know their preferences, their routines, and details about who they’re traveling with, including children, grandchildren, or pets. Then you have golfers, whose priorities center on the course being in top condition and receiving timely service out there.

We constantly put on different hats to make sure we address those different needs, while keeping the experience consistent with the Biltmore standard.

How do you approach talent development and retention in a hotel where service excellence is so closely tied to institutional knowledge?

It starts with selecting the right people. Skills can be taught, but mindset cannot. Hospitality requires a warm, engaging personality and a genuine comfort in serving others.

Once team members are part of the team, it’s also about listening. We can’t be everywhere, and we can’t see everything. A front desk employee, a bellman, a food server, or a housekeeper can bring back feedback about what works and what doesn’t. When we act on that feedback and improve the work environment, it helps people deliver better service and builds pride in the work.

We also invest in internal training, both job-specific and broader development, because people want to learn and advance. That commitment helps protect the institutional knowledge that makes a property like this special.

What aspects of leading the Biltmore Hotel have been the most rewarding, and which have required the greatest adaptation in your leadership approach?

The adaptation piece is hard to tie to one single issue because you always have to adapt. Every move and every environment brings a learning curve.

One of the most rewarding opportunities has been being part of this centennial. That’s once in a lifetime. Given the prominence and importance that the Biltmore has in Coral Gables, in South Florida, and as a National Historic Landmark, to be involved in its centennial is a privilege.

It’s rewarding because it’s not only about celebrating the past. It’s about ensuring the hotel continues to be successful in the future, so that one day someone else can look back and say we did our part in maintaining and building that legacy.

In a world where luxury hospitality is becoming increasingly globalized, what makes the Biltmore distinctly Miami rather than interchangeable with other iconic resorts?

We have the good fortune of history. We have iconic architecture that has been part of the Miami landscape for a little over 100 years. You can build new luxury properties anywhere, but it takes time for a property to become unique and to earn a reputation.

The Biltmore is also connected to how the city developed and grew around it. Many people think of Miami and automatically think of South Beach, so they don’t even know that something like the Biltmore exists. Discovering it can be an eye-opening moment when guests realize this is a cornerstone of Miami’s history.

That combination of place, architecture, and legacy makes us distinct.

As the Biltmore marks its centennial, what reflections stand out about how you celebrated, and why those choices mattered?

One of the most unique aspects was the way we told the story of the Biltmore during the celebration. It was a private gala, and it represented the beginning of our centennial year, so we wanted to start with a bang. The planning stretched over many months, and the goal was to honor the past without turning the night into nostalgia alone. We wanted guests to feel the legacy, but also see that the Biltmore is still evolving.

Instead of a fireworks display, we ended the evening with a drone show, which allowed us to create the story of the hotel in the sky.

We were able to show the evolution from the day of opening to the celebrities who visited, to the unfortunate closure and wartime use, and then the rebirth. You can’t do that with fireworks. The theme was back to 1926, with the menu, décor, and music reflecting that era, before the story shifted visually to today, 100 years later. The drone show was narrated so guests could follow along in real time.

Looking ahead, what are your priorities for the Biltmore Hotel as you plan for the next century?

A priority is making sure the building, as a historic landmark, is maintained so it stands as a sign of its time for a long time to come. At the same time, especially in the interior, we have to upgrade in a way that creates a connection between the past and today.

We’re not a museum. Guests have modern expectations. You want the experience to feel appropriate to the architecture and support the history of the property, but you also realize you’re in 2026. Our job is to continuously reinvest and upgrade guest rooms, outlets, and public spaces while maintaining the integrity of the property.

That balance is what protects the legacy and keeps the Biltmore relevant for generations to come.