Royal Poinciana Hotel
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The Royal Poinciana Hotel or Old Royal Poinciana Hotel, was a 2,000 room wooden hotel (1,100 guest rooms), in Palm Beach, Florida in the United States. At the time, it was reportedly the largest wooden structure in the world. It burned down in 1935; only the greenhouse cupola is left. It was built by Henry Flagler, a real estate and railroad tycoon as a winter retreat for the very rich.
Ground was broken May 1, 1893 and the hotel opened on February 11, 1894, welcoming 17 guests. The six-story, Georgian-style hotel became the largest hotel in the world at the time, with hallways totalling more than three miles in length—bellhops delivered messages to guests by bicycle.
References
- Florida, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, 2004, pg. 119
- The Breakers Historical Timeline - [link]
- palmbeaches.com, History of Palm Beach Society - [link]
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