Visited about 12-15 years ago and we really enjoyed the area so bought a lot which we recently sold because we decided not to retire there.
We stayed at the Doubletree hotel very close to the Biltmore estate. It was / is a dated (tired) hotel because the owner was very frugal and didn’t want to reinvest in the property.
We checked in and our room was suitable. I then went touring the property. On the main floor in the back of the hotel I ran into an impressive display of historic vehicles and equipment from the Biltmore Farm.
As I was closely reading each sign an elderly man walked up behind me and asked if I was enjoying the display. I said yes and he introduced himself as the personal attendant for Mr Cecil. He went on to explain that there were two Cecil brothers who inherited the Biltmore property and that they agreed that one brother would inherit the estate with the other brother inheriting the surrounding lands. He shared that Mr Cecil owned the Doubletree, maintained a modest room in the new addition and was soon coming down from his room so that they could go eat at TGI Fridays which was attached to the property.
A few minutes later an elderly man with a walker arrived. It was then I was introduced to George Cecil. We enjoyed a short chat but he was eager to get to dinner. He encouraged me to go look at property at two of his developments …Biltmore Park and the Ramble.
I went back to our room and my wife asks where I’ve been for the past hour. It wasn’t until later that I figured out who George Cecil was.
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The Biltmore Estate was inherited and managed by brothers George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil (1925–2020) and William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil (1928–2017). As grandsons of George Vanderbilt, they took over the estate from their mother, Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt, and revitalized it into a profitable tourist attraction.
- Division of Duties: William Cecil Sr. focused on the Biltmore House, tourism, and estate operations. George Cecil focused on the dairy, agriculture, and land development, known as Biltmore Farms.
- Succession: Following their deaths, the next generation took over, with William Cecil Jr. (Bill) taking a leading role in the estate's management.
- Ownership: The estate remains a private family business, operated as part of The Biltmore Company, with the goal of preserving the historic landmark.
