 Built by John Anderson and J. D. Price, the hotel opened on January 1, 1888.By spring of 1889, the Florida East Coast Railway extended its service from Jacksonville to Daytona, and railroad magnate Henry Flagler bought The Ormond Hotel and enlarged it to handle 600 guests.It became one in a series of his hotels positioned along the line to accommodate his passengers, including The Ponce De León Hotel in St. Augustine, The Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, and The Royal Palm Hotel in Miami.