The mezzanine contained writing rooms for both genders, as well as hairdressing, reception, and cloak rooms for women. Directly above the dining room were the kitchen and refrigeration boxes. Similar hotels at the time had kitchens in their basements, but the Biltmore Hotel had a limited amount of space in its basement because of the presence of the railroad tracks. There was also a library on the second floor, while the fourth floor contained private dining rooms. The kitchen, mezzanines, and dining spaces were all illuminated by natural light. In 1928, Leonard Schultze of Schultze & Weaver designed a Gothic-style meditation room on the third floor, with oak paneling, stained glass windows, and red draperies. On Vanderbilt Avenue, there was a roof garden along the sixth-story setback, with flower beds, shrubs, grass, a fountain, and shaded walkways. Known as the Italian Garden, it was transformed into an ice skating rink during winter months. This roof garden also contained terracotta caryatids. It was sheltered by a pergola that ran the entire width of the facade from 43rd to 44th Street. Initially, the roof garden was open only during tea time. On the 23rd story of the hotel was the grand ballroom and banquet hall. The grand ballroom was called the Cascades because it contained a large waterfall at one end. It was designed in the Louis XVI style and was decorated in a gold and blue color scheme. The ballroom and banquet hall contained loges, with box seating, on three sides. The ballroom also had movable windows, which measured . The ballroom was typically used for lunch, dinner, and banquets, although visitors could only enter by invitation. The center of the ballroom was used as a dance floor at night. During the summer months, the hotel's managers could open the windows and convert the ballroom into an open-air loggia; this was a major amenity for guests before air conditioning became popular. The ballroom also contained its own foyer, assembly room, lounging room, bar, and kitchen. The space could fit 600 people in total. North of the grand ballroom was a first-aid wing. Hotel rooms The Biltmore had 1,000 rooms and suites, about 950 of which had their own bathrooms. These rooms were expected to accommodate over 1,200 guests simultaneously. All rooms and suites faced either the street or the interior light court. Most rooms measured across, although there were several smaller