Why book?
Book for Caribbean luxury on the Gulf of Mexico and the first-class service expected from the St Regis; stay for the delightful experience of snorkeling in the unlike-any-other (at least in the continental US) underwater lagoon—(friendly) stingrays included.
Set the scene
You’re right outside Sarasota, Florida, but you feel as if you could be in the Caribbean or—dare I say it—maybe even Europe. The crowd is varied—couples taking a weekend away, families on vacation, and locals hitting up the lobby bar to enjoy a local favorite singer crooning the best of Sinatra. The vibe is more relaxed than other luxury properties I’ve been to (you are in Florida, after all), so resort chic or Palm Beach colors will do for dinner.
The backstory
The brand-new property sits on the former site of the famed Colony Hotel, which once hosted former President George W. Bush and was a local institution. Nods to the original property, like the beachside Monkey Bar—which is open to the public—can still be found. The resort also pays homage to the history of the Ringling Brothers in Sarasota, with a customized motif that marries Old Florida with classic carnival, which I found to be charmingly whimsical. It’s on the wallpaper in the lobby, on thermoses for sale in the coffee shop, and even on the innertubes for the Winding River (more on that later).
The rooms
The rooms are well-appointed and comfortable, though nothing points to its Floridian location—lots of gray and neutral tones, which are reminiscent of other luxury Marriott properties. The suite I stayed in was incredibly spacious—more really than I could enjoy on my own. I could’ve slept in a different bed almost every night of my stay, though I didn’t because I’m partial to taking up as much space in a king bed as I can. The balcony stretched the entire length of the suite, spanning the entire front of the wing I was in and overlooking the Gulf (which was steel gray the day I arrived but eventually relented into the beautiful teal and sea foam tones I’ve come to associate with the Florida Gulf.)
Food and drink
I enjoyed my favorite meal at CW Prime, the resort’s steakhouse restaurant, which featured very classic wood paneling and sumptuous leathers. I even got to select my preferred Laguiole steak knife from a box proffered by my waiter. Beforehand, I had a cocktail in the Spirit Room, which was tucked away inside CW Prime to emulate a speakeasy—complete with light switch to indicate when I was ready for another.
While the steakhouse was my favorite, the most standout offering is at the al fresco Oshen. Situated right above the pool area and overlooking the water, Oshen serves Nikkei, a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines, championed to me heartily by Executive Chef Alberto Taboada. This was new to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the omakase experience I had (the gorgeous sunset in front of me didn’t hurt either.)
The spa
While I had an excellent massage and facial at the spa, the real highlight for me was the thermal spa. I’m usually intimidated by thermal treatments, but the set-up felt much more inviting than usual—low lighting, a gentle waterfall, and soothing blue tile all in one room, so I could transition seamlessly between each feature. I breathed deeply in the steam room and braved the cold plunge before finally relaxing in the wading pool-cum-hot tub with a cold glass of sparkling water, very kindly offered by the attendant on duty.
The neighborhood/area
While I didn’t venture out during my stay, I heard plenty of talk from the staff about the nearby Ringling Museum, as well as other institutions, like the Sarasota Opera House, that give the area its moniker of Florida's Cultural Coast.
The service
The St. Regis is known for its bespoke Butler Service, and I was not disappointed. My butler Lena was lovely—she answered all the questions I had and made sure I was stocked up on pastries from Caroline’s, the resort’s onsite coffee shop named for Caroline Astor, whose family used to frequent Sarasota.
After learning that each St. Regis property offers an exclusive service only offered there, I had to try out the Longboat Key Resort’s: a swimsuit refresh. After a day spent outside in my private cabana on Mangrove Island, I left my wet suit with Lena, and when I came back from dinner, my suit was clean and ready to be packed—no drip drying necessary.
For families
Like I mentioned before, I saw so many families during my stay, and the kids were all having a great time, whether they were swimming in the pool, “lounging” (see: still swimming) in the Winding River, or marveling at the resort’s onsite Aldabra giant tortoises, Jack and Rose. But the little girl dancing to the aforementioned crooner in the lobby bar after dinner one night was having the most fun of them all.
The resort does offer a formal program for children called Reef Rangers, which provides activities for kids to engage them with the nature and marine life around the property.
Accessibility
Elevators, ramps, and/or lifts are available all over the property, even into the pool.
Anything left to mention?
At this point, I’d be remiss not to mention the experience I raved to everyone about the second I returned home: the Under the Sea Lagoon, the 500,000-gallon habitat with coral reefs, at least a dozen stingrays, and many, many more species of tropical fish. (All are native to the southern Gulf of Mexico, in case the weather rehomes them.)
The marine biologists led me through feeding time with the rays and couldn’t have been more patient with me as I…adjusted to being in such close proximity to the marine life. But once I relaxed, I had such an incredible time learning about and eventually snorkeling with the two kinds of stingrays in the lagoon: cowheads and southerns. Each had their own personalities—and names, courtesy of the biologists—and I was so fascinated, asking so many questions to the biologists who were so eager to talk about not only the rays but also the hundreds of species of fish. And it’s here that I must let it be known that the lagoon’s resident three pufferfish are named Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.
The program is open to most ages, but you certainly don’t have to be a child to be as enchanted with the lagoon as I was.
1601 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, Florida 34228
United States
https://www.ringling.org/
1 941-231-1000