The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort opened in August 2024 on an 18-acre stretch of beach just off Sarasota, Florida. Built on the former site of the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, the property is the first large-scale resort to open on Longboat Key in over 50 years. The scale is notable. So is the setting—800 feet of private beach, a 500,000-gallon saltwater lagoon stocked with native reef fish and stingrays, and a spa that opens directly onto the Gulf of Mexico.
Instead of leaning on tropical clichés, the hotel’s design stays clean, coastal, and understated. The check-in desk is carved from oolite limestone. The ceiling above the St. Regis Bar is covered in thousands of white capiz shells. Most of the 168 rooms and 26 suites come with balconies and Gulf-facing views. From the terrace at Aura, the resort’s open-air grill, it’s possible to watch dolphins in the surf at dusk.
The Vibe
The resort feels residential and new. There are no large signs or flashy entrances. Guests enter through a covered porte-cochère lined with orchids and palms, stepping into a central lobby bar that doubles as a lounge, with music performances or live piano in the evenings. The hotel stays lively without ever feeling chaotic. During the day, the pool decks fill with couples and families, and kids float by in pink inner tubes printed with the resort’s custom Vilebrequin shell pattern. A staff member wades into the water wearing a matching tuxedo-style jacket and swim shorts, handing out trays of ice pops and snacks.
There’s a lazy river, kids’ programming through the Reef Rangers club, and enough space in the suites for families to spread out. While the design in the rooms may come off as overly restrained, that minimalism plays well with the South Florida crowd, according to a local interior designer familiar with the project.
The crowd ranges from Florida regulars to first-timers who found the resort through Marriott Bonvoy or St. Regis brand loyalty. While many guests fly into Sarasota, others drive down from Tampa or Orlando. Though family friendly, this isn’t a theme park hotel. Service is polished and discreet, and even children here are well-behaved.
Rooms and Suites
The hotel has 168 rooms, including 26 suites, all with terraces. Entry-level rooms are spacious, with uniform wood plank flooring, walk-in closets, freestanding tubs, and rainfall showers. Suites offer larger layouts and better views, with the best options facing the Gulf. The Presidential Suite spans four bedrooms and includes a private dining room, living area, and large terrace overlooking the beach.
Decor is neutral, with pale wood finishes, soft beige upholstery, and abstract coastal art. The layout favors open-plan bathrooms with large vanities and soaking tubs near the window. Toiletries are branded for St. Regis and replenished daily. Some rooms overlook the pools or lagoon, others the beach or mangroves.
Eating and Drinking
The hotel offers seven food and beverage venues, though not all operate daily.
CW Prime, a mid-century-inspired steakhouse, stands out as the crown jewel. Impeccable service in an imaginative, detailed dining room, elevates it above the area’s white-tablecloth restaurants. The space features wood paneling, leather banquettes, and soft lighting. Guests choose their own Laguiole steak knife from a presentation box. While prices are high — it’s a hotel steakhouse after all — they’re not excessive. The dry-aged Kansas strip, tomahawk wagyu, truffle spaghetti, and seafood towers offer genuine value for quality and draw locals and other travelers in for a destination dining experience, not just captive hotel guests.
Aura, the poolside grill, offers more than a convenient outdoor lunch. Dishes like beef barbacoa tacos, grouper ceviche with mojito tartar, fennel‑apple salad, and crispy plantains with guacamole are thoughtfully executed. It’s one of the best meals on property, not just the easiest to reach—another example of a food and beverage program that outperforms the resort norm.
Riva, the coastal Italian venue, serves housemade pasta from a counter-side chef station and also handles breakfast. The morning menu includes à la carte options alongside a full buffet with fresh fruit, pastries, and made-to-order egg dishes. Indoor and outdoor seating faces the lagoon and central pool deck.
Oshen, the rooftop Nikkei lounge, reserved for hotel guests, blends Japanese‑Peruvian plates with Gulf views and elevated cocktails.
The St. Regis Bar, centrally located in the lobby, offers live piano and a selection of wine, cocktails, and a list of signature Bloody Marys. Caroline’s Café provides all-day smoothies, dark roasted coffee, and housemade pastries like a decadent almond croissant.
On the beach, The Monkey Bar, a nod to the original Colony Resort, serves tiki cocktails and light bites including the “Murph Dog,” a lobster-topped hot dog named after Murf Klauber.
Room service runs 24/7. Afternoon tea is served in the lobby bar, and the nightly midnight supper ritual offers late-night menu selections several evenings a week.
Beauty, Wellness, and Fitness
The spa spans 20,000 square feet and opens directly onto the Gulf. Guests enter beneath a mirrored dome at the Celebration Bar, which sets the tone before check-in. There are 14 treatment rooms, including a private suite with its own shower and hydrotherapy tub, along with a full-service salon for hair and nails.
Treatments use La Mer products, including the 90-minute Genaissance de La Mer facial, which combines massage and drainage techniques. The hydrotherapy circuit includes a eucalyptus steam room, cold plunge, snow shower, and outdoor vitality pool with six custom hydrotherapy pods facing the water.
The lagoon is the visual and ecological centerpiece of the property. Stocked with more than 2,800 native reef fish, nearly 50 stingrays across three species (all de-barbed for safety), and two Aldabra tortoises, it’s more than decorative. Guests can book daily snorkeling and stingray feeding sessions, or learn more through the Reef Rangers Children’s Club.
At night during turtle nesting season, the property switches from white to amber lighting and asks guests to keep their curtains drawn. Artificial light can disorient hatchlings, pulling them away from the ocean and toward roadways or buildings—a common and often fatal outcome along Florida’s coast.
Elsewhere, the property includes a 475-foot-long lazy river with waterfalls that leads into the Grotto, a secluded hot tub area with jacuzzi jets and champagne service at the push of a button. An adults-only pool sits adjacent to the lagoon, while the larger family pool is ringed with daybeds and cabanas.
The gym includes Technogym cardio and strength equipment, Peloton bikes, and a schedule of yoga and group fitness classes held outdoors.
At The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, the Gulf offers a breathaking backdrop for relaxing and playing. From snorkeling with reef fish to dinner under the sky at Oshen, the resort delivers the kind of Florida escape that doesn’t need marketing. If you know the beaches of Longboat Key — you know. For those not ready to leave, a limited number of residences are available next door.