St. Regis Longboat Key review

What is the St. Regis Longboat Key?

How to book the St. Regis Longboat Key

The St. Regis Longboat Key offers nine different room and suite types. Rates for superior rooms, which average around 470 square feet and have partial water views, start at roughly $930, or 102,000 Marriott points, per night during peak months. Deluxe and grand deluxe rooms, on the other hand, have ocean views and encompass around 545 square feet. Deluxe rooms start at roughly $1,014, or 124,000 Marriott points, and grand deluxe accommodations begin at $1,161 or 154,000 Marriott points.

Then there are the 26 oceanfront suites that range from one- to four-bedroom options, all boasting what I can confirm are absolutely breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico that you can enjoy from your private terrace. When checking various dates throughout the calendar, suite availability for point redemption can vary depending on the season, but expect them to have starting costs of around 400,000 Marriott points or $4,000 per night for a one-bedroom suite.

The location

As soon as we approached the St. Regis, it felt like we’d entered an exclusive island getaway; it is one of the few hotels you’ll find on Sarasota’s barrier islands. There were staff outside, ready to greet us by name (with warm towels and Champagne, might I add) as soon we pulled up to the valet. Once we passed through the oversized lobby doors, we were immediately welcomed by a sparkling mosaic St. Regis logo on the floor. When we looked up, our gaze went straight to the grandiose floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the Gulf of Mexico.

If you’re traveling to the St. Regis by air, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is the nearest airport. Airport transfers are not available, but the resort is just a 20-minute drive away and costs around $30 to $50 via taxi or ride-hailing service.

For a wider selection of flights, you might prefer landing at Tampa International Airport (TPA). However, the drive will take about an hour and a half, and you can expect to pay around $200 for a taxi or ride-hailing service, so you may want to rent a car instead. Valet parking at the St. Regis is $55 daily, with electric car charging stations available.

Besides soaking up the sun at one of St. Regis’s multiple pools or its private beach, guests can take a short eight-minute drive to St. Armand’s Circle, a bustling outdoor shopping and dining district that is well on its way to recovery following Hurricane Helene.

The resort is also just a bridge away from downtown Sarasota. You can venture downtown for various dining and nightlife options in a laid-back, beachy atmosphere. I highly recommend visiting the nearby Ringling Museum, which provides an enriching cultural excursion, showcasing diverse art collections and beautifully manicured gardens. With its pink-walled exterior and Italian-style design, the museum looks like a literal palace from the Renaissance period — and is also the perfect place to capture an Instagram picture of your travels.

The museum has 21 galleries, so plan to spend a few hours wandering through the different exhibits. You’ll be glad you did.

Rooms at the St. Regis Longboat Key

After check-in, I was escorted by our butler, Jennifer, up to the third floor to our suite, which was furnished and designed with neutral hues, like grays and creams, as well as organic textures that felt cohesive with the resort’s contemporary coastal aesthetic.

An oval marble dining table with a sweet welcome treat was waiting for me: a chocolate turtle placed in a pool float with a pink signature pattern designed just for the St. Regis Longboat Key.

Beyond that is a generously sized living area with a large flat-screen TV and ample seating. And like the rest of the resort, the room’s true standout feature has to be the floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the terrace, offering breathtaking ocean views.

Before entering the bedroom, you walk through the hallway closet with several amenities, including the St. Regis’s signature robes and slippers, a safe, an iron and even a specialty laundry bag just for your swimsuit. The staff also noticed my husband and I had glasses, so they added some St. Regis-branded glasses cleaner on one of our closet shelves later that day.

The bathroom was like a tranquil spa retreat in itself.

On one side, a discreet wash closet housed the toilet, while the other held a rainfall shower equipped with a handheld shower wand. Adjacent to the dual-vanity sink on the left was a deep soaking tub that invited relaxation.

Great food and even better service

There is plenty to choose from when it comes to eateries and bars at the St. Regis Longboat Key. The resort’s seven dining venues are diverse and vibrant, with each one offering a unique culinary experience. From an indoor steakhouse with a hidden speakeasy to a rooftop Japanese-fusion lounge overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, each dining option offered its own unique experience, complete with curated decor, making it a memorable and can’t-miss part of the guest experience.

Riva

Named after the Italian word for “shore,” Riva is the premier Italian restaurant on the property and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu combines imported Italian specialties and local ingredients, from olives and prosciutto to fresh burrata and daily catches, ensuring authentic flavors.

Our first meal here was at lunch, where we tried the whipped ricotta ($8) and lemony borlotti (cranberry bean) hummus ($8) appetizers, both served with freshly made focaccia.

We enjoyed our lunch so much the first day that we also chose to have both breakfast meals at Riva. I had the sfoglina breakfast ($24), which comes with two eggs any style, hash browns, choice of meat, roasted tomato and toast. I’m a creature of habit when it comes to my coffee, and I ordered an iced vanilla latte ($8) each morning, which was delicious each time. The next time we ate here, I craved something more indulgent, so I opted for the Riva waffle ($19), topped with Nutella, caramelized bananas and blueberries.

Aura

For poolside or in-restaurant dining and tropical cocktails, Aura is the place to be. While we didn’t have time for an entire meal here, some of the favorites among staff are the beef barbacoa tacos ($24) and the grouper ($26) served with mojito tartar, marinated tomatoes, lettuce and fennel and apple salad.

However, we did enjoy the guacamole ($15) poolside, which was not too dense and not too creamy but packed with flavor. I also loved that it didn’t just come with tortilla chips but crispy plantains and cassava chips as well. I could have gone for several rounds of this!

CW Prime

The crown jewel of dining at the St. Regis, CW Prime, blew me away from the moment we arrived.

Before dinner, we spent a little time in the small speakeasy known as the Spirit Room. Here, there’s a discreet button that reveals an exclusive cocktail unique to that venue. Think before you push, though, as the exclusive secret cocktail, the Caroline 400, runs $400 a glass. And no, that isn’t a typo.

After drinks, we were seated in the main dining room for what would be a meal to remember.

We started with crispy potato pave ($22), which features warm, crispy layers of potato with truffle aioli, pickled pearl onions and fresh truffle. We also had the crispy, fresh CW Caesar ($21) that was easily big enough to split — it can be plated separately to make sharing easier.

Our amazing server, Topher, didn’t just go over the menu but explained the concepts behind different dishes and what makes them great. I wholeheartedly think that the storytelling made each dish taste even better.

For our entrees, steak dishes were the obvious choice, seeing that they are cooked on a Josper grill. We got the 14-ounce dry-aged prime strip loin ($85), and it was cooked to absolute perfection. Expectations were high, and it was juicy and full of flavor.

Then there was the CW Prime Burger ($50), which I can confidently say was one of the best burgers I have ever tasted. It was topped with wagyu beef bacon, tomato preserve, shallot jam and aged cheddar, all between a house-made cronut bun. I still think about that burger to this day.

Oshen

I couldn’t decide what I loved more about this rooftop lounge: the views or the burst of flavor from each course. I especially liked the mixed seafood ceviche ($25) and selection of sushi ($24-$28 per roll). Thanks to simple preparations and fresh ingredients, each dish tasted ultrafresh and flavorful.

Here, you’ll also find a talented cast of mixologists who serve up some delicious fusion-inspired cocktails and zero-proof drinks all night long. While every single cocktail I tried impressed me, the Edo Old-Fashioned made with Mars Shinshu Iwai whisky, five-spice bitters and Okinawan brown sugar syrup ($23) was definitely my favorite.

The St. Regis Bar

Located in the heart of the lobby is the St. Regis Bar, which itself is an art piece with a soft pink and gold hand-painted mural that stretches around the bar and cascades onto the ceiling. A glass of Moet & Chandon Champagne is $35, which gives guests just a taste (literally) of the luxury that’s to come.

Every night at sunset, the St. Regis Bar holds their evening ritual: a Champagne sabering. The tradition at St. Regis dates back to 1904 when John Jacob Astor IV inaugurated the New York City St. Regis by ceremoniously sabering a bottle of Champagne. Nowadays, this custom is celebrated nightly at St. Regis properties around the world, and Longboat Key is no different. And sometimes, they even let guests saber the bottle, including yours truly — with supervision, of course.

Monkey Bar

The local favorite beachfront Monkey Bar, instrumental to the legacy of The Colony Hotel, where the St. Regis now stands, has been revitalized. Accessible to both St. Regis guests and locals through a beachside entrance, the bar offers a contemporary take on tiki cocktails while also providing an array of light snacks. Among them is the Murf and Surf Dog ($34), a tribute to The Colony’s Murf Klauber and the renowned Murf Dog. This updated version of the classic hot dog is decadently garnished with a luxury twist: generous chunks of lobster.

An array of pools, private cabanas and a winding river await

Located in the resort’s central courtyard is an area aptly named “The Pools.”

The main Resort Pool is family-friendly, surrounded by luxury loungers and has a large jacuzzi with plenty of space for multiple people.

The adults-only Serenity Pool is further away and located a few steps away from Monkey Bar and Aura. It has a cascading waterfall and is a perfect retreat for those seeking a quieter escape.

You can also choose to spend the day at the resort’s private beach, where guests can use two luxury loungers included as part of your daily resort fee. The best part? You can still expect the same high level of service you would get at the pools.

There’s also the property’s lazy river, or as the St. Regis prefers to call it, the winding river. I was able to grab one of the single inner tubes (double tubes are also available) branded with the resort’s signature print and float along.

Although it was not accessible during my stay, there is a cavern tucked beneath the waterfall of the winding river, where Champagne can be summoned with the press of a button.

Private cabanas also dot the area, with reservation prices ranging from $250 to $550 daily. After browsing online, however, I found that during peak holiday times like Christmas week, prices can spike from $800 to $1,000 for the day.

When we arrived at the pools, our butler, Jennifer, escorted us to our cabana, nestled in the middle of the winding river on the turfed Mangrove Island. It offered comfortable seating that could easily fit up to eight people, a flat-screen TV, bottled water and plenty of towels. There was also a safe and a small refrigerator filled with sodas and nonalcoholic drinks. You also get a dedicated pool butler for the day, a first-of-its-kind offering for the St. Regis resort brand.

A poolside menu for Aura was also in our cabana. It’s also just a few steps away from the pools if you prefer to sit inside the restaurant for lunch. We ordered the chips and guacamole, which was the perfect appetizer to enjoy while lounging in the Florida sun.

Whether you opt for a lounge chair or rent a private cabana, getting top-notch service is as easy as pushing a button. Each chair has a small St.Regis-branded wood box with two buttons inside, one to call for food and beverage and the other for concierge services.

Relax at the St. Regis Spa

The St. Regis Spa spans an impressive 20,000 square feet, presenting guests with an experience that begins at their unique Celebration Bar. Upon approval, I was welcomed with a complimentary glass of Champagne, setting the tone for what would come.

The spa is a haven of tranquility, offering a broad spectrum of nature-inspired treatments with avant-garde skincare technology. The spa also has an exclusive partnership with La Mer and is one of the only two spas in the country to do so.

Prior to my treatment, I visited the hydrothermal area, which is available to anyone with a treatment booked, to loosen my muscles. It has plenty of amenities, including a Finnish sauna, a eucalyptus steam room that cleanses your senses, a shockingly delightful snow shower, vitality waters, cold plunges and sensorial showers.

I was then brought back to the treatment room to receive a wonderful 60-minute relaxation massage ($235) followed by the Soothing by La Mer facial ($275). I got to pick from a selection of scents to enhance my massage experience, and my slippers were placed in a warmer, which was a pleasant and much-welcomed surprise.

For those inclined toward a more active form of relaxation, the state-of-the-art fitness center is outfitted with cutting-edge Technogym equipment, catering to all levels of fitness enthusiasts.

Swim with marine life in the private saltwater lagoon

One of the most unique experiences the St. Regis Longboat Key offers is its 350,000-gallon saltwater lagoon, home to almost 50 stingrays and more than 40 species of 2,800 tropical fish.

If you truly want to immerse yourself in the Florida wildlife, I highly recommend the Under the Water lagoon experience, where you can snorkel with tropical fish and feed the smaller stingrays (don’t worry — the stingrays’ barbs are removed).

We had two expert guides for our hourlong lagoon experience. After signing a waiver and a brief orientation, they gave us wet vests and socks to protect our feet from the rocky bottom. We started with feeding and gently petting the small cownose stingrays. While I was a little nervous at first to do so, our guides made me feel much more comfortable.

Next, we put on our snorkeling gear and swam through the lagoon on the water’s surface. Our guides pointed out different fish and told us interesting facts along the way. Once we reached the other side, we could sit down in shallow water and gently pet the larger southern stingray species.

The lagoon experience costs $125 per person and is ideal for swimmers of all skill levels. However, you must be 8 and older to participate in the full snorkel experience: 8- to 13-year-olds must be with a guardian and 14- and 15-year-olds must have a guardian’s signature. Children under 8 cannot swim in the lagoon but can participate in the stingray portion of the snorkel experience.

Accessibility

Since this is a new build, I had high expectations for accessibility features. The resort only has valet parking, but there is plenty of room for transfers, and the entrance is completely accessible.

Public areas feature wide spaces, allowing unobstructed navigation and spacious elevators for easy entry and exit. The restaurants, spa and fitness center also all have accessible entrances that are either located directly on the first floor or easily accessible by ramp or elevator.

Since the pools are a central focus of the resort, I was pleased to see that each pool and the winding river are equipped with a pool lift transfer system.

Wheelchair-accessible guest rooms ensure plenty of space, with doorways wide enough to accommodate standard-size wheelchairs and furniture thoughtfully arranged to prevent unnecessary obstructions. These rooms feature roll-in showers with grab bars, adjustable showerheads and lowered fixtures and amenities like sinks and closet rods.

Checking out

Based on my experience, I felt like the St. Regis Longboat Key provided everything one could want from a Florida vacation, offering a balanced blend of entertainment and relaxation. The resort’s tailored amenities, like the world-class spa and adults-only serenity pool, offer privacy and tranquility, while the array of pools, the winding river and the saltwater lagoon ensure that guests of all ages find enjoyment and adventure. This splashy new property easily adds to the many reasons why Florida’s Gulf Coast barrier islands should be on your travel list.

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