Following the recent announcement that one of Longboat Key’s most popular restaurants, Dry Dock Waterfront Grill overlooking Sarasota Bay, has been named to OpenTable’s list of America’s Top 100 Restaurants for 2024, Barrier Island Collectively named to Forbes Travel Guide’s Top 12 Destinations of 2025. Includes locations around the world.
Longboat Key straddles parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties, but the Forbes article focuses on the Sarasota side, namely the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort. Opened in August, this luxury hotel overlooks a private white sand beach and the Gulf of Mexico, offering spacious rooms with coastal accents, multiple waterfront restaurants and bars, and a variety of signature treatments. It offers a spa.
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Forbes magazine calls Longboat Key “a tranquil barrier island off the coast of Sarasota.”
“From Super Bowl XI in New Orleans to Amsterdam’s 750th birthday, no matter your travel motivation, you’re sure to find a place to visit,” Forbes wrote in its list of top destinations for 2025.
A famous American business magazine founded in 1917 described Longboat Key as “a tranquil barrier island off the coast of Sarasota.”
“Here, visitors will discover 19 miles of soft white sand beaches, turquoise waters, and nature preserves,” writes Forbes contributor Jennifer Kester. “But the secret will be revealed with the opening of the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, the brand’s only hotel to debut in the U.S. in 2024 and the first on the island for the past 50 years. This will be the biggest development ever.”
What is the average price for a stay at The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort?
Construction began approximately three years ago on the St. Regis, located in a prime location on Longboat Key, which was once home to the famous Colony Beach and tennis resort. Today, we offer guests a beachside vacation spread across 18 acres and 800 feet of private beach.
The 168-room resort, temporarily closed after minimal damage from Hurricanes Helen and Milton, features multiple pools and cabanas, winding channels, and a saltwater lagoon filled with stingrays, turtles, and tropical fish. It also features wildlife experiences. The average nightly rate is $1,200, according to information provided by St. Regis at the time of opening.
Can the public eat at The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort?
The resort has four main dining venues: steakhouse CW Prime, Northern Italian restaurant Riva, Latin American spot Aura, and Oshen, a rooftop lounge serving Asian fusion cuisine. There’s also The St. Regis Bar, The Monkey Bar and the hotel’s cafe, Caroline’s. All restaurants and bars are open to the public, except for Ocean, which is exclusive to hotel guests and St. Regis members.
Wade Tatangelo is the tickets editor for the Sarasota Herald Tribune and the Florida regional dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com.
