The newest St. Regis property has recently started accepting reservations, and could make for a great Florida getaway.
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Basics of the St. Regis Longboat Key
Florida will soon be getting a second St. Regis property, with the opening of the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort. While the claim is still that the hotel will open as of July 2024, reservations are now available for stays as of October 1, 2024.
The 18-acre resort will be located on Longboat Key (as the name suggests), a barrier island outside of Sarasota, right on the Gulf of Mexico. The St. Regis will feature 166 guest rooms plus 69 private residences, so it’ll be quite a large property (given how much bigger residences are than hotel rooms).
The property will feature a variety of amenities, ranging from multiple outdoor pools, to a spa, to a gym. As far as dining goes, concepts will include CW Prime (a steakhouse), Riva (an Italian restaurant), Aura (a Latin American restaurant), Oshen (an Asian-Fusion restaurant), and the St. Regis Bar (a staple at all properties of the brand).
Below are some renderings of the property.
Also, while this is targeted at those buying a residence, below is a video from the developer about the project, to give you more a sense of the vibe.
St. Regis Longboat Key rates & points requirements
With the St. Regis Longboat Key now accepting reservations, what are rates like? As you’d expect, they vary seasonally, and are steep. Currently I’m seeing rates starting at around $930 per night in October 2024, going up to over $1,300 per night in January 2025.
If you are going to book a cash stay, I’d highly recommend doing so through the Marriott STARS program. This will score you perks like complimentary breakfast, a $100 food & beverage credit, a room upgrade subject to availability, and more.
For those looking to redeem Bonvoy points, I see points rates starting at 74,000 points per night (right when the property opens), and priced right around 100,000 points per night in peak season. When you factor in a fifth night free, points redemptions here could represent quite a good value. For what it’s worth, I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, so you can definitely get outsized value here.
Base accommodations at the St. Regis Longboat Key are the superior rooms, and they’re marketed as being 470 square feet (42 square meters).
This will be a great addition to Marriott’s portfolio
I’ve lived in Florida for most of my life, and my family is from the Tampa and St. Petersburg area, so this new St. Regis is just a short drive away. The Gulf of Mexico side of Florida has some beautiful beaches, for those who are into that, and that’s particularly true of Longboat Key. So if you want a relaxing yet luxurious beach vacation, this property will be a great choice.
While the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota is only a few miles away from the St. Regis Longboat Key, the property isn’t right on the beach. It does have a beach club with shuttle service, though I’m sure many will prefer to just stay directly on the beach.
This part of Florida doesn’t otherwise have many true five-star beach resorts. Yes, there are some upscale properties, like the JW Marriott Clearwater Beach, Don CeSar St. Petersburg Beach, etc., but I wouldn’t quite consider those to be of the same caliber. On the west coast of Florida, the only other luxury beach properties are a lot further south, like the Ritz-Carlton Naples.
So anyway, this will be a great option for earning and redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points, and I’m looking forward to checking out this hotel when it opens. Given the popularity of Florida (especially in winter), I’m sure this resort will have no problem filling rooms with the steep pricing.
Bottom line
The St. Regis Longboat Key is expected to open in the coming months — while it could open as soon as July 2024, the hotel is now bookable as of October 1, 2024.
The St. Regis will feature 166 rooms, and will be located on a barrier island just outside of Sarasota. It’s nice to see the St. Regis brand expanding in Florida, and I’m sure many are looking forward to checking out this property. If this sounds like a trip you might be interested in, you can now lock in a stay, either with cash or points.
What do you make of the St. Regis Longboat Key?
It will be interesting to see what this does to the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota. That's one of the worst Ritz-Carlton properties. Not only is it a resort factory, but it's way overpriced for not actually being on the beach. Sure, they have a beach club but it's not on the beach. That said, I don't get all these high-end hotels on the Gulf coast. Look at the Edition in Tampa. It's regularly called one of...
It will be interesting to see what this does to the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota. That's one of the worst Ritz-Carlton properties. Not only is it a resort factory, but it's way overpriced for not actually being on the beach. Sure, they have a beach club but it's not on the beach. That said, I don't get all these high-end hotels on the Gulf coast. Look at the Edition in Tampa. It's regularly called one of the most overrated and overpriced hotels. Considering that the Sarasota and Tampa areas do get a little "cold" (relatively speaking) in December-January-February, I just don't see who goes there and spends money for a Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis when they can spend the same or less money on a nicer hotel in a destination with warmer weather.
Hope they don't try to pull of what St R Chicago tried with claiming that the restaurant is under "separate" entity than the hotel to deny plat breakfast (while magically its included if book through Marriott STARS, FHR, etc)
85k Free night come in today. Booked this one immediately.
I've stayed at the nearby Ritz Carlton Sarasota a couple of times, as well as the Hy
Oops, sorry. I didn't get to finish my comment. Ben, please delete the former comment.
I've stayed at the Ritz Carlton Sarasota a couple of times, as well as the Hyatt Regency across the water from the Ritz. The Ritz is a nice hotel, but it wasn't anywhere near a revolutionary property exponentially better than the Hyatt. It felt just marginally better, and definetly not worth the extra money for me over the Hyatt Regency...
Oops, sorry. I didn't get to finish my comment. Ben, please delete the former comment.
I've stayed at the Ritz Carlton Sarasota a couple of times, as well as the Hyatt Regency across the water from the Ritz. The Ritz is a nice hotel, but it wasn't anywhere near a revolutionary property exponentially better than the Hyatt. It felt just marginally better, and definetly not worth the extra money for me over the Hyatt Regency (mostly because the latter is a really nice hotel). So this St. Regis will likely be the first hotel of its kind in the area. I hope they will be able to differentiate themselves though and truly offer a premium luxurious experience.
And longboat key and it's surrounding areas are really nice. Extremely tranquil and relaxing.
The Sarasota Ritz-Carlton is awful. It's no better than a nice Marriott or Westin. They were serving $5 sparkling wine in the club lounge when I stayed there in 2019. The Hyatt Regency isn't much better. It's an Aimbridge property. The Westin and the Autograph Collection hotel with the rooftop pool -- I forget the name -- are the two best chain hotels in Sarasota.
I'm sure this will be popular, but I just don't think St. Regis levels of service can truly be offered in Sarasota County. It'll probably operate more like a very nice Westin.
This is really true throughout the USA. It's almost impossible to provide true luxury service in the USA without charging Peninsula-level prices.