Joshua K.
Yelp
We spent the first week of August vacationing in Sarasota and in Orlando to celebrate our engagement, something we had been wanting to do for a while! Being from Miami and wanting to properly experience the beauty of Florida's Gulf Coast beaches and sunsets, staying at a resort with beach access was very important to us. With their "sand in the toes" package, which included beach umbrellas and a daily $75 resort credit, The Resort at Longboat Key Club checked off all the boxes. Longboat Key is an island located about 15-20 minutes from mainland Sarasota and is near all of the other beaches, such as Siesta Key, and Lido Key. At the resort, there is plenty of self parking available-- no valet required here! Upon check-in, were surprisingly upgraded to a King Suite with a Beach view. We then went to check out our room. While it this resort that has been around for a while, the suites and common areas were renovated earlier in the year for a more modern look (picture below). We were very impressed by the room itself. We were also left with a very nice "Congratulations!" card on the table from the Manager and staff for our engagement, along with a bottle of Prosecco in the fridge (such a nice touch)! While we were only able to spend 2 days at the Resort, our stay was so memorable-- I wish we could've stayed longer. Everything, from the service provided by the front desk, to the bartender at Latitudes, to the food servers and umbrella persons at the beach, was perfect for a relaxing vacation!
The resort has many family friendly amenities one would expect, such as pool, jacuzzi, tennis courts (must be reserved ahead of time), golf course, and of course, direct access to the beach of Longboat Key. We did not get to experience the tennis courts as I would've liked, but would certainly do so on a return visit. The hotel has a shuttle to St. Armand's Circle if visitors would like to further explore Longboat Key's shopping and dining options. And of course, there is private beach access available for guests staying at the resort (I learned in my research before booking this resort that many hotels in the Gulf Coast don't have direct beach access, which makes this one very unique)! There are several on-side dining options available, and even a Chart House restaurant next door. The resort is definitely both close, but far away enough from the action of St. Armand's circle and mainland Sarasota.
If you're looking for your next Florida Gulf Coast get away, give the Resort at Longboat Key Club a look.