- September 12, 2024
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Years in the making, the St. Regis Longboat Key became the “best address on Longboat Key” as its leadership unveiled the resort on Aug. 16.
The land of 1601 Gulf of Mexico Drive was already rich with history from The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, but the St. Regis leadership hopes to blend that history with its traditions.
Over the next month, the St. Regis will gradually ramp up operations throughout the soft opening. Most amenities will be open to the public, including the spa and seven dining venues.
Residents and guests alike will notice some of the interesting features of the five-star resort that aim to make it a one-of-a-kind experience.
The St. Regis has more than 300 employees, and that number's growing as the resort works toward its official opening. For context, the town of Longboat Key employs about 125.
According to General Manager Winfred van Workum, most staff took part in a 10-day “countdown,” which included in-depth training on the St. Regis brand and values, along with skills specific to each person’s position.
The staff positions range from chefs and bartenders to valet drivers and butlers. Butler service is personalized, beginning before guests arrive with the butlers learning about the upcoming guests. During the guests’ stay, the butlers anticipate the guests' needs, which may include packing and beverage services.
Jack and Rose are two of the St. Regis Longboat Key’s most unique residents. The two Aldabra giant tortoises live outside in the center of the resort. During a stay at the resort, guests may get the chance to feed the pair.
The term “giant” is deserved in the species name. At about 20 years old, Jack weighs close to 250 pounds and, when fully grown, can be about 500 pounds.
Though the “Titanic” wasn’t the original inspiration for their names, there is a connection. John Jacob Astor IV (nicknamed Jack) founded The St. Regis New York and started the brand. Astor was on the Titanic on that fateful voyage, and Van Workum said Astor was an “unsung hero," making sure his pregnant wife got to safety on one of the ship’s life rafts.
According to van Workum, Astor’s mother, Caroline's, favorite flowers were roses, which is also a signature scent for the St. Regis. Because of that, the female Aldabra tortoise was named Rose.
Nestled within the 18-acre resort is a 350,000-gallon saltwater lagoon that requires about 110,000 pounds of salt.
Almost 50 stingrays and 2,800 tropical fish live in the St. Regis’ lagoons, including more than 40 species. Guests have the chance to see staff feed restaurant-quality fish to the Southern stingrays, and there are cownose stingrays in another part of the lagoon.
There’s also a team of biologists and curators that take care of the underwater wildlife and lead guests in the immersive experiences. Don't worry — the stingrays’ barbs are removed, so there’s no danger.
Guests ages 8 and up can take part in a stingray feeding experience, and snorkeling experiences will allow guests to swim along with the tropical fish in the lagoon.
As part of the guest experience, the main lobby of the resort — which also includes one of the main bars — will frequently feature live music.
Behind the helm of the grand piano on the Aug. 16 opening day was Joe Micals. Micals, who now has a home at the helm of the St. Regis’ grand piano, was the resident ivory tickler at The Colony before it closed.
Thirsty the pool and don’t want to leave your spot? The St. Regis has a solution.
On the tables beside every pool chair is a box branded with the St. Regis logo. Open it up, and guests will find two buttons. One button brings a drink refill, while the other calls a butler for whatever need guests may have.
Around the pools and “Mangrove Island” are also private cabanas that are available upon reservation to resort guests. These cabanas offer a more private concierge experience.
A premium lagoon daybed can be reserved for $200 daily, and the most expensive private cabana along Mangrove Island runs guests $550 per day.
The heart of the St. Regis Longboat Key resort is the water features.
From the saltwater lagoon to the numerous pools — there are even pools in some of the residences — water is a key theme of the resort.
In 7 minutes, guests can float through the Winding River, a journey that takes guests around the middle of the resort, which is towered by palms and other vegetation.
Snow in Florida.
That’s one of the many aspects of the St. Regis spa’s thermal experience. The spa’s main theme is the healing powers of water. It uses hydrotherapy through steam rooms, saunas, vitality waters and, yes, a snow shower. All of that is part of a circuit experience.
Throughout the spa, there are also 14 treatment rooms, a relaxation room and a Celebration Bar to greet guests with Champagne and wellness shots.
The Presidential Suite is touted as “the pinnacle of understated luxury.” The suites are over 3,400 square feet with floor-to-ceiling French doors that lead to a 1,373-square-foot terrace, three to four bedrooms, and separate living and dining rooms.
For $15,000 a night, guests can rent the most luxurious suite in the St. Regis Longboat Key. Understated indeed.
St. Regis resorts have a tradition of naming suites after influential women who have left their mark in the communities around the resort.
For the St. Regis Longboat Key, there’s the Mable Ringling Suite, named after the wife of John Ringling. The Mable Ringling Suite is complete with a king bed, sofa bed, separate living room and an ocean view.
There’s also the Lora Whitney Suite, a king suite with an ocean view. Whitney and her husband, Gordon, first arrived on Longboat Key in 1935 and built the 13 historic Whitney Beach cottages.
Another unique suite is the Katherine Klauber Suite, which is a tribute to the daughter of Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber, the longtime owner of The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. Known better as Katie Klauber Moulton, she served as general manager of the resort for years. This is one of the larger suites with two bedrooms, one room with a king and another with two queens and a sofa bed. The Katherine Klauber Suite starts at $8,000 a night.
In the middle of the Winding River and Mangrove Island, there’s also a hidden feature: A cavern underneath waterfalls where Champagne can be delivered from the press of a button.
And, when dining at CW Prime, guests may enter the high-end steakhouse’s speakeasy room. Inside, a secret button bears an exclusive cocktail only found at that location.
When guests first walk through the resort’s main entrance, one of the first sights is the bar and the mural that envelopes it. All St. Regis locations have a mural that becomes a focal point and welcoming piece.
The St. Regis Longboat Key mural was created by muralist William Savarese and uses lots of floral imagery to nod to the area’s cultural history. More than just colorful brush strokes, guests may spot the patterns of popular flowers like bromeliads.
It’s back.
The legacy of The Colony wouldn’t be possible without the famous Monkey Bar, which has come back to life in the St. Regis Longboat Key.
The bar is right on the beach and features a “modern twist” on Tiki cocktails. It also serves up light bites, like the Murf and Surf Dog — an homage to The Colony’s Murf Klauber and the Murf Dog. Of course, the St. Regis version of the hot dog is topped with lumps of lobster meat.
