- November 2, 2024
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Champagne at the press of a button. A stingray feeding experience. Suites as high as $15,000 per night. Seven dining experiences to transport guests through unique culinary delights.
Longboat Key’s town motto is: “Premier Community, Exceptional Service.”
That might be true. But the addition of the St. Regis Longboat Key brings that to a different level.
“We think of ourselves as a premier community,” Town Manager Howard Tipton says. “This takes that up a notch.”
From the intricate custom mural hanging above the reception bar to the 20,000-square-foot spa and the two resident Aldabra giant tortoises, attendees were in awe when the resort held its unveiling ceremony Aug. 16.
The event was a celebration for the new 168-room hotel and resort that included key players such as General Manager Winfred Van Workum, Unicorp National Developments President Chuck Whittall and members of the Klauber family, who operated The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort — the famed property that previously occupied the spot, on the south end of Longboat. While the Klaubers represent the past of the property, Whittall is a symbol of what’s next, guiding the project through multiple phases and obstacles.
“It’s always a little like a surreal moment that you’ve worked so long to this point and it’s suddenly there,” Van Workum says, looking back on the unveiling. “It’s a moment of a lot of gratitude to see something special like this … It feels like the ending, but it’s actually the beginning.”
Long before the St. Regis Longboat Key opened its doors, The Colony opened its own, in 1954.
At first, the resort had more of an emphasis on golf, equipped with a nine-hole pitch and putting green. It shifted focus to tennis about a decade later.
Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber’s story at The Colony began in 1968, when he and his family moved to Longboat. He bought The Colony in 1972 with the goal of making it the first tennis-centric resort in the United States. Over the decades it was open, The Colony earned accolades like being named the No. 1 tennis resort in the U.S. by Tennis magazine for several years.
Trouble began in 2004, though, when property owners at The Colony rejected three assessments within a two-year span. Board members audited The Colony and stopped paying operational expenses in 2006, which led to a saga of legal battles that closed The Colony in 2010.
From there, the abandoned resort fell into disrepair. Until Unicorp stepped in.
Whittall had a vision to turn what was once The Colony into a new destination resort. It took years of legal battles for Whittall to gain ownership of all the properties that owners had clenched since The Colony closed.
“Because of all the individual owners that were involved with the different units, it really took someone with a strong vision and the fortitude to see it through,” Tipton says. “It’s remarkable, and the community is so fortunate to have had Unicorp to come in and be the developer of this project.”
After Unicorp gained ownership of the property, the obstacles weren’t over. The plans went through a rigorous process with the town of Longboat Key, which included many departures and approvals. Namely, a last-minute parking garage pitch stirred up local opposition.
In the end, Unicorp and Whittall remained focused on the vision, and did so alongside the town’s leadership. “The town commission, in many ways working with the developer, helped shape the final product, and I think it was shaping in a way that would make it a better fit for the community,” Tipton says.
The Colony’s deep-rooted history on the island won’t soon be forgotten by the locals — nor St. Regis management.
“Everyone is very passionate about being a part of something special,” says Van Workum. “The Klaubers said there’s ‘something in the sand.’ That hospitality, it still lives here.”
When asking local Longboaters about The Colony, many will reminisce about “Murf” or nights at The Monkey Bar. The St. Regis Longboat Key understood the power of these memories.
In many ways, the resort is paying homage to The Colony. The Monkey Bar has been resurrected as a beach bar, which also serves a “Murf and Turf” hot dog. As is St. Regis tradition to name suites after local influential women, the St. Regis Longboat Key has a Mable Ringling Suite and a Katherine Klauber Suite, the latter named after Murf’s daughter, who was also The Colony’s general manager. The Katherine Klauber Suite starts at $8,000 per night.
Though there are many ways The Colony remains alive within the St. Regis, Van Workum says he and his staff are dedicated to creating a new legacy on Longboat Key. It’s working: After a month of being in a soft-opening phase, Van Workum says the St. Regis Longboat Key already had some of the highest guest survey scores across Marriott, St. Regis’ parent company.
“We’re different from The Colony, we want to be our own legacy, our own icon,” Van Workum says. “I think we’re blending that in a nice way to honor that history.”
Van Workum also stresses that while there is an emphasis on creating a magical experience for guests, the resort wants to be like a “living room” for the local community, where people can gather and celebrate.
“We really want to be a part of the community,” Van Workum says. “I think one thing I’ve been amazed with from day one is all of the memories and history The Colony has for locals. That’s exactly what we want to be for the community.”
