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Nestled on the white-sand beaches of Florida’s relaxed Gulf Coast, this delightful 410 acre resort-style hotel is full of relaxing features to make your holiday one to remember. You may find yourself unable to do anything but soak up the sunshine on one of the comfy loungers beside the beautiful Gulf-side swimming pool. Or you may prefer to take your relaxation to a whole new level by visiting The Spa and enjoying a treatment or massage. Either way, you’ll instantly forget about normal day-to-day life, while keen golfers will be in seventh heaven lowering their handicaps at one of the 2 challenging golf courses, and with 20 Har-Tru tennis courts, tennis enthusiasts are served up stirring sets of excitement daily.
Amenities
Golf
Tennis
Kids Club
Wheelchair access
Families
Bar
Fitness Centre/Gym
Free Parking
Internet Access
Laundry Service
Restaurant
Room Service
Where is it
On a private, white-sand beach on exclusive Longboat Key, a barrier island just off the coast of Sarasota.
Hotel information
223 rooms and suites from 4 to 10 floors in 7 buildings with 9 lifts. All with balcony, air-conditioning, flatscreen TV with pay-per-view films, WiFi, alarm/clock radio, safe, iron and board, bathrobes, hairdryer, mini-fridge with ice-maker, microwave and coffee maker with daily supply of fresh-ground coffee. Guest Rooms with wet bar and either 1 king-size or 2 double beds, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 2 children. Junior Suite with kitchenette and washer/dryer with a spacious living/sleeping area, dressing room, 1 king-size bed and 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, sleeping maximum 4 adults.
Junior Suite Beach View with kitchenette and washer/dryer with a spacious living/sleeping area, dressing room, 1 king-size bed and 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, sleeping maximum 4 adults.
One Bedroom Suite Beach View have a private master bedroom with 1 king-size bed and dressing area, large living room with 1 queen-size sofa bed, fully-equipped kitchen, washer/dryer and dining area, sleeping maximum 4 adults.
Two Bedroom Suite Beach View as above but with a guest bedroom with 2 double beds and dressing area. The bedrooms are separated by the large living room, sleeping maximum 6 adults.
Parking included in the resort fee.
Latitudes (sophisticated fine-dining and innovative cuisine, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Banyan Poolside (light, casual, poolside dining, tropical cocktails, seasonal live music, open for lunch). Spike ‘n Tees (casual, open-air dining, open for breakfast and lunch). Portofino Ristorante & Bar (classic Northern Italian cuisine, open for dinner). Tavern & Whiskey Bar (fresh farm-to-table food, open for lunch and dinner).
Large beachfront outdoor heated swimming pool, hot tub, 20 Har-Tru tennis courts, 45 holes of challenging golf*, The Spa, with a range of treatments and services*, fitness centre, exercise studio*, private marina (Longboat Key Club Moorings)*. Complimentary bicycles/helmets, water sports*.
Concierge and bellman service, daily housekeeping service including nightly turndown service (on request), room service, Resort Fee includes daily supply of in-room Keurig coffee, use of tennis courts, fitness centre, bicycles (helmets provided), Daily use of poolside loungers and umbrellas - Use of towels and chair covers - 2 beach chairs per day, (4 chairs for Two Bedroom Suites; additional chairs and beach umbrellas available for a nominal charge), local/toll free phone calls. Notary services.
This hotel has a resort fee of $40 plus tax per day (Jr. Suites and One Bedroom Suites per day), $50 plus tax per day (Two Bedroom and Deluxe Two Bedroom Suites (payable locally, subject to change).
Resort fee includes use of the following amenities - Use of resort tennis courts - Access to the fitness centre - Bicycles (helmets provided) - Daily use of poolside loungers and umbrellas - Use of towels and chair covers - 2 beach chairs per day, (4 chairs for Two Bedroom Suites; additional chairs and beach umbrellas available for a nominal charge) - Library usage of books and media - Local and toll-free telephone calls - Parking (valet or self) - Daily newspaper available in lobby - Daily supply of in-room Keurig coffee - On-resort transportation and scheduled transportation to St Armand's Circle, grocery and pharmacy - Notary services - Resort fee, tax and inclusions are subject to change - please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.
Wheelchair accessible rooms available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. For more information and contact details please check out our Special Assistance page
*Denotes local charge.
Based on 2794 reviews
Rating summary
Location
Sleep Quality
Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness
Traveller rating
Excellent (2004)
Very good (441)
Average (212)
Poor (79)
Terrible (58)
Priced like a luxury resort, but it's not even close
May 15, 2022P511AFjona
Where do I begin? The Soviet-era architecture and design? The HVAC unit in the room that sounded like a freight train - all night!? The front desk clerk who told me I'd be charged for a hair dryer when I called to say my room didn't have one - not even subtly implying I must have stolen the one that was there. And yes, I say front desk clerk since…
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Where do I begin? The Soviet-era architecture and design? The HVAC unit in the room that sounded like a freight train - all night!? The front desk clerk who told me I'd be charged for a hair dryer when I called to say my room didn't have one - not even subtly implying I must have stolen the one that was there. And yes, I say front desk clerk since no one, not once through the entire trip, EVER answered the guest service line. And good luck in finding any shade anywhere at the pool or beach should it be even a little bit windy. In fact the overall attitude at the resort is that everything is set up for the convenience of the staff - not you. Oh, and all for the privilege of paying them over a thousand dollars a night!! If Holiday Inn service and amenities at a Ritz Carlton price is your idea of luxury, The Resort at Longboat Key is the hotel for you!
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Wonderful 10 day stay
May 7, 2022Ed STraverse City, Michigan
We returned for a 2nd time this year after a great trip last year. Took the same “Lagoon room” #704 which highly recommend. Kitchen, laundry and spacious deck make it perfect. The resort is beautiful and the staff is terrific. Took advantage of nearby golf, tennis, biking and gorgeous beach to enjoy. We will be back again next year for sure.
Disappointing at the,price
May 3, 2022Sunshinenw3United Kingdom
We arrived around 3 pm and were directed to our room through the car park. We guessed there must be a more salubrious entrance bu no … it was a sad concrete looking 4 storey block but our room, as requested and paid for, did overlook the beach and the sea. The view was spectacular. The beach was spotless and well serviced from 11 am with drinks…
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We arrived around 3 pm and were directed to our room through the car park. We guessed there must be a more salubrious entrance bu no … it was a sad concrete looking 4 storey block but our room, as requested and paid for, did overlook the beach and the sea. The view was spectacular. The beach was spotless and well serviced from 11 am with drinks and lunch. The bathroom was, from a female point of view, a total disaster with no space for anything at all. Toiletries were not replenished and when we asked for them the housekeeping staff delivered a huge quantity. The lift was dreadful with a cardboard floor. All in all an ok 3 star hotel and not worth the money.
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5 Star Luxury
May 3, 2022HawtreyLondon
Ignore the ugliness of the exterior of the buildings. Everything else is wonderful. Luxury accommodation, great facilities and friendly and efficient staff. A special word for Tim on Reception who arranged our accommodation at the shortest of notice. We first stayed here 25 years ago and its as great as ever.
Top notch property with high end service; a few nits keep it from "excellent" rating
Apr 29, 2022J DChicago, Illinois
My wife and I spent four days here after visiting friends in another part of the state. It is an absolutely beautiful property. The staff are there to serve and they do it well. At every interaction the staff made us feel like we were the most important guests at the resort.
The property is immaculate and not only maintained well but actually…
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My wife and I spent four days here after visiting friends in another part of the state. It is an absolutely beautiful property. The staff are there to serve and they do it well. At every interaction the staff made us feel like we were the most important guests at the resort.
The property is immaculate and not only maintained well but actually groomed. Our room was a very large suite with a full kitchen and convenient clothes washer and dryer. The bed was comfortable, HVAC was quiet and effective. The bath area had a large counter and two separate sinks. The toiletries provided were high end. Initially I was surprised at the somewhat stark, concrete looking exterior of buildings but quickly concluded that the shape and material must be for hurricane resistance. The only problem with our room was the view. We made our reservations late, so we had to settle for a "golf course view" as all the beach view rooms were already taken. However, our golf course view turned out to be a view of a couple pathways and two large industrial-looking storage pods. I think the golf course was somewhere behind the trees, but not really visible from our room.
The onsite restaurants were all good... but not great. We tried the poolside restaurant, the Tavern restaurant and Portofino's. All very nice with good service, just not top notch.
The main thing I did not like about the resort is that the property is divided. A part of the property, including some of the restaurants are two or three miles from the main lobby area. And since there generally are not sidewalks, walking is not a safe option especially after dark for those willing to walk the distance. There is a shuttle that will run on-demand to move people from one side to the other. It usually worked well, but one night we waited for nearly an hour at the Tavern restaurant for the shuttle to pick us up. By the time it showed up, after four calls, there were about a dozen frustrated people waiting.
Be aware that the resort is expensive and many things are extras. For example, there is a fee to get a lounge chair on the beach and another $25 fee for a beach umbrella for the day. It's all good, high quality stuff, but it could be surprising for those not expecting it. We noticed that all restaurants and bar service added a 20% "service charge" as a tip with a line for an additional gratuity if desired.
There is beach service for food and drink. The servers go around from chair to chair offering to get what you need. Those who served us were especially personable. I would like to give a special mention about "Kelly" (originally from Mahomet, IL) who was just delightful.
The health facility is top-notch with weights, exercise machines and plenty of treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. We did not have time to play golf this trip, but the courses looked to be in good shape.
So overall we were mostly quite pleased with our stay in spite of a couple irritations. I expect that we will return.
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Your holiday may be affected by travel restrictions or cancellations
We are continually reviewing our flying schedules, taking into account the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice against all non-essential travel. Depending on when you are due to travel, your holiday may be affected and we’ll email you to let you know as least 21 days before travel.
Your next holiday is only a click away - our website has thousands of options ready to book. But if you need more help, just give us a call on 0344 472 9646.
With many customers needing our help, we are prioritising those customers due to travel before 31 December 2020. Log in to Manage my booking where you can message us about your options or you can give us a call. Bear in mind you may have to wait longer than expected. We continue to review this and working to open up these options to more customers. In the meantime check out our FAQs to see if this can help answer any immediate questions.
Rest assured; we will notify you as soon as we know if your holiday has been affected by email.
We are continually reviewing our flying schedules, taking into account the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice against all non-essential travel. Depending on when you are due to travel, your holiday may be affected and we’ll email you to let you know as least 21 days before travel.
Don’t worry if you’ve missed a payment or just need a little more time to pay; we have options available to help you. If your holiday is going ahead as planned, you can continue to pay for your holiday in Manage my booking, even if travelling in less than 12 weeks. If you’re unsure, you can delay any additional payments by choosing a new time to travel by requesting a call back in Manage My booking for one of our team to look at options. If your holiday is more than 6 months away, you may wish to set up a Direct Debit to spread the cost. This can be arranged whilst rebooking or afterwards in Manage my booking.
We understand that you may wish to change your holiday plans and we appreciate the need for flexibility.
We'll be in touch by email letting you know how to register to change your holiday plans. You can also log into Manage my booking to find the details there.
Please look out for emails from us or visit our dedicated Covid-19 (Coronavirus) page for the latest updates.
If we haven’t notified you of any changes, your holiday will be going ahead as planned but if you prefer to move your holiday to a later time we can help. You can call our team on 0344 472 9499 who can look at options for you.
Payments are being prioritised based on when the request was made, working in order from March 2020 onwards. We will always try to process refunds at the earliest opportunity, for requests before August our maximum timeframe is 120 days. As we are steadily reducing the maximum processing time for each new request, for refund requests made in August, we expect the maximum processing time to be 80 days, from the date the refund is requested. For those requesting a refund in September, we expect it to be processed within a maximum of 60 days, and then reduce to 30 days for refunds requested in October, before returning to normal levels.
To finalise the amendment, one of our customer advisors will phone you. We need to work through amend requests in departure date order so we can prioritise those with the most imminent travel plans, so you may have a longer wait than usual until we’re able to ring you back. We will help everyone that wants to move their holiday.
I returned early from holiday and have further questions?
You can contact our team by emailing feedback.backhome@virginholidays.com to discuss options on unused portions of your holiday. If you need to contact our team about amending an existing holiday or requesting a refund please log in to manage my booking.
Priced like a luxury resort, but it's not even close
