An Ideal Day Spent at The Resort at Longboat Key Club
When it comes to finding things to do in Longboat Key during your stay at The Resort at Longboat Key Club, you actually don’t need to stray very far from your guest room.
With 410 acres of lush lawns and pristine beachfront, 45 holes of golf, several restaurants, a spa, and Tennis Gardens, The Resort at Longboat Key Club, located on a barrier island of the same name just outside of Sarasota proper, offers visitors a vacation without the need to venture far and wide. In fact, after a top-to-bottom 2020 renovation transformed this resort into Longboat Key’s sleekest address (learn more about the design refresh we refer to as “yacht sleek”), you probably won’t want to stray away at all. So with that in mind, we detail how to best take advantage of all that the sprawling property – divided into two campuses, Islandside and Harbourside – offers across one full day spent on the property.
8:30 a.m.: Beach Yoga
After waking up to the sound of waves outside your yacht-sleek-inspired guestroom – featuring touches like marbled breakfast bars, plush furniture, and shiplap walls – start your day off in the right mindset with a Beach Yoga class. All experience levels are welcome and first meet at the Mind & Motion Studio, a 2,500-square-foot workout studio located at the Island House Spa, then head out to the resort’s private beach, where you’ll stretch yourself physically, spiritually, and mentally, and leave ready to welcome the rest of the day. You may even spot a dolphin or two in the distance.
9:30 a.m.: Breakfast at Latitudes
As the marquee restaurant for the resort, Latitudes is a nautically-inspired, open and airy space where breakfast can’t be beat thanks to sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico and the resort’s new pool deck. The carefully curated breakfast menu doesn’t hurt either, including everything from steel-cut oatmeal studded with apricots and craisins to a hulking chorizo and egg breakfast wrap. However, we suggest the avocado, tomato, and organic-egg toast, a hearty slice of crisp sourdough bread loaded with the above ingredients, including a whipped ricotta spread that’s divine.
11 a.m.: Massage at The Spa
With 10 treatment rooms, two relaxation rooms, and a carefully curated treatment menu that centers around the holistic healing of Kerstin Florian products, the spa is an island-inspired sanctuary that you’ll have a hard time pulling yourself away from. We suggest either The Botanical Crush Scrub, which combines mineral-rich salts and aromatherapy for a full-body exfoliation, or The Replenish Journey, which puts you at ease with a head-to-toe massage, mineral-infused wrap, and acupressure rituals.
12:30 p.m.: Hit the Beach or the Pool
It wouldn’t be a visit to the Gulf Coast of Florida without some relaxation by the water. And the resort delivers two pretty impressive options: a gorgeous white sand beach, offering cabanas, beach chairs, and umbrellas, as well as a volleyball court and watersport rentals (kayaks, bikes, and paddleboards); and the newly resided pool, shrouded in lush landscaping and peppered with oversized umbrellas. When it’s time to fuel up, the airy Banyan Poolside Lounge offers a vast and varied selection of lunch items along with handcrafted cocktails (ginger-mint mule, anyone?).
3:00 p.m.: Golf at Harbourside Course
Awarded “Best Places to Play” by Golf Digest, Longboat Key Club offers 45 holes of championship golf including the tree-lined Harbourside Golf Course that runs along Sarasota Bay and Links on Longboat course that borders the Gulf of Mexico. While you can’t go wrong with either, we suggest the former because Harbourside offers three nines – the White Egret, The Red Hawk, and The Blue Heron – to build your choice of 18 holes. Definitely include the famous Blue Heron in the mix – measuring 3,368 yards, it’s the signature nine of all 45 holes here, where tree-lined fairways and swirling winds put a premium on shot-making and course strategy.
Prefer to hold a racket in your hand? Head over to the USTA-certified Tennis Gardens with 20 exquisite Har-Tru courts. Interested in the oh-so-hot-right-now pickleball pastime? You’ll find courts for that here, too, as well as lessons.
6:30 p.m.: Dinner at Portofino
After a long, full day, relish in an Italian dinner you’ll remember at the Portofino Ristorante & Bar, located in the Marina Village at Longboat Key Club Moorings and overlooking the 291-slip marina. Whether you’re craving something from the sea, a handmade pasta, or a brick-oven pizza, there will be a complementary wine to go with it thanks to this trattoria’s expansive wine list. We suggest the Avignonesi Vino Nobile with the Caciucco, a seafood stew of fresh seasonal fish, lobster, scampi, clams, and mussels in tomato broth.
8:30 p.m.: Nightcap at Tavern & Whiskey Bar
Wind down the night at the Tavern & Whiskey Bar, an intimate pub with a special emphasis on spirit featured in its name, including creative whiskey-based cocktails, as well as more than 100 whiskeys from around the world.
