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While there's a lot left to do, the St. Regis Longboat Key — a transformative $800 million project on what was the site of the famed The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort — is on track to open this summer.
The resort’s reservation system is online, and property General Manager Winfred van Workum says some wedding reservations are already on the books.
Before the grand opening, though, the resort needs some more work. It also needs a staff. Van Workum says most of the management positions have been filled and hiring events for the rest of the staff positions are coming in a little over a month.
Van Workum offered the Longboat Observer, sister paper of the Business Observer, a behind-the-scenes tour of the resort. On the tour, he detailed everything from the four restaurants and a 20,000-square-foot spa, down to the woodwork used in the resort’s steakhouse.
When guests arrive at the St. Regis, they will either enter through the resort side or the ballroom side.
Through the hotel entrance, guests are greeted by an intimate reception area. The unique mural stands as a central focal point. Behind it, guests can walk to the glass doors to get a view of the Gulf of Mexico.
The reception area is seated, so guests checking in can have a one-on-one with a receptionist. “It was really designed to be this personal experience,” Van Workum says.
Around the mural is a bar, with countertops made from high-end marble. Van Workum says the marble used around the resort was hand-picked by Unicorp National Developments CEO Chuck Whittall, and is something that shows the amount of detail put into the resort. (Orlando-based Unicorp is the developer of the project.)
Also in the reception area will be a grand piano that will feature live music at night. A little farther down the hall, guests can grab a cup of coffee at a small coffee shop or peruse the shelves of a luxury swimwear company that will have special St. Regis Longboat Key designs.
Every St. Regis destination has a mural that is a focal point for guests. For the St. Regis Longboat Key, designers worked with muralist William Savarese to create a mural that Savarese describes as abstract in its flavor but, at the same time, figurative in its representation.
“I think it’s very inviting but, at the same time, it’s very elegant,” Savarese says.
Savarese has created murals for over 40 years, won awards for his work in Denmark and has done projects for cities like Jacksonville and Pompano Beach.
The St. Regis mural uses floral images to emphasize the location’s cultural history. Bromeliads are a key image guests might be able to pick out.
Savarese says he was shown some renderings of the reception area and a general concept for a mural. He went to work analyzing the technical aspects of how to create this mural with elements like the right brush strokes and tones.
That led to several mock-ups that went back and forth, a process that eventually led to eight days of work to put paint to canvas.
When guests enter the St. Regis, the mural is one of the first things they will see. Behind it is a wall of glass that offers a view of the Gulf of Mexico.
Savarese says because of that view he tied in some subtle blues to connect the mural with the water.
Within the St. Regis Longboat Key, there are four main restaurants, all with a separate kitchen.
CW Prime will be an upscale steakhouse. With 130 seats, guests can enjoy steak and seafood either indoors or out on the patio with a Gulf view.
Just through the entrance to CW Prime is a spirit room that van Workum says will give off a speakeasy vibe. Cocktail connoisseurs can press a button in this room to receive a secret cocktail only made at this spot in the resort.
Van Workum says chefs will work to include tableside preparation with some dishes at CW Prime.
Riva is another restaurant in the resort, which van Workum describes as a more approachable restaurant with an emphasis on pasta and fish. The word “riva” in Italian means shore.
Fresh pasta made at a pasta bar will be fun and interactive, van Workum says.
Two other restaurants are planned for the St. Regis Longboat Key: one that offers Latin cuisine, and another that blends Asian and Peruvian flavors.
Within one of the four kitchens is a pastry room where chefs will bake fresh bread and wedding cakes. There’s also a chocolate room to create special chocolate pieces.
Down on the beach will be the Monkey Bar, a connection with local beachgoers and a nod at the site’s history, formerly The Colony.
Throughout the ballroom side of the St. Regis, there are plenty of meeting spaces, including a large circular boardroom. But van Workum stresses the St. Regis Longboat Key isn’t focused on being a conference resort.
That’s where the large, oval ballroom comes into play. The shape of the ballroom hints at the Ringling Brothers’ influence on the Sarasota area while giving off an elegant feel.
Van Workum says the St. Regis hopes to host galas, charity events and weddings in the ballroom.
The 20,000-square-foot spa touches on the theme of the “healing powers of water.” A hair salon, manicure and pedicure stations are among the amenities van Workum hopes will be enjoyed by locals.
The spa also features 14 treatment rooms that offer massages and facials for private reservations. There’s also a treatment circuit where guests can go from a sauna to a steam room and a cold plunge.
Outside, the center of the St. Regis Resort continues the connection to water with pools and a saltwater lagoon.
The saltwater lagoon will require 350,000 gallons of water and about 110,000 pounds of salt, according to van Workum. A team of marine biologists will take care of about 50 different species, including several stingrays.
The goal, van Workum says, is to offer an educational experience that includes snorkeling in the lagoon. He says they hope to tie that in with a kids’ program that will offer educational programs inside and immersive experiences outside.
This article originally appeared on sister site YourObserver.com.
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