The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort in Longboat Key, Florida—offshore from Sarasota—aims to bring the first Forbes 5-Star luxury hotel to the Florida Gulf Coast when it opens in early July. Within 10 miles of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport on the sugary-sand beaches of a barrier island, the 168-room property features an oval ballroom inspired by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (Sarasota is home to The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art); a 4-acre saltwater lagoon habitat with stingrays and Galapagos tortoises; and 800 feet of private beachfront. If it achieves its goal, The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort would be the 19th Forbes 5-Star property in Florida.
