Bora Bora, Osaka and Abu Dhabi are all places that are home to a St. Regis Hotel and Residences resort, and now Longboat Key is joining those ranks. With the property slated to open in late summer, bookings for the St. Regis resort at 1601 Gulf of Mexico Drive are now live, with available dates beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1.

We wrote about the St. Regis when it broke ground in 2021 on the site of the former Colony Beach Resort, which was demolished in 2018. Now, after some initial wrangling over parking, the roughly 18-acre beachfront site will be home to largest development on the barrier island in more than 50 years. The complex will include a 168-room luxury hotel and three six-story residential buildings, with 69 luxury condominiums. (We got a sneak peek of those back in 2021.)

The condos have been sold out for about two years, according to ​​Winfred van Workum, the resort's general manager, who also says the hotel will have roughly 400 employees.

Although a price tag for the buildout wasn't specified, the project will likely cost around $800 million. (The St. Regis in Bal Harbour, near Miami, was reported to cost $1 billion.) Rooms will start at roughly $930 per night, depending on the time of year.

The spa, which will be open to the public, will span 20,000 square feet with beachfront views. It will have a Finnish sauna, a eucalyptus steam room and, for fans of the cold, a snow shower that produces snow for up to 30 minutes, as well as a plunge pool. (These types of cold treatments, a current wellness trend, claim to address inflammation and boost immunity.)

The space will also lead to a terrace with an infinity-edge pool overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, a “vitality” pool will target different body zones with hydro massage, and a spa suite will host small parties of six to eight people. 

There will also be a menu of services including massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and a hair salon. A wellness menu will include "guided visualization, meditation and sleep therapy with a gong and singing bowls," says Shelly Anne Myrie-Lindo, the spa director.

The resort will have 10 event spaces—a total of 36,285 square feet of indoor and outdoor locations—dedicated to meetings and events. "There's huge interest for weddings—seven weddings have already been booked," says Lorna Kirwan, director of sales and marketing.

The ballroom can accommodate up to 600 people, theater-style. In addition to weddings, it's ideal for galas, fundraisers and conferences. As for pricing, "we like to be bespoke," Kirwan says. "It will depend on the time of year and event. On average, a price for dinner might range from $250 to $300 per person, but a full-service event during high season could range from $20,000 to $80,000 or more."

The resort will house seven food and beverage venues, with most open to the public. CW Prime will offer steakhouse classics like aged beef, seafood and salads with tableside preparations. The Spirit Room, a private cocktail speakeasy, will have on-demand access to CW Prime’s bar via a secret call button. It will be available by reservation only.

Riva, meanwhile, will be an Italian-focused, all-day dining space with a pasta bar where a chef will prepare fresh pasta counter-side. It will also include indoor and outdoor dining and a rooftop area overlooking the water.

The St. Regis Bar will have entertainment with a piano, while Aura will be an open-air pool grill offering Latin American fare. The waterfront Monkey Bar—named after the Colony's popular bar—will serve tiki-inspired cocktails and bar snacks, including a cocktail called “Murf Dog,” named after longtime Colony owner Murray “Murf” Klauber.

Oshen, only accessible to hotel guests, will be a rooftop lounge with seafood-focused small plates and raw dishes with Japanese and Peruvian influences. Finally, for breakfast or all-day refreshments, the hotel’s Café Caroline will offer a mix of healthy drinks and dishes, plus coffees and fresh pastries.

As far as things to do on-site, a lagoon wildlife reserve will have a 350,000-gallon habitat with nearly 50 stingrays and more than 2,800 local reef fish, including 50 native species and two Aldabra tortoises. The goal is to offer an educational experience for guests—one that includes snorkeling in the lagoon among the marine life. 

For guests with kids, a children's program ranges from half to full days of activities, geared to kids ages 4 to 12. There will also be a teen program, says van Workum. "We'll do a parents' night out with a walk-in option available, too," he adds.

There will also be a McCarver & Moser luxury jewelry store and a Vilebrequin luxury swimwear shop. The fashion brand is working on a dedicated St. Regis Longboat Key print, according to van Workum.

For non-guests who want to get in on the amenities, the St. Regis will offer a membership with resort access, exclusive pricing and event planning services. It rings in at $125,000, not including additional quarterly dues and a minimum annual spend.

Membership or not, what appears to be the upper echelon of luxury living is here.

"It's paradise without a passport," says van Workum.

To book the St. Regis Longboat Key or learn more, click here.