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 TM
Longboat
Key, Florida
and the Resort at Longboat Key
By: Norm
Goldman
Artist:
Lily Azerad-Goldman
 Located on a barrier island just off
the coast of Sarasota in the Gulf of Mexico is paradise personified,
Longboat Key.
It is a private island 7 miles from
the Sarasota/Bradenton airport, 60 miles south of Tampa and a 2- hour drive
from Orlando.
Eleven miles of golden beachfront
provides the ideal location for that special romantic get-away or honeymoon,
or even a family togetherness vacation.
With a population of only 8,000
permanent residents, and the absence of t-shops, noisy traffic, mini-malls,
fast food outlets, neon signs and everything else that is horrendous in many
beachfront communities, Longboat Key well deserves its reputation as the
perfect setting for the ultimate in vacation.
 It is believed that the first
inhabitants of Long Boat Key were the Native Americans, the Timucan and
Caloosa tribes.
In 1539 the Spanish explorer
Hernando DeSoto landed in the area with his men in their longboats; more
dramatically, however,
Jean Lafitte from New Orleans, who was called the gentleman pirate, used
this area in the 1800’s.
In the early 1920’s, John Ringling
of circus fame purchased considerable acreage on the south end of the
island. Ringling constructed a golf course and planted Australian pine trees
along Gulf of Mexico Drive. He also began construction of a luxurious hotel,
the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on New Pass, which he eventually abandoned, and
invested, instead, in
The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota.
Thanks to the Arvida Company that
the development of the island, and its transformation into a first class
resort destination was initiated in 1956.
Accommodations may be plentiful in
Longboat Key; however, there are very few that can boast having a AAA
Four-Diamond rating.
The Resort at Longboat Key Club has rightfully merited this
classification, when you consider its dramatic vantage point with its
magnificent views overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, as well as its elegant
accommodations.
The history of this resort dates
back over 40 years, when Longboat Key Club commenced operations as a country
club with 18 holes of golf.
In 1982 the Resort at Longboat Key
Club was built as part of a planned development that included condos,
private residences, an expanded country club and a resort.
Guests can enjoy a country club
atmosphere with a private beach, 45 holes of championship onsite golf, 38
tennis courts (6 lighted for night play), a fitness center with massage
therapies, heated pool and Jacuzzi, sail boats, rafts, boogies boards,
bicycles, a double beach lounger, daily delivery of newspaper and coffee.
Complimentary shuttle service to the
sophisticated shopping area of St.Armands Circle, as well as to a shopping
plaza with a grocery store are also provided.
To satisfy your appetite, there are
4 unique restaurants owned by the Resort and a dining room that offers
seasonal buffets. The sophisticated Sands Pointe restaurant serves seafood
specialities and a wine list recently recognized by Wine Spectator magazine.
The 232 elegant rooms and suites are
divided into guest rooms, club suites, one and two bedroom suites, and
deluxe two bedroom suites.
Each room has a large private
balcony with a view of the beach, lagoon or golf course.
The suites contain full kitchens,
refrigerators with ice makers, Cable TV and movies-on-demand, Internet
access and data port access, hair dryers and bathrobes, iron and ironing
boards, coffee makers and mini bars. There is also a twice-daily
housekeeping service that includes a nightly turndown service.
Those who may be celebrating a special event or occasion can take advantage
of some of the various packages offered, such as the Island Romance or Stay
and Play family package.
There is also a year around “Kids
Klub” for children ages 5-12 from Monday through Saturday.
Activities include crafts, tennis,
golf, and field trips to the movies, Jungle Gardens, Mote Marine, bowling
and a near-by “Fun Park.”
If you are looking for a storybook
wedding, you certainly have come to the right place.
You can have a rehearsal dinner,
reception, on premise wedding, post wedding brunch, entertainment, linens,
plant rental, room décor, on-site photographer, and an on site Florist.
It is a sort of place that one
dreams about when thinking about the perfect wedding environment that
satisfies just about all of your whims.
One caveat, after you have savoured
the elegance and beauty of The Resort at Longboat Key, you may not want to
go home.
INFORMATION
Address: 301 Gulf of Mexico Drive,
Longboat Key, FL. 34228
Tel: (888) 237-5545
Web Site:
www.longboatkeyclub.com
Norm and Lily Azerad-Goldman are a
unique husband and wife team, writer and water colorist, who write and paint
about romantic destinations.
Basically, they meld art and words
in order to create an unusual travel story, which generates interest,
particularly because of the fact that each painting appears to have been
‘custom-made’ for the story-original story and original art.
They can be contacted at:
l.goldman@sympatico.ca
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