St. Regis lands AAA Travel's five-diamond rating

Approaching the end of its first year of operation, the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort recently added a key rating, emblematic of its luxury bonafides.

AAA Travel recently awarded the property its five-diamond designation, one of 10 in Florida and two on the state’s west coast. Naples’ Ritz-Carlton Hotel has been on the AAA’s five-diamond list since 1987. According the AAA’s most recent list for 2025, about 145 properties get similarly rated in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

AAA Travel’s ratings are generally based on a series of visits by unidentified guests, unannounced inspectors and a review by a panel of experts. Fewer than 1% of more than 23,000 properties reviewed by AAA achieve five diamonds.

“We are very excited to receive this prestigious award from AAA in our first year of operations,” said Winfred van Workum, general manager of The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort. “This is a testament to the quality of service that we take the utmost pride in offering our guests and a benchmark we will strive for each year.”

The resort features 168 rooms on the north end of the property, alongside 69 condominiums on the south side. Resort amenities occupy the center of the property.

Forbes Travel Guide is expected to weigh in on a rating soon. Its website lists the rating as pending “soon to be rated.’’

From Forbes’ “Notes from Inspectors” section, “Many of the bookable suites bear the names of people with local ties. There’s the 947-square-foot Mable Ringling Suite, honoring the late art collector and wife of circus co-founder John Ringling. There’s also the John Jacob Astor Suite, a spectacular space named after the St. Regis’ founder that has its own dining table, a separate living room and unbelievable waterfront views. The Presidential Suite is the property’s largest, stretching more than 3,400 square feet. It draws inspiration from Sarasota pioneer Davie Lindsay Worcester, who had a deep love for its coastline and ever-visible shells.’’

Travel + Leisure called the resort one of the best new hotels of the year, and Conde Nast recently delivered a positive review without a numerical rating. Marriott, with which St. Regis is affiliated, offers a 4.4 of 5 rating and Trip Advisor’s reviews average at 4.5 stars.

During a week in August, the Ringling Suite averages about $2,700 a night and the Astor Suite about $4,900 a night.

“AAA is pleased to recognize St. Regis Longboat Key with the Five Diamond designation, meaning its unwavering attention to both service and surroundings have placed it into the upper echelon of AAA’s Diamond Program,” said Stacey Barber, AAA Travel vice president. “To maintain the exceptional standards required for this designation on a daily basis is an outstanding achievement. Five Diamond hotels and restaurants consistently exceed expectations to provide their guests a highly personalized, memorable experience.”

Parking issues

Parking at the resort recently took on new importance as a nearby condominium community rejected a request from the resort to occupy some of its unused lot capacity. Seaplace residents opposed the idea. The resort has also spoken to town officials about potential uses of the Town Center Green lot at the corner of Bay Isles Road and Bay Isles Parkway.

The Town Commission in 2023 rejected a proposal from Unicorp National Developments to build a two-level parking deck over the existing surface lot in the northeast corner of the property. A proposal to add capacity with lifts in its garage was approved but not initially employed.

No formal applications or requests to expand on-site parking on the 17.3 acres has been received by the town, officials said last week.

“Almost all opponents here praised the project, but protested the garage as too much, too close and too late,” Mayor Ken Schneier said in June 2023.

Later that year, Unicorp CEO Chuck Whittall said he agreed.

“This is a better solution moving forward than what we have proposed before,’’ he said.

Ultimately, what was approved was a plan that relied on an expanded footprint near the northeast corner of the property with tighter spacing suitable for valet drivers and a few more spaces on the property’s driveway.

All told, the St. Regis hotel side has a dozen driveway spaces, 93 spaces in the parking lot and 195 spaces inside the hotel building. Condo spaces will remain the same at 169. That’s 469 spots, 62 more than originally proposed.