- December 4, 2025
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In reality, it’s a hard-and-fast fact when the largest resort on Longboat Key opened to the public.
Aug. 16, 2024. Right there on the calendar.
The lazy river, the lagoon, the hotel suites and restaurants, the beachfront Monkey Bar. All unveiled.
But the way Winfred van Workum, the general manager of the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort and Residences says he sees it, that soon-to-conclude first year can at times seem far shorter, or much longer.
And nothing like he expected.
“I just sometimes feel like it's 10 years, and sometimes I feel like it's 10 weeks,’’ he said with a laugh.
Years in the making, through revisions, hours of haggling and more than two-and-a-half years of construction, the St. Regis launched with intentions of building expertise with its new staff before the region’s tourist season began.
Twin hurricanes came first, though, prompting a monthlong shutdown. Then what seemed like another grand opening, this time without weeks of prep work led by nearly 100 experts.
“We did all this amazing training, everybody knew what to do when we opened,’’ he said. “And then we close for four weeks, of course, then we opened without all of the trainers.
“So, it almost felt like we had to reopen again.’’
Since then, the St. Regis has made an undeniable impact on the region, fiscally, reputationally and municipally. Van Workum says he’s pleased with client reactions and those of the travel and leisure industry. And he said he’s happy with the local workforce, some of whom have already moved up to supervisory ranks.
Ideas are in the works for the future — though he wasn’t specific — to match better with customers’ wants and some of the basic workings of an 18-acre facility that Sarasota County says added nearly $200 million of property value on the hotel side alone. The individually taxed condos, in three buildings named Armand, Bateau and Champagne on the south side of the property, added another $361 million for 2025, tax records show.
Storm surge from Hurricane Helene destroyed the resort’s dune line in late September, sending salt water and sand across the property — indeed, across the island in general. Though teams remained on site through it all, they found themselves cut off for days by flooding on Longboat Key, St. Armands Circle and beyond.
Clients couldn’t reach the property. Nor could staff. Gulf of Mexico Drive was impassable in places.
The resort had no choice but to close.
“I mean, we wanted to open. We never wanted to close,’’ van Workum said. “We wanted to open as soon as possible. But, you know, the first week alone, we couldn't even get to the resort. In St. Armands there was 4 feet of water. So it actually took us a little, a couple days before we could even access the resort.’’
Sand was everywhere, except on the now-gone dune line. Newly set trees and landscaping toppled or ruined.
“All of our dunes washed away, and they all went into our multiple pools,’’ he said. “To dig out a lazy river with 6 feet of sand, by hand of course, is a lot of work.’’
Ready to open again, St. Regis found itself on the edge of its first Sarasota tourism season. With a staff that had essentially taken a month off.
“I’ll never forget, like the front desk, they were behind the computer and they're like, ‘oh, shoot, how do you do this again,'’’ Van Workum said. “We had all of these people with amazing heart and amazing service attitude, but many of them never worked in a luxury hotel environment. So, they kind of forgot about these different things.’’
Van Workum said one of the focuses moving into Year 2 will be wellness. Success of the resort’s spa will likely lead to more and varied classes and events that tap into clientele’s goals of relaxation and health.
Further refinement of the guest experience is another focal point.
“I think it was really important to put a good restaurant together, and now we want to be an amazing restaurant, so adding a lot more unique touches from tableside preparations to unique dishes, or kind of defining more celebrity culinary events and wine tastings and things like that,’’ he said. “For us this coming year, it's about what we call immersive experiences. We want guests to come on property, hotel guests but also locals, and really be immersed in their different experiences.’’
Sports, too, possibly.
Van Workum said connections to the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort, which occupied the property from 1954 until it closed in 2010, are everywhere on the property. Suites bear the names of Sarasota leaders and figures from the Colony. The beachside tiki bar bears the name of the Colony’s famous Monkey Bar.
One amenity not accounted for, though, is tennis. The Colony, known for its courts and the luminaries who played on them, was a mecca of the sport.
“We are working on some exciting, exciting events and things like that to really honor that history,’’ he said. “But of course, having some facilities on the property would be really, really fantastic. So we do have some ideas and some thoughts on how maybe we can add that.’’
Space on the property is at a premium, with a small patch of open space remaining in the southeastern corner.
Van Workum said on-site parking is also at a premium, which he attributed to a level of staffing higher than normal for a resort its size, especially during work-shift crossovers.
“Honestly, it is just as expected, so certainly not a surprise to us,’’ he said, adding that one shift often is still on property while the new shift first arrives.Â
“We can't leave the guests by themselves for an hour.’’
There are no formal applications with the town to add parking spaces or  sports courts right now.
The travel and tourism industry has largely praised the St. Regis in its first year. Most recently, AAA Travel awarded a five-diamond rating. Travel + Leisure named the resort to its "It List" of the 100 best new hotels. Forbes’ coveted rating is pending,
Van Workum said the attention has helped connect the traveling world to Longboat Key, a destination that has traditionally shied away from high-profile tourism.
“Most people will say this is more like a Caribbean resort or Hawaiian resort, a southeast Pacific resort, where you really don't have to leave,’’ van Workum said.
Longboat Key’s financial reaction has likewise been positive. Town property values were up overall for 2025, based largely on the addition of the St. Regis.
Across the metro area, only North Port accounted for more new construction value – by about $300 million – in a city with roughly 10 times the permanent population.
Van Workum said he has been very pleased with the local segment of the resort’s 400-plus workforce. Though the core team came from around the St. Regis chain or from other luxury properties, most of the staff was recruited locally.
Some had no hospitality experience, and fewer at a level associated with the St. Regis brand.
At first, van Workum said, staffers stuck to their training, but of late he said he’s seen a transformation taking place from merely getting the job done to something on a higher level.
“It should all be an emotional experience,’’ he said. “And what happens a little bit is if you're not fluent in your job, then it becomes a little transactional because you're so focused on making sure that you do everything right. We always see this a little bit in the beginning … everything feels a little bit robotic until people kind of get the confidence. I think that's been a nice evolution always. Like a year later, I think now you can really see people blossoming their personalities and the warmth.’’
