Place to stay in Longboat Key, Florida?

[Wading Ashore]

We will be in Longboat Key for 5 days in April. We usually prefer a condo-type accommodation with kitchen but basically want somewhere well-maintained and hassle-free. Will be grateful if any Bogleheads have suggestions, recommendations.

[MBMiner]

I live nearby, but suspect you're much too late to find anything on Longboat in April. Do you have to stay on Longboat or would the Sarasota area also be acceptable?
Bruce

[Wading Ashore]

We would prefer Longboat if possible!

[Rubiosa]

Have you tried vrbo.com?

[Wading Ashore]

Have you tried vrbo.com?

Thanks. Which of the places listed there would you recommend?

[vandering]

Farther south you go along Longboat closer to Sarasota rather than Bradenton, typically nicer. The 1/2 way point on the island between Sarasota/Bradenton is at Pattigeorge's. Anything that rents by night/ week rather than month won't be that great but none of these is exactly camping. You should have a great time. If you rent a place without tennis courts don't worry, the public courts are nice.(10 clay courts- Bay Isle Road) Also Publix reopened in December so you won't starve. Cheap take-out from Ciao Italia and Harry's Gourmet Deli and Wine, I recommend. Good restaurants are Mar Vista and Moore's Stone Crab. Chart House is on south part of the island just before the bridge Ringling Pkwy good but more expensive. If you drive north off Longboat over the bridge to Bradenton Beach, The Beach House Restaurant is right on the Gulf of Mexico: food is so so but most nights live entertainment and "good umbrella drinks". Directly across Cortez bridge is Bradenton Beach Parasailing + Jet Ski rentals. I've used both with my children( in case you're bringing some). Bike rentals ubiquitous. There are always packs of cyclists in the morning because of the 11.5 mile run of designated bike lane. Enjoy!

[Wading Ashore]

Do you have to stay on Longboat or would the Sarasota area also be acceptable?
Bruce

Thanks Bruce and vandering. We have been having difficulty with availability in Longboat. Now looking at Siesta Key and Sarasota town. Will still be grateful for recommendations!

[Mel Lindauer]

Do you have to stay on Longboat or would the Sarasota area also be acceptable?
Bruce

Thanks Bruce and vandering. We have been having difficulty with availability in Longboat. Now looking at Siesta Key and Sarasota town. Will still be grateful for recommendations!

You can also try Anna Maria Island which is just across the bridge from Longboat Key to the north. There are three cities on AMI (Bradenton beach on the south end, Holmes Beach in the middle and the city of Anna Maria on the north end). I'd recommend avoiding Bradenton Beach. My preference is Anna Maria. You can call or look up Coastal Cottages for rentals. Their web site has pics and prices.

AMI is one of my very favorite places and I've been going there for years.

[texasdiver]

A couple years ago my wife, the kids and I stayed at the Limetree Beach Resort for a week when she has a medical conference. It's within walking distance of the St. Armand's Circle on Lido Key just across the bridge from Sarasota. It's a decent mid-range condo place. It's a time share complex but the management rents out a lot of the units week to week as vacation condos. Not a super luxury type of place, solidly middle class but clean and right on the beach. We had no complaints.

http://www.limetree.com/home.html

[MBMiner]

As I posted earlier, your big problem is the very late date. Most good rentals are booked a year or more in advance. The Sarasota paper reports that hotels are experiencing a record tourist season. Your choices are very limited and I would be inclined to widen the scope of what you will find acceptable in the Sarasota area.
Bruce

[bengal22]

A little off-topic but my wife and I visited the Ringling Brothers Art and Circus Museum which is just across the bay from Longboat Key. If you have not been there it is great. Just seeing their house and train car was worth the price of admission. We spent January in Fort Myers Beach, which is a great place to spend a winter month. Good Luck.

[Wading Ashore]

Your big problem is the very late date.

Yes, Bruce, you are right! We had no idea, nor did the people we will be visiting, or we wouldn't have booked the air! We are leaning toward the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota. Not exactly a value proposition ( !) but the area is tighter than a drum!

Mel, we tried Anna Maria. Coastal Cottages didn't have anything, but we are looking at Anna Maria Guest Houses. They have a 3-bedroom, which is more than what we need, but could be a possibility.

I guess the upside to all this is that it must be a very, very nice place!

Thanks to all.

[Minot]

Check out Airbnb.com. They have a few listings for the islands [work from the map, upper left corner, rather than the list], and quite a few for Sarasota. I looked at availability for a couple of places, and they showed openings in April. Even if you don't find what you want, they're fun to browse.

I've used Airbnb 3 times and have found all three to be pretty much exactly as advertised and have been good value. Once you make a booking (generally refundable with advance notice, except for a small processing fee) you are in touch with the host; the ones I've dealt with have been good about answering questions, etc.

Minot

*Edited to correct listings for the islands.

[yukonjack]

I highly recommend Casa Del Mar. I have been there 5 or 6 times and my parents have been going for about 15 years. Most of the guests are people that have been going year after year. You can have a look at http://www.casadelmar.net
It is a condo setup with a full kitchen and it is on the beach (Gulf side). Like an earlier post said they do book up early but give them a shot. Sometimes the units just off the beach are open. For the area I have always found them to be a good value. One item of note, they tend to cater towards families and have little tolerance for the partying spring break crowd. I have actually found that to be a plus as my stays there have always been relaxing and very enjoyable.

[Toons]

I highly recommend Casa Del Mar. I have been there 5 or 6 times and my parents have been going for about 15 years. Most of the guests are people that have been going year after year. You can have a look at http://www.casadelmar.net
It is a condo setup with a full kitchen and it is on the beach (Gulf side). Like an earlier post said they do book up early but give them a shot. Sometimes the units just off the beach are open. For the area I have always found them to be a good value. One item of note, they tend to cater towards families and have little tolerance for the partying spring break crowd. I have actually found that to be a plus as my stays there have always been relaxing and very enjoyable.

Thanks for posting the link,just returned from a stay in Manasota Key fl, and have been
searching the internet for a return vacation on the Gulf, looks nice

[Wading Ashore]

I highly recommend Casa Del Mar.

Thanks, Toons. I emailed them with a reservation request.