This year is an even year so we don’t have our kids with us. With the pandemic and most of things still shut down, we didn’t want to go too far but wanted to get out of the cold, so we settled on The Resort at Longboat Key Club.
The Resort
We booked our room through SnapTravel, which was the only way I could get a half decent rate. Thanksgiving rates are high everywhere so this was no different. We booked a King Junior Suite Beachfront View, which comes with kitchen and even washer and dryer. The balcony is perfect for looking at the ocean.
The resort has quite a few amenities open despite COVID. Pools, restaurants, golf, spa, room service, fitness center were all fully functioning (but with reduced hours). We didn’t partake in many activities because the resort was rather crowded and there were lots of kids – something we should have thought of since it’s during Thanksgiving break.
Restaurants
This was SO good! Seriously, get the lobster roll. It’s loaded with lobster and it’s delicious. But you can probably get anything here and it’ll still be good.
Harry’s is a road side little diner that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Harry’s menu is very innovative, and often has specials throughout the year. While I always appreciate an ambitious menu, I don’t feel that Harry’s is the best I’ve had. With that being said, it was still very good and we enjoyed our lunch for the day.
Daiquiri Deck @ St. Armands Circle
If you like daiquiris, then you need to check out Daiquiri Deck. I’ve never been to one of these places before. There are a ton of flavors and you can mix and match. They also have seafood to go with your daiquiris!
Tommy Bahama has the best Happy Hour around here. Half price drink options and great food discounts too. You can also sit at the balcony and do some people watching! St Armands Circle is decorated with Christmas trees and lights at this time of year so it’s beautiful!
This place has the best coffee on the island. They have a long list of coffee beverages which I love as well. Frappe, Latte, Mocha, you name it. Their avocado toast is wonderful too!
Oh this was so good. The restaurant is very elegant and I wanted everything on the menu!
This was the best restaurant of the entire trip. Just don’t get confused with the closing store of the same name. Shore is new, beautiful, located right on the water. The service was phenomenal. The restaurant was super romantic. The food was amazing.
As the name suggests, this restaurant is located in Siesta Key, so it was a bit of a drive for us. But, $7 DOZEN OYSTERS DURING HAPPY HOUR! Need I say more? Happy Hours are 3-6pm Daily, at least when we were there. We ate EIGHT dozens, between the two of us.
Cafe L’Europe is a classy European restaurant located at St Armands Circle. It’s nice and romantic and there’s indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is innovative and the food is good!
This is one of the restaurants that is on-site for our resort. I absolutely LOVE their Lox & Bagel in the morning. Everything is super fresh and the quantity is huge.
Duval’s Fresh Local Seafood was our restaurant of choice for our Thanksgiving Day meal. They had a special menu that came with ham, turkey and sides. Everything was good and I was so full!
Things to Do
The Beach
We walked the beach everyday and loved the beautiful sunset here. The beach wasn’t very crowded and the weather was super nice.
This museum is HUGE. Plan on spending a whole day here. There’s so much to see and learn about. It was quite awe inspiring.
Final Thoughts
We had a lovely stay at Longboat Key Resort. The area is upscale with a price tag to match, but there are nearby areas like Siesta Key that is close enough if you want something super affordable. We enjoyed all of the restaurants we went to, some more than others, but the restaurant Shore blew us away. This would be a great destination for families who love seafood and enjoy some family time together.