We enjoyed our stay at this resort and would love to return. Good food at the restaurant, lovely beach, clean rooms and courteous staff. They offer valet parking only, you can purchase breakfast as a part of your stay, lounge chairs are complimentary on the beach but umbrellas or cabanas need to be purchased. This area was so beautiful with a short distance to Armand Circle for shopping and a host of restaurants. Sarasota was not far and this is very close to various public beaches. Lovely place! read more

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Pro: Balconies are wonderful overlooking the Gulf. Beds comfortable. Staff wonderful. Cons: Big heavy bathroom door slides back and forth. It's very difficult to move even after the hotel added WD40. Also very heavy door to the balcony. We had to use our whole bodies to open and close and that was also after wd40. Also our sink kept clogging and the plumber had to replace a part on the toilet so it would flush more easily. Too much time spent waiting for maintenance to fix various things! The restaurant is a big eh. I had chicken and another time fish tacos. I couldn't finish either because of the quality of the food. There aren't any alternative restaurants under $30. Be prepared to spend! read more

After years of staying with family at another hotel resort on Longboat Key, we decided to make a change and stay at Zota this time. It was just my wife and me. For the two of us, it was an ideal location and experience. Service was excellent at every turn; the rooms were a nice size and the beds comfortable. We selected a room facing the ocean so we were greeted with a view of the beach every morning. My one complaint about the room was that there was no microwave. That is why this resort will not work for us with family. In fact, it was even a bit of an inconvenience for just the two of us as we seldom finish a meal when going out to dinner and would have loved to have the leftovers warmed up for the next day's lunch. To me, if any location has the word "resort" in its title or description and it is on a beach, it must have a microwave. Outside of the room, the beach access was easy and the beach area well maintained. It is also a nice flat area of beach with the ability to walk a good hour in either direction with no disruption. The cost for a chair or umbrella is a little steep if you ask me considering virtually every guest needs one on the beach. I suggest each room gets two chairs and an umbrella free. The pool is also very nice and plenty large for a resort of this size. We thought the bar was especially well situated and with the two sides, guests could either sit and watch television or sit on the other side and have a relaxing view of the pool and beach. The drink menu was good, with plenty of popular frozen drinks. The food was also good at the bar and priced well for our lunches there. Question, since this is Florida, why are there Mahi Mahi tacos but no Grouper? Having Grouper seems to be a staple in this area of Florida and it as very much missed. So, overall, this is a very good resort for the price point and we will return when we are just a couple and no additional family. If there was a microwave, we could also include family, so that is the reason for the downgrade to a 4 and not a 5. read more

Zota Beach Resort - view from bar across pool to beach at sunset - Hotels Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

1. The grounds, lobby & common area are beautiful 2. The staff is exceptionally friendly & professional 3. The pool is beautiful / patio well furniture 4. The location is the best! 5. The food is good We attended a wedding, which is a perfect location for those who are planning future weddings. The coordinator (not sure if it was in house) did an amazing job. We made the reservation informing them that we are with a wedding group, but we didn't get the wedding group price break like others ‍ The rooms are beautiful but the bed was too firm for us. But none of this would keep us from returning. read more

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We spent the weekend here when our son and daughter-in-law were in her sisters wedding. It was close to the church for us/ them for the babysitting so the convenience was great. The resort was really nice though, so that was a huge bonus! They have a nice pool area with a bar and restaurant. We were able to stay on property for the stay and even got a bit of beach time in between watching our 11 week old granddaughter. The staff was very friendly and helpful and we hop that we can come back sometime when we aren't watching a newborn. read more

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Super clean rooms and amazing scenery. Great staff and a solid bar. Didn't try their restaurant, per se, but did have their room service which I believe is from their restaurant and it was really solid. Their prices are more than fair and they try their best to accommodate anything. My only qualm was the in room entertainment. It was not working when we went at all, which was tough to enjoy the experience fully. Don't let that spoil it for you though. There's plenty to do otherwise. read more

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Great resort directly on the water. Rooms have been updated and facilities are extremely clean. The offer room service which is a nicity many resorts no longer offer. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for families, but it is family friendly enough with a pool and an area for sand volleyball, as well as a ping pong table and a connect four game. Bar right next to the pool and the room comes with chairs for the beach. Definitely a great escape. read more

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Clean. Comfortable. Staff (every single person) super friendly and helpful. Pool is beautiful and being able to hang at the pool or walk to beach is perfect. Happy to have Ben able to stay here. read more

Zota Beach Resort - Sun has set tonight.. - Hotels Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

I've stayed at Zota Beach Resort multiple times, so this experience was extremely disappointing. Right after checking in, I noticed the bathroom was not clean. The floor was sticky, had a strange odor, and overall felt dirty. Later that night, we returned around 10:00 PM to our outdoor-access room and found our neighbors hosting a karaoke party on their balcony with a TV, multiple chairs, and a large speaker. The noise was so loud we could clearly hear it inside our room, and it was even shaking the walls. We tried to be patient until 11:00 PM, but the party continued. I called the front desk three separate times, and although they said someone would check on it, nothing was done. One staff member was also very rude and even hung up on me. We aren't the type to complain, but the noise was unbearable -- even with headphones on. For a resort that promotes relaxation, this was unacceptable. Between the cleanliness issues and the lack of staff support, this stay did not meet the standards Zota should be known for. read more

Beautiful resort and good food. Nice location. We traveled south and north so this was a nice middle ground. Be ware of the speed limit. There are lots of cops looking for speeders. Valet is included in your daily resort fee and is the only option to park your car. This was a bit silly to me with the parking right there. Be mindful and if you charge items to your room, check the itemized receipt. We had two charges that weren't ours. They produced the signed receipts and they clearly weren't us or even our room number. Also there is auto gratuity if you don't put anything or don't close out. We were told to just sign and then later saw it says they charge automatically if you don't close out even though we never wanted it open. read more

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I loved going here. We look forward to going here every year. The food was great! The people are nice read more

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Had an amazing time at Zota Beach Resort! I live an hour south and came up for a staycation, it was my first time staying on longboat key and it won't be my last! The room was affordable especially for being beachfront, and I got 2 balconies! Had a huge fridge, was right near the stairs down to the beach, which was so convenient. Received complementary champagne for a birthday, had an amazing dinner on the balcony at the restaurant Viento. Returned for breakfast which was just as good. The hot tub was the best part, it was huge! The beach was just steps away and there is showers to rinse. Highly recommend this resort! read more

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Zota Beach Resort was the perfect place for my husband and I to rest our heads while taking a quick weekend trip at Longboat Key. Here are the things you need to know: + They are very savvy with text communication which made check-in, asking questions, and special requests super easy. Everyone we interacted with from front desk, valet, pool and beach staff, bartenders, etc were super friendly. + Our room was located right near one of their beach entrances which gave us an extra dose of privacy and easy access to the beautiful, white sands of the Gulf of Mexico. Room was large, bed was comfortable, and we had everything we needed for the stay. Overall the vibe was sophisticated but casual. + We upgraded to the "Sand in the Toes" package which included a $30 daily dining credit (we used on poolside cocktails) and beach chair/umbrella rental. I felt like the price was well worth it! The only minor annoyance is that they start breaking down chairs around five which I think is the best time to go to the beach because you are avoiding direct sunlight. + Valet parking only. Not my favorite but it is what it is. Please note that you will need a car if you want any outside food, there is nothing really walkable around. We noticed a lot of groups ordering takeout or delivery and eating poolside. read more

We recently stayed at Zota Beach Resort. This hotel is part of the Opal Collection. The hotel is very communicative before arrival via texts and are there to answer any questions or concerns. Our poolside king room was very clean and comfortable. There was a room safe, refrigerator and Keurig coffee maker in the room. I would have preferred ceramic coffee mugs instead of paper to-go cups to enjoy coffee in the room or on our balcony. The lobby also had coffee available for a short time in the morning. There was plenty of closet space and drawers for our belongings in the room. We also had ample plug-ins for cell phones, iPads and laptops; and there was free WiFi. There was no premium movie channel offered on the TV. We sat at the bar in the restaurant one night and enjoyed a cocktail. The bartender Elias was friendly and engaging and we enjoyed talking to him. The service at the pool was great as well. Vanessa at the pool was also friendly and engaging and offered free ice water, or a cocktail or lunch to purchase. The pool deck had chess, ping pong and connect four for guests. On the beach, there was another connect four and cornhole. The beach was always well groomed every morning. We always got a lounger at the pool every day. The lobby store had a good selection of snacks or munchies to enjoy at the pool or in your room, as well as necessities you may need that you forgot to pack. One thing we really didn't like is there was no alternative to valet parking. It seemed ridiculous to wait for a car when it was within eyesight, and you have to drive everywhere on Longboat so there was waiting and also constantly tipping every day. The staff we encountered throughout our stay at Zota were very friendly. We would definitely come back because the positives outweighed the couple of negatives. We loved Zota! read more

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Good cost benefit but need to mention the absurd of a beach "resort" (it is actually more of a hotel) to charge guests extra for a beach umbrella!!! read more

Fantastic location. Right on the beach. Nice pool, hot tub. It seems to be a private beach so it wasn't too crazy. The food was great. Definitely had a lot of families and kids there at the pool. The beach was much more quiet. Reasonable cost for the location. read more

Zota Beach Resort - Sunset - Hotels Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

Star Service - Extremely Disappointed We arrived today at Zota Beach Resort after a 3.5-hour drive, expecting a warm welcome. Instead, our check-in experience was extremely disappointing. The front desk employee, Val, had a cold, rude, and unwelcoming attitude from the moment we arrived. She was not kind, not friendly, and made us feel like we were inconveniencing her rather than being welcomed as guests. I understand there are policies, but the way guests are treated truly matters--especially at a place that presents itself as a high-end destination. I sincerely hope the rest of our stay is a much better experience, because this was a very poor first impression. read more

Spent a couple dsys at resort. Hotel was clean rooms very nice. The only issue i found was the staff need training customer service. From check in to restaurant staff to beach staff. All seemed inexperienced. I witnessed a older patron pushing own luggage rack back to lobby she asked the concierge where it should be placed the concierge pointed outside where. She should've got up and placed it in the correct spot. It was just an example of poor customer service. Hopefully leadership team can work on training them. This could be an exceptional place staff make all the difference. read more

This place was stunning. Now, the caveat was that you most certainly paid for it. The price was wildly high, but I felt like the quality was really high as well. The forced valet was my only other real negative of this place. For a price this high, forcing us to use/tip valet every single time you go anywhere seemed problematic, when you need to drive to go just about anywhere in this area. It also really slowed down the in/out at busy times as well. Besides this, the resort was lovely. Stunning pool - though not always the easiest to get a seat near it. Great beach. Great cocktails and food. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. Staff was really kind and welcoming and communicated well leading up to the stay and throughout. Highly recommend! read more

This was a quick overnight escape - for a little beach, relaxation and a short drive to Maison Blanche restaurant. We were greeted warmly and enthusiastically by the valet and proceeded to check-in. The lobby was clean, bright and inviting with views out to the pool and Gulf. As we were earlier than check-in time we expected to hit the pool bar and grab some lunch - which we did - but not until we were surprised with an available room - an oceanfront upgrade at no charge! It pays to visit in off-season before the snowbirds arrive :) And what a beautiful room and view! A large balcony accommodates two chairs with a clear glass partition all that separates you from the beach. Everything from the fridge to the bathroom was spotless, and the room bright and comfy. The bar wait staff were terrific and we enjoyed a drink and super good food. After a nice walk on the beach we plopped down in some chaises by the pool, read and enjoyed the views. They have outdoor shower, foot bath, corn hole and a huge chess set between the huge pool and beach. Chair service is available and food and drink are delivered from the bar restaurant. Top notch all around. Cannot wait to come back for a longer stay! read more

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Not luxury and not tranquil. The Good: Location on the Gulf of Mexico, friendly staff, good housekeeping, comfortable beds, decent bathrooms. The Meh: It's not a resort, but a beach hotel. No resort features at all, except for the fee, lol; restaurant expensive and super slow service, food average; beach chairs not great. The Bad: Pool super warm (they pump in hot water with a 90 degree air temperature); overrun by families with many, many young children. No supervision or management. Boogie-boards, large floats, balls - impossible to relax in the pool or on the pool deck. Far from luxurious - noisy until evening; families without wrist bands, i.e., non-guests everywhere. Resort fee does not include beach umbrellas, valet parking only. Overall, not at all as advertised. read more

Our stay at Zota was fabulous, thanks to Sonia and all the helpful personnel at the front desk! I wasn't sure about the room I booked, and they allowed me to view my room and then switch to a different one that I would like better. She even worked her magic on getting us and our friends a late checkout on the day of our departure, so we kind of had a bonus day at the beach! The beach front rooms are roomy and clean, and the balconies are fairly private so you can drink your coffee in the morning in your jammies. The food at the beach bar was yummy, but the drinks were pretty pricey, even for a resort. Collin, JD, and Tyrell were incredibly friendly and helpful with chairs and umbrellas out on the beautiful white sand beach. The huge hot tub is fresh and clean, but the huge main pool badly needs a plaster update. The valet parking guys always had our car ready in a timely way. The resort itself is in a fabulous location, with magnificent sunset views, and has a very laid back, relaxing vibe. Highly recommend! read more

Front desk associate where above helpful in all ways. Nothing was to much for them to do. I have traveled all over the country and never had so kind and thoughtful associates, everyone deserves a that a boy from MrRoy who was a wonderful man! The fellows who took care of are cars, where very kind, nice, I asked them to put a wheel cover on the steering wheel so I wouldn't get a very hot wheel! Nothing was ever wrong! I also have to say the guys on the beach were very polite and kind, my husband fell I couldn't pick him up before I had to ask they were in front of me. ! What a blessing they were. The people I talked about were A+ on everything and deserve a good job from management! Good staff I wasn't pleased at all, if I returned I would go outside to eat which they couldn't put a candle to any! Manger came to apologize, to late he should have been aware before! I Do Thank Everyone Who I Mentioned as Wonderful! Forgot housekeeping were very kind, didn't interact with them but everything was good! Thanks again Peg&John Boukalis read more

My family and I came here July 2020 for 2 nights. We booked through a third-party website (I think booking.com). It was very easy. There was a deal going on so one of the main reasons we came. (: BEAUTIFUL area with private beach access. Beach is amazing. Sand is silky soft. Sunsets were the best... You have to see them here. I've truly never seen such a spectacular sunset! My sister-in-law and I tried to order from the outside bar and were overlooked 3 times. Many other customers waiting behind/next to us were served. After 20 minutes of waiting, another customer who had been watching us perpetually getting overlooked flagged down a bartender/server to help us so we could order to-go. Overall, would definitely come back! read more

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Best resort! It is truly phenomenal. I love their attention to detail, and it was exceptionally clean. I will absolutely be coming back here again. Shout out to their Executive Chef, Brian Harmon who presented us with a special treat. All our meals were wonderfully prepared the menu well thought out and the Easter Brunch was lovely. If you aren't staying at this resort at least come for dinner because it won't disappoint. First class all the way! read more

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Wonderful stay, very clean, masks required on property, and masks available if you don't have one. Our king room with a beachfront sea view was perfect as it was also on the corner so we also had a nice pool view! My request for an easy check-in was fulfilled. There is a resort fee that includes complimentary valet, beach chairs, umbrella, and towels, among other things. Room service was very quick. They were not offering any daily cleaning, but if you needed something, you could always call and ask. The hotel is very pretty inside and modern. The grounds are kept up. The indoor and outdoor furniture looked new, clean, and trendy. The bed and pillows were comfortable. The shower was clean and the water pressure was enough to wash the sand from my hair. They also provided lots of little sanitizing wipes for your hands. The staff we encountered from check, to the pool bar, valet guys, and beach/pool attendants were all pleasant and friendly. I would come here again and recommend it to anyone wanting to experience Longboat Key or Siesta Key. Our first day we spent at the resort and hung out at the beach and pool. The water was warm, waves were calm, and the sand was soft and cool. The second day, we drove to Siesta Key Beach which was about a 30 minute scenic drive thru Sarasota. So, the location of the hotel was perfect. Also, there are many restaurants that deliver thru Uber Eats which is what we did on both nights since we are still uncomfortable with eating out at restaurants. read more

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Loved staying here at this hotel for my birthday weekend/Memorial Day weekend. We booked a premium ocean view room at the newer Opal building (built in 2017). The ocean view room has a view to the pool and the beach. If you want a full-blown oceanfront, you need to get a Ocean front room. Next door was construction but I didn't hear any noises. The service was wonderful. Dan the Concierge was amazing. He was so helpful. He even helped my husband plan a birthday surprise for me and he had a scented candle from the hotel as a gift for me. The service was great at breakfast and dinner. The pool was very nice with games for kids. There is a direct access to the beach. 2 beach chair are included in your hotel stay and you can rent an umbrella for $20. read more

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Excellent all round beach access ,great pool good Breakfast rooms great and beds comfortable A little overpriced 1 complaint Would like to have access to our car independent of door staff a little too much chaos and waiting read more

I arrived early and went to the pool bar to get lunch while I waited for my room. I am giving two stars for staff and service, zero for food. I ordered the turkey blt, which was lame, at best. The turkey was cold and unaltered (like not even folded, just a stack of slices right out of a pack) deli meat, two pieces of cold bacon, and the aioli wasn't even spread out just a blob in the middle. i had higher expectations for the food. The sweet potato fries were yummy but only slightly warm. The food also took way too long to come out. read more

Fast service for it being so busy. The drinks were good. Love the weather and scenery.

Zota Beach Resort 4711 Gulf of Mexico Dr, Longboat Key, FL 34228 If I could rate this below a 1 I would . We have come here yearly as locals for a staycation. This " resort" is a bare minimum 2 star hotel mine as well go to a nearby holiday inn. From the moment we arrived we could see the decline in cleanliness, dirty , not well maintained appearance . We specifically requested our room that shows on file where we have stayed years on repeat - ocean front and we were told yes it's on file you're all set for the same room as always , we were also told early check in and that the previous people already left so at 11 am that it would be soon. We went to the pool with our kids to wait and enjoy - we paid $500 for our room to be told we can't have WiFi code , had a reservation for 3 but only allowed one chair by the pool, and by 330 pm asking any updates on room now that we are exhausted from the sun and no shade or umbrellas the front managers was beyond rude and told me no updates it's our fault we were early . Mind you- spent money all day . The entire pool area is under construction so if you think your going to enjoy a quiet setting we sat out there for 4 hours listening to drills , metal saws and tree blowers non stop. If you have anyone coming to see you , be mindful - they will have to park 3 lots away , walk on the main road no side walk to get come see you - we offered to pay for valet which I thought what valet was - they denied them with plenty of spaces open . They have zero accommodations as a resort and truly have run this what use to be beautiful resort into the ground d. Finally hot our room- after confirming 3 times that we have ocean view not pool view we unloaded our cars , hot tired kids and ourselves into a room at 4 pm - not the room we requested , not ocean view and exactly what we said we did not want - pool view . Zero help from staff. We will find a new place to have our staycations as well as refer anyone to the area. read more

We stayed 4 nights and really enjoyed our stay. Zota had everything we hoped for and exceeded our expectations. Very friendly and accommodating staff made our stay wonderful. Beds are comfortable, room was newer and updated (we stayed in opal building (south) side away from construction with partial gulf view, clean, really great view northwest. We really enjoyed our large patio for watching sunsets and relaxing. Food was good, not exceptional and expensive like most resorts. The private beach access is lovely! The ocean water in April 2022 was cool and refreshing. Amenities were nice and as expected for this price (pool, hot tub, exercise facility with beach view, poolside dining, beach view restaurant, umbrellas, outdoor games). Close to dining snd shopping via rental car (5-10 min). Couples and families seemed to be enjoying themselves equally. Cons (and these were minor to us): umbrellas $20/day (but a $39 resort fee?), low water pressure in shower, overpriced drinks, uncomfortable beach chairs (pool chairs were great) , valet required parking. We will be back next time with our kids. We loved it overall. High quality experience! read more

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Came in October 2021, way less busy on the weekdays. Be careful about the premium/ocean view rooms right now because there is construction being done Nextdoor. The issue is they don't disclose this when booking. Some of the ocean view rooms are fine but a lot of them are facing the construction. You would be better off paying less with a pool facing room. Once construction is done it will be beautiful. I did address this with them and they made up for it. Other then that, beautiful resort, pool, and beach. Beach umbrella rental was $20 a day I believe. Chairs are included with your stay. They checked in often to make sure we were enjoying our stay. We were in the newly constructed building. It was very clean and modern. Parking is included in resort fee but it is valet only. I'd rather self park. read more

Our stay has been fantastic up until Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. There were people coming in th front door of the hotel who clearly were not staying at the hotel. One guy even walked in with fishing poles. So many people in the pool you can't even move and most don't have wrist bands to prove they're staying at the hotel. I complained at the front desk and doubt it did any good. The pool bar is flooded with people most who again do not have wrist bands. This is such BS! read more

OMG This resort is amazing. Checked in a few hours ago the grounds are so modern and clean. The staff so far has been very attentive too. They even txt me when we got in our room to make sure we had everything needed. We love coffee and almost never can find non dairy creamers in the room- but they have them. It's called the Opal Collection Condiment Kit . Thank you so much. And the robes are super fluffy. I feel like a queen. read more

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When you would write a good review, but the hotel adds arbitrary and unexpected $40 RESORT FEES so thats all you think about at checkin beside actually relaxing. Make it stop and maybe it should go to your employees. The resort fee lists business center. Its actually just a desk in the middle of the hall way with music playing and your laptop camera is pointed at guests walking by. read more

Zota Beach Resort - Resort fee $40 - Hotels Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

I love this hotel. It is a cute small boutique resort perfect for family vacation!! The restaurant is amazing and people is friendly. We will be back read more

This was a last-minute booking, and we couldn't have been more pleased with our choice! Large pool, easy beach access, lovely large room & bathroom, lots of amenities included in our resort fee, and wonderful attentive staff! Would definitely stay here again and would recommend to others. read more

We liked it but minor detail : room was dirty it took a 24 hrs to finally get someone to clean it . We were impressed with restaurant food. Let me clarify: FOOD. It was done amazing. We are breakfast and dinner there and definitely recommend. Pool and beach were clean and staff was friendly at the bar. We will come back and I'll update our review. read more

Zota Beach Resort - Welcome - Hotels Near Me - Longboat Key, Florida

The staff at zota are wonderful. The waitresses at breakfast were all fabulous! Very personal. The room was clean and well stocked with toiletries. We were disappointed when we first arrived and talked into renting a cabana since our room was not ready yet. The cabana was dirty and pretty pointless as it did not face the pool and was far from the beach. We basically paid to keep our luggage in it. The guys on the beach were friendly. However when we asked if we could have the lounge covers, we were told we needed to get them ourselves. We tipped everyday, but not really sure why. The chairs and umbrellas were already setup.", and we had to cover the lounge chairs ourselves. The valet was really annoying. Again, the guys were great. But we felt obligated to tip every time and our car was 10 yards away. It was required to valet too. All in all, we had a good trip. They were doing construction at the pool which was loud. read more