No U.S. resort has a higher tennis profile than the Colony. Its reputation for attracting avid players creates a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy: tennis players choose to vacation there because they believe other tennis players will be there. And the Colony justifies their choice with superb game matching, a diverse roster of adult and junior clinics (many of them free on selected packages), and such special events as the annual "Hackers Open".

Not surprisingly, then, the Colony has its hardy perennials: vacationers who come back time after time, convinced that there is no finer tennis haven anywhere on the planet. That loyalty has many sources, from the personable staff throughout the resort to the family ownership. It doesn't hurt, of course, that in addition to the 21 hard and clay courts the Colony also has a beachfront location on the Gulf of Mexico, acclaimed children's programs, a fitness center, spa services, and two restaurants and a gourmet deli. But in the lexicon of those who wield racquets, the Colony is a synonym for great tennis, and has been for more than 25 years.

Overview

Dr. M.J. "Murf" Klauber was a successful orthodontist when he bought what was then known as the Colony Beach Club in 1969, interested as much in the property itself as the assortment of bungalows and the few hard courts it contained. He replaced the bungalows with 235 condominiums and beachfront cottages and filled the leftover space with tennis courts. Spurred on by his own budding passion for tennis, he brought in then little known tennis professional Nick Bollettieri to run junior camps and the tennis operation, instituted a wealth of tennis programs, and made a sincere commitment to enhancing the tennis experience. In particular, he demonstrated his understanding of the avid player's needs by instituting a policy of free court time and attentive game matching.

Nick Bollettieri moved his tennis academy to nearby Bradenton, but an informal connection still exists. During special events or on holidays, Nick sometimes shows up with some of his gifted students to give an exhibition and have them play in a pro-am. Occasionally, touring pros who've come to Florida to train at Bollettieri's stay at the Colony, as Bjorn Borg did when set out to make a comeback after a long absence from the tour. (Borg stayed in a suite that overlooked the courts, often sitting on his balcony watching the adult clinics.) Robert Seguso and Carling Bassett-Seguso are frequent visitors—but then they're family: Carling's mother is married to Murf.

Now their daughter Katie Klauber Moulton has taken over as president and chief operating officer of the resort. Like her father she pays special attention to the day-in/day-out tennis operations that most distinguish the Colony from its rivals. Free court time and attentive game-matching services remain hallmarks of the Colony operation. And like court time, many crucial amenities come at no extra charge, including the children's programs, beach chairs, the fitness center, or use of the Jacuzzis, steam rooms, and saunas of the health spa (massages, alas, do cost extra).

Though expensive, especially during high season, the Colony consistently gives value for dollar. Beyond what it includes in the basic price, the resort has an inn's friendliness and commitment to hospitality. You can't vacation there without bumping into Murf, Katie, or her husband Michael Moulton, all of whom have a hand in running the resort. Their presence, like the resort's tennis mystique, is one of the Colony's impalpable assets.

Tennis Features

Pro Shop: 941-383-6464

The Colony was not the first to use a tennis host or hostess—such figures have long been staples of private clubs and old-line tennis resorts—but it has made matching players a centerpiece of its tennis table. Most resorts insist on a day's notice; the Colony asks for only four hours, and if it can't find someone among the current roster of guests it turns to a select coterie of designated hitters who live in the community. It's a matter of pride to assure that those who need a game find one, and it employs two full-time people to arrange matches and reserve courts.

Beyond that crucial service, the Colony offers the usual private and semi-private lessons, a menu of clinics for both adults and juniors, and social tennis happy hours. Just exactly what will be in the schedule varies with the season . Activity reaches a zenith during Christmas week and the period from February through April. A typical week then may also include round robins, exhibitions, and challenge the pro events. Even at the Colony the tennis energy waxes and wanes with the seasons, so if nonstop tennis action is what you crave, plan to vacation during those busy periods or during the Hacker's Open or at the very least ask what specific tennis programs will be going on during the week you're thinking of visiting.

Tennis Staff. Sammy Aviles has recently returned to the Colony. Noted for his junior development prowess, Aviles now oversees all the programming. As soon as I have more detail about what he has planned, I'll post it here.
Tennis Programs. Besides private and semi-private lessons, the Colony runs half a dozen or so daily clinics geared to different levels of adult and junior players. Each lasts one to two hours and provide yet another means of meeting other tennis players. What you won't find in the Colony syllabus is a full-fledged tennis camp, although they will put one together on a custom basis if you want to organize your own group.
Courts & Fees. The Colony has 21 courts altogether, which comes out to more than one per acre. Of those, 11 are hard and 10 are clay, the latter engineered to be watered from below. Two of the clay courts have lights. A peculiarity of the complex, however, is that 13 of the courts—including the showcase Number 1 court —run north-south as is customary, while the remaining eight run east- west. The latter layout makes the sun a distinct factor on one side, especially during the winter, when it's low in the sky. There are no court fees.
Caveat: Over Christmas Week, President's Week, and during March and April it is not unusual for every one of the Colony's pros to be booked out for private lessons. You can call seven days before your scheduled arrival to schedule private lessons and should during those periods to avoid disappointment, although even if all the pros' private lesson times have been booked, you'll still have the Colony's group clinics as backup.

Your Call

Here's what others have had to say about Colony Beach & Tennis Resort.

• "Instruction is good but not great. Accommodations however, need to be updated. Condos are shabby and in disrepair. I brought 18 people down last winter, and had major problems at checkout. People manning the counter refused to recognize the agreed upon price for the weekend and sales manager was nowhere to be found."—S.B., Adv. Int., October 2008

• "This was our 4th visit over spring break with our kids. We all play tennis and enjoy the clinics offered. While we've come to know and favor a few of the pros, the majority are very good and those who are open to suggestion, will improve their game. Private lessons are outstanding, but hard to come by during busy weeks. The accommodations need serious immediate attention, and have for all four years we've visited, however rates are inline with the lack of luxury. All staff we encountered were very helpful and pleasant. The "spa" is lame. There is a fantastic alternative off site, nearby- go there.
  The beach is clean, has white sand, plenty of chairs, but towels in the afternoon are often unavailable. Wait staff for drink service on the beach is missing! Having golf privlages somewhere nearby on longboat would be a wonderful addition.
  In summary, the location is great,tennis is fun, but the amenities need a make over."—E.E., Adv. Int., April 2008

• "We just returned from 11 days at the Colony and we had our usual great time. This was the fifth year in a row we have gone to the Colony over Spring Break and we would never go anywhere else. The primary reason we go is so our daughters, who are serious USTA tournament players, can work with Sammy Aviles, who is an amazing coach and who has worked with some of the country's top juniors. He is an amazing tennis pro and our daughters love working with him. I enjoy playing as well and find the game matching to be great.
  We also love the beach which is clean and beautiful. Last but not least, the staff is very friendly and helpful. The only negative is that the accomodations are a little run down as many have mentioned. But the place has a certain charm that is not easy to find."—L.S., Int., April 2008

• ""—J.D., Adv. Int., April 2008

• "If you're looking for great tennis instruction, clinics and games, this is the place. This beach-front resort has an idyllic location on the Gulf of Mexico. The guest suites need updating, but this is more than outweighed by the great tennis, beach and kids programs."—A.T., Adv., April 2008

• "The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort provides numerous opportunities for all family members to "get into the game". Guests are offered everything from private lessons to clinics/drills - for all-level play and a wide variety of times. Staff will also match a guest up with a like-level player at any time. Want to challenge the pro?, staff can make that happen too! It helps to schedule court time or lessons the day before during season. The Colony staff goes to many lengths to make guests feel like family."—M.A., Adv., March 2008

• "As an avid adult male tennis player aged 58, I went to the Colony twice in March 2008 and had terrific experiences both times. On my first trip, I went with my adult tennis partners who have visited tennis resorts worldwide. The Colony courts were rated the best soft courts worldwide. We are committed to return next year. On my second trip with my family, the friendly staff accommodated all of my requests for playing partners, local dinner reservations, and even an in-room DVD player."—P.K., Adv., March 2008

• "This was our third and probably last visit to the Colony. Aside from the natural beauty of the Gulf of Mexico, there is very little else to praise. The facilities suffer from years of deferred maintenance. The list of problems is long, but the most disturbing to our family was the presence of a mold in the bathtub/shower.
  The fitness center is little more than a shack. On our visit after a rain, the water was still dripping into stategically placed buckets hours afterwards. The ceiling was bowed and looked like it might collapse at any time. "—E.J., Adv. Int., March 2008

• "Excellent location with endless tennis courts for practice and clinics. Staff was very helpful and accommodating. Facilities are nice and the restaurants very good."—C.F., Adv. Int., March 2008

• "We were very disappointed in our trip to the Colony. The accomodations are horribly run down and it appears that landscaping, maintenance, and decorating have been ignored for many years. Game matching was good for doubles, but I was totally frustrated as a singles player to get only two matches in a week.
  Pros were not available for lessons. Clinics, which were never focused on specific skills and mostly comprised of sets of general dull drills, were often full. The kids' clinics usually had ten or more kids on a court at a time, so our kids got totally bored waiting for their chance to hit the ball.
  Although it was the week after Christmas, we did pay a premium to visit at that time and expected better service. The bright spot of our stay was the kids' program, which our kids loved, although it was managed by a bored-looking man whose mother is on the housekeeping staff. The special events were fun for the kids. With a great setting on a beautiful beach in a vibant area, the Colony could be much better. At least the price reflects the general seediness of the facility."—K.L., Int., February 2008

• "The ultimate Beach and Tennis Resort that can accommodate all players' and non-players' vacation needs!"—R.C., Adv., January 2008

• "We've been going to the Colony for the past few years for the combination of beach, har-tru, & children's programming. The "adequate" accommodations have always been in need of update, but it's been particularly dissapointing to see the decline in the quality of the tennis programming.
  On our recent visit, game-matching was lacking and the two adult drills that I attended were uninspiring and very slow-paced. Also, the hard courts are in poor condition and in need of resurfacing. The children's programming has also declined somewhat, but is still better than most with constructive/active programming for the kids.
  The Colony is expensive for both lodging and food. For us, the value received for this high cost has declined significantly."—F.Z., Adv., January 2008

Other Recreation

There is more to the Colony than tennis.

Beach. Twelve miles of white sand line the Gulf of Mexico side of Longboat Key. The Colony lies a little south of the midway point. The resort provides complimentary lounges and shade huts and there's a swimming pool and beach bar overlooking the beach. Other beachside amenities include a sand volleyball court and children's playground and jungle gym.
Watersports. A beachfront watersports center rents small sailboats (Hobie cats and Sunfish), windsurfers, aqua cycles, rafts, boogie boards, ocean kayaks, and snorkeling equipment. It also runs sailing courses.
Biking & Jogging Trails. You can jog along the beach or on 12 miles of bike paths on Longboat Key (the Watersports center has bicycles for rent).
Fitness Center. Located in its own small building near the entrance, the professionally staffed fitness center contains a high-quality selection of cardiovascular equipment—including treadmills, Life Cycles, rowing machines, and Stairmasters—plus line of Body Master stations, Universal free weights, and a Gravitron. There are aerobics and fitness classes in a mirrored room and the option of booking a personal trainer.
Spa. Recently expanded, the Health Spa offers a menu of services including Swedish and neuromuscular therapy massages, shiatsu, reflexology, lymphatic drainage, facials, salt scrubs, and mud, hydro, and herbal wraps.
Golf. Too small to have a golf course, the Colony nonetheless has privileges at six local golf courses and offers golf packages that include transportation to and from those courses.

Children's Programs

The Colony has year-round, supervised children's programs, both offered on a complimentary basis. The program is divided in two by the ages of the children: Kinder Kamp for those ages 3 to 6 and Kidding Around for those 7 through 12. These run 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and some evenings. Babysitting service can also be arranged (at extra cost). Among the activities for kids are tennis programs, kids fitness and aerobics, beach games, nature walks, and more. At certain times of the year there are also special programs that parents and their kids can participate in together.

Lodging

Accommodations at the Colony consist of 208 1- and 2-bedroom villas and 25 specialty suites that include duplex penthouses and cottages on the beach. The villas, all fully air conditioned, occupy 15 or so two- and three-story structures dispersed around the 18-acre property. All have fully equipped kitchens, living areas with Murphy beds and televisions, dining areas, balconies or porches, and a marble bath with a jetted tub. Renovations completed in 1997 introduced three design schemes—tropical floral, cabana stripe, and provincial—chosen to make the rooms lighter and airier, something they needed. Still, these are not as fancy as the hefty winter rates lead you to expect, and that leads some guests to question whether the Colony is truly worth its premium prices.

Restaurants

The Colony is that rare resort whose cuisine consistently ranks highly not only with resort guests— who are after all a somewhat captive audience—but with locals as well. That can be traced directly to the award-winning contemporary Continental cuisine (think herb-crusted grouper, crispy Long Island duckling, grilled veal chop) served in the Colony Dining Room, which overlooks the Gulf. There are also two more casual options: the Monkey Room, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the outdoor Monkey Bar, which serves sandwiches and salads (weather permitting). All three have children's menus.

Also on the property is Tastebuds, a small grocery market and deli, which carries sandwiches, pizza, specialty items, and wine, beer, and liquor to take back to your villa.

See Also

For comparison's sake, look at these multidimensional resorts, whose large size and varied recreation makes them very different from the Colony's intimacy:

• Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
• Sea Pines Resort, South Carolina

If you're looking for other havens for active players, notable for their strong game matching, look at:

• La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, California
• Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, California
• TOPS'L Beach & Tennis Resort, Florida

Travel Essentials

Seasons. Year-round, but busiest over Christmas week and from February to April.

Colony Beach & Tennis Resort
1620 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Longboat Key, FL 34228-3499
941-383-6464
Toll-free: 800-282-1138
Fax: 941-383-7549
Web Link: Colony Beach & Tennis Resort

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Travel Instructions. The nearest airport is Sarasota Bradenton International (SRQ), which is 9 miles away and accessible on several national and commuter airlines as well as Canadian Airlines. The alternative is to fly into Tampa International, 72 miles to the north. Rental cars and shuttles are available at both airports.

General Tourist Information. Visit the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau web site or contact them at 655 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236; (941) 957-1877 or (800) 522-9799, or the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau web site or contact them at P.O. Box 1000, Bradenton, FL 34206-1000; phone (941) 729-9177.

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