Holiday Inn Sarasota - Lido Beach
Situated on a barrier island, off the coast of Sarasota, The Holiday Inn Lido Beach is just steps from the powder white sand of Lido Beach and only two blocks from over 140 upscale restaurants, shops and galleries on...more
The resort features 266 guest rooms including 31 suites and 31 Ritz-Carlton Club Level rooms. Guest rooms and suites feature private balconies overlooking the bay, marina or city skyline and are the epitome of luxury with...more
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Welcome to Sarasota, FL! Sarasota Beachfront Hotels offers the best rates on hotels near Sarasota Beach. All of our hotels have been inspected and rated by AAA and the Mobile Travel Guide, the authorities in hotel inspection. Book securely online for great rates on hotels near Sarasota Beachfront!
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Hyatt Regency Sarasota
1000 Boulevard of the Arts,
Sarasota, FL 34236 US
Holiday Inn Sarasota-lido Beach
233 Ben Franklin Drive,
Sarasota, FL 34236 US
Ritz Carlton Sarasota
1111 Ritz Carlton Drive,
Sarasota, FL 34236 US
Lido Beach Resort
700 Benjamin Franklin Drive,
Sarasota, FL 34236 US
Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel
1540 Ben Franklin Drive,
Sarasota, FL 34236 US
Longboat Key Club and Resort
301 Gulf of Mexico Drive,
Longboat Key, FL 34228 US
Siesta Beach Resorts And Suites
5311 Ocean Boulevard
Sarasota, FL 34324 US
Hilton Longboat Key Beachfront Resort
4711 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Longboat Key, FL 34228-2103 US
The Beach On Longboat Key
3465 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Longboat Key, FL 34228 US
About Sarasota
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- Attractions near Sarasota
- Check out the dozens of attractions near Sarasota!
- Getting to Sarasota
- Information on essential stuff including transportation.
- Shopping
- A guide to local shopping.
- Special events
- What's going on nearby.
It may not be a big-name Florida city like Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg or Orlando, but Sarasota, on Florida's southwest coast, is the place to go for all the conveniences of a big city in a small package.
Located about 40 miles south of the Tampa Bay area, Sarasota has a variety of attractions and events that attract the arts-minded tourist who's interested in more than just riding some gussied-up roller coasters.
Sarasota is known as the "Circus Town." The city was once the winter quarters of the "Greatest Show on Earth," hence, the moniker. The work and contributions of John Ringling, of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, have made the city a cultural capital. John and his wife Mable built a mansion on Sarasota Bay and set out to collect art by Peter Paul Reubens and other Flemish and Italian masters of the 17th century. That collection today is called the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Ringling's name is also immortalized as an avenue in downtown Sarasota.
Downtown Sarasota is in the midst of a building boom, with condos, office buildings and shopping either in place, under construction or planned. In addition, urban renewal projects are working to make a better life for the city's less-fortunate citizens. As befits a cultural capital, it's the small galleries by artists in various media that make the arts scene vibrant. Galleries are scattered throughout the city and surrounding area, and even amateur artists take their crafts seriously.
Other Sarasota attractions include the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, the Pelican Man Sanctuary, Selby Gardens and Jungle Gardens. Arts and cultural events are presented at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Asolo Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre and Sarasota Opera House.
The city hosts an annual book fair and film festival, too.
To the east, Myakka River State Park offers one of Florida's largest and most diverse natural areas. It was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934 and some of the original buildings are still in use. It offers a scenic drive, dirt roads, hiking trails and more.
When you've had enough exploring in Sarasota, it's time to hit the beaches. Sarasota features 35 miles of sand and several beautiful keys on the Gulf of Mexico that are well-known to sun-and-fun lovers, including St. Armands Key, Longboat Key, Lido Key, Bird Key, Siesta Key (considered by some to have the whitest and finest sand in the world), Casey Key, Venice Beach, Anna Maria Island and Bradenton Beach.
Sarasota's weather is mild, especially compared to some other places in the winter. Sarasota is well-connected to the northern parts of West and Central Florida by Interstate 75 and Interstate 275. Traveling south, Interstate 75 offers a reasonably fast ride, but U.S. 41 (the legendary Tamiami Trail of years gone by) is presently used only for local travel due to road construction, congestion and its many traffic lights.
State Road 70 provides access to the eastern part of the state. The road is a two-lane divided highway across Florida, and there are several areas now under construction, which can cause delays. Some who visit Sarasota fly to Tampa International Airport and then drive south, but Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport has service from Delta Air Lines, mainly to and from Atlanta for connections; ATA Airlines, which is establishing a code-sharing arrangement with Southwest for flights to Chicago-Midway; and AirTran Airways, which offers direct service to and from Baltimore, Chicago-Midway and Atlanta, and has connections to other cities.