By Scoop Malinowski
The Colony is long gone now for about a fifteen years – on the land now sits a new resort called the St. Regis, a five star quality super luxury site. The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort used to attract many prominent figures, including US presidents and Nick Bollettieri actually started his academy on the famous Colony tennis courts.
Here are some Colony memories…
Bunner Smith: I went to work with Nick Bollettieri at The Colony and celebrities were all over the place … Bud Collins held the ” Hackers Open” at the Colony and so many celebrities came … Tom Selleck used to run down the beach and the older ladies would wait for him in the am to run past … The Beach Boys band stayed there … It was the go to place in Sarasota for many years.
Joan McCarthy: I took tennis lessons there from Jim Shepherd who used to play on the pro circuit and was Rod Laver’s friend/doubles partner. So one of my friend’s mom worked there and we would swim in the pool. One day Eddie Albert (from the TV show “Green Acres”) was eating with a group at a big round table. I was probably nine years old and in my soaking wet bathing suit walked into the restaurant and walked over to him and asked him for his autograph. He was the nicest man on the planet. He didn’t care that I was in my bathing suit and sat me right up on his lap and chatted away and signed autographs for me and for all my friends. He was such a genuinely nice man. Also there was a movie called “Spring Fever” also known as “Sneakers” that was filmed on the beach in front of Colony Beach in the 80s. Some of my friends and I were extras in that movie. I think that was Susan Anton and Carling Bassett.
Bobby Banan: The Colony Beach Resort owned by Herb Fields was my “home away from home” in the 60s and early 70s. My husband was the pianist there from 1963-1974. Several nights a week local folks like Mackinley Kantor, John D. MacDonald, artist Thornton Utz sat at the piano bar listening to the music of Jack Banan. The Colony Beach Resort was the place to be for great music, food and dancing.
Justin Rocco: I used to work at the Longboat Key Publix when it was on the Key. I picked up a date at work – it was a guest at The olony and her dad was in charge of the hiring for all pilots in North America for Delta Airlines. They’re little free rental kayaks on the private strip of beach for their attendants I used to secretly take them out and go kayaking at sunset and slap the side of the kayak and the dolphins would swim alongside me. Such great memories.
Dale Belles: Willie Nelson was a frequent guest at The Colony back in the late 70’s. I lived next door. What great times.
Eney Jones: I taught Bud Collins in a fitness class and swam with him and went for a run with Tom Selleck. Wonderful people.
Frances Lutz: My husband Dave worked in the kitchen in the late 70’s early 80’s. He catered Chris Evert’s 18th birthday, and served the Prime Minster from the islands, plus others.
Michael Salvatore: Vice President Al Gore stayed there and his motorcade made me late to work, I gave him the bird when he looked in my direction [smiles].
Teresa Robson: I was a cocktail waitress there late 70s… author John D. MacDonald, Tom T. Hall, Robert Conrad…..Burt Reynolds and Sally Field had penthouse there, but were rarely seen out and about. I also met quite a few celebrities/families when I was a nurse at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
Joe Rizzo: I worked at the Colony 1976-1979 for Nick Bollettieri. Played tennis with Dan Rowan, Lloyd Bridges, O.J. Simpson. Dr. Klauber was a visionary. Longboat Key was fortunate he relocated here from Buffalo.
Stuart Morton: Willy Brandt, Chancellor of Germany, Eddie Van Halen and his wife Valerie Bertinelli, Ray Davies of the Kinks, Vanna White, Lauren Hutton. I cooked for them all.
Debi Barnett: My father in law was the massage therapist for The Colony and one of his clients was Susan Anton. She was so impressed she thanked him with a beautiful gold watch.
Ray Collins: I was invited to play in a celebrity tournament 20 years ago and wound up with a lot of big names from from a previous era… Virginia Wade, Fred Stolle, Johan Kriek, Hana Mandlikova, etc. In the first round I was paired with someone named Tom James who said he worked at Raymond James. I said which branch? He repeated his name and I realized he was the James at Raymond James.
Kathy Synder Guerke: I worked there in 1981-1983 as a tennis pro/tennis hostess when Bolletieri left and Don Leary took over. it was quite and a lot of fun! Played tennis with Bud Collins, also played tennis with Bill Madlock, a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball player, taught tennis to an actor who was in the movie with Carling Bassett, Steve Shelton.
Ken Litt: Years ago, back in the 1970’s, we’d go there for dinner sometimes and I remember they had a buffet. My grandparents stayed there once but I never did. Also, as a historical side note, George W. Bush stayed there the night of September 10th, 2001 and was there the morning of 9-11.
Nancy Zukuski: My most outstanding memory at The Colony was when a very large hammerhead swam between me and my husband in about chest high water. He never went back in the water after that but I still swim as often as possible. Sharks generally don’t bother people—except maybe in New Smyrna Beach.
Jim Roemer: I came here on vacation in 2007, stayed at The Colony, met Nina downtown at Payne Park and never left.
My feature about the last days of The Colony link
Bud Collins · Burt Reynolds · George Bush · Longboat Key · Nick Bollettieri · OJ Simpson · The Colony
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