Recently renovated guestrooms at Lido Beach Resort feature kitchens, balconies, and a soothing blue color scheme with nods to the oceanfront location. The resort’s 6,400 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space includes a 3,000-square-foot ballroom that accommodates up to 350 people theater style, and six breakout rooms.

Fresh, vibrant ingredients and chef-driven menus are hallmarks of the food at Sarasota restaurants. Seen here: caramelized diver scallops with parsnip potato puree and orange fennel reduction from the Lido Beach Grille.

A sunset view of the adult pool at Lido Beach Resort, one of two heated beachfront pools and a beautiful spot for an outdoor reception.

One of Sarasota’s top attractions, the Ringling campus encompasses several museums, including the famed Circus Museum; a restored 18th century theater originally brought to Sarasota in the early 1950s; a 56-room mansion; and 66 acres of bay-front gardens. It’s delightful to stroll the outdoor grounds, shown here, and both indoor and indoor spaces can be reserved for group events.

John Ringling and his wife Mable spared no expense when building their Roaring Twenties dream home Ca’d’Zan, one of the highlights on the Ringling campus. The highly embellished mansion, straight out of the Great Gatsby playbook, is available for private group tours.

Kayak excursions of Sarasota Bay on South Lido Key are popular half-day activities for groups. Our guide stayed on the lookout for manatees and dolphins, and led us into the shallow, protected mangrove tunnels that sustain the coastal ecosystem.

The zen guest room amenity was a perfect fit for the 410-acre Resort at Longboat Key Club, especially the cell phone “sleeping bag.” The resort has 12,000-square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, plus gorgeous lawns and private beachfront for elegant receptions and tented banquets.

The picture-postcard white sand beach and turquoise gulf coast waters at the Resort at Longboat Key Club, located on an exclusive barrier island with miles of private beachfront.

Two on-site championship golf courses offer 45 holes of scenic and challenging play at the Resort at Longboat Key Club.

There are 20 Har-Tru courts at the Resort at Longboat Key Club’s award-winning tennis facility. Photo: The Resort at Longboat Key Club.

Nothing beats watching a spectacular sunset and tucking in to an elegant dinner on the beach; a favorite group function at The Resort at Longboat Key.