LONGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort along Florida’s Gulf Coast is suspending operations effective Sunday, including the Restaurant and its renowned Sunday Brunch Buffet and Italian Feast Dinner Buffet.
The resort’s closure was precipitated by the inability of the resort management to strike an agreement with condominium owners over the funding of renovations to the 40-year-old property, coupled with the downturn in travel sparked by the challenging economic climate.
“This is a very difficult decision that we have been forced to make,” says General Manager Katherine Klauber Moulton. “The failure by the unit owners to make improvements to the property has caused the resort to fall into a physical condition that was no longer that of a luxury destination resort, which has been a Colony standard for four decades. As a result, an organization that is rich with heritage and extraordinary potential is being forced to close. It is a loss to Longboat Key, the millions of guests who have made special memories during their visits, our employees, local businesses, the region’s economy, and the many local charitable organizations the resort has supported over the years. We are most concerned that this leaves our talented and loyal employees without a ‘home’ and their families without a critical source of income.”
The Colony grew from the vision of Murray “Murf” Klauber who in the late 1960s was a pioneer in the condo-hotel development model. The Klauber family hopes that condo owners will pursue “responsible and positive preservation of the property until a suitable plan for refurbishment can be established.” The family will continue to retain controlling rights to certain parts of the property, including several condominiums, all recreation facilities, the restaurant complex and most of the operations buildings.
“Though this is a painful period for us, I continue to be very hopeful that we will arrive with the unit owners at a positive resolution that will regenerate The Colony,” says Murf Klauber. “This has been my life’s work, and I am proud of what we have built and the millions of visitors we have welcomed to Longboat Key. I am committed to seeing that this gem on the magnificent shores of Longboat Key is preserved and revitalized, and I hope to watch The Colony move into a new and exciting era where countless more memories can be made.”