NE Tennis Holidays
#1 U.S. tennis camp; VT/FL/NH Cape Cod;Fine dining/lodging
netennisholidays.com
TOPS'L Resort
Top 10 U.S. Tennis Resort Tennis pkgs: 888-248-4964
www.topsl.com
Here's what others have had to say about Colony Beach & Tennis Resort.
"I took a group of 20 there in January 2008. Instruction was good but not phenomenal. Courts and resort are beautiful, but condo are in a sad state of disrepair...Rusted stoves, inadequate AC, old shag carpeting and electric outlets that kept tripping the breaker switch! Also, had a major problem at check out when the weekend staff attempted to impose a surcharge on every member of my party despite my protests. Finally straightened it out but didn't get much more of an "oops; sorry" from the group trip coodinator."—S.B., Int., February 2010
"Strengths: Beautiful location, wonderful tennis instruction, both hard and soft courts, wonderful deli and restaurant-bar on location.
Weaknesses: none"—P.J., Adv. Int., January 2010
"I don't have any strenghts for this place. It was crap."—C.F., Adv. Int., January 2010
"The accommodations were gross and unkempt. During our entire stay, there was a pair of dirty, old socks under the stairs that no one bothered to clean up. The exterior of all the buildings looked old, dated and worn. All around the courts there was piled up junk, including a cement roller, a ladder, and other misc. equipment.
Although The Colony resort was rated number 1 for 8 years by 'Tennis Magazine,' I believe the tennis was mediocre at best. Most instructors were very unenthusiastic and couldn't even feed 2 balls at once. The drills and coaching were dated and the courts were in disarray. Additionally, there was no shade or seats for the clay courts #4, #5 & 6 and for the others across the street. The round robin didn't happen on any of the 5 days I was there, even though I was specifically told it normally has "12 to 20 people in attendance" daily.
The "spa" (eeeewww) was more an old gym locker room. My friends and I wouldn't dare use the services. It looked more like the place that Flo from that show “Alice” might get her hair done. Nasty!
The looped video that the resort plays on the TVs in the rooms pretty much sums up this "resort". It's literally from the 80's with Bud Collins' and the host. It showcase the resort and talks about the great, I kid you not, jazzercise classes (picture circa 1982 Jan Fonda).
In addition to all of this, The Colony is in currently in litigation between the resort management and the condo owners. It closed in September '09 and was slated to reopen in December '09. If and when it opens, I beg you, do not go. This place is terrible! I should have stayed home!"—C.D., Adv., January 2010
"I tried the Colony for one day December 28, 2009. The tennis program seems moribund. It appears to have suffered from the ongoing unresolved dispute between the Resort's property owners and managers. Only two tennis pros were available, and my adult clinic included only one other participant. The cost of the clinic exceeded the amount I had been quoted before visiting. I would recommend staying away until the combatants resolve their disputes, allowing normal operations to resume."—M.G., Int., January 2010
"STRENGTHS: Lots of clinics, lots of pro's that work on your game but do not go to re-engineer your game. Plus the beach location.
WEAKNESS: Rooms are nice and spacious (kitchens are nice features), but they are getting way dated."—J.H., Adv. Int., July 2009
""—K.A., Adv. Int., April 2009
"We have visited the colony several times over the past 5 years, most recently over Spring Break after they started a 50% off internet offer. The Colony resort has a very unique combination of har-tru courts at the beach with a kid's program.
Unfortunately, the resort's overall value has declined over the years due to lack of investment(the condos are way overdue for updates; the hardcourts are in bad shape)and somewhat diminished services (i.e. the kids program is now only half-day). Locals will tell you the resort is in a legal disagreement with the homeowners association. We hope the problems get solved, because it would be very sad to see this replaced by a high-rise development. If you go, call first to confirm any amenities that you really are counting on."—F.Z., Adv., April 2009
Rate Colony Beach & Tennis Resort
After closing in late September, the Colony now plans to reopen prior to the year-end holidays. As I learn more, I'll post it here.
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, and a diverse roster of adult and junior clinics (many of them free on selected packages).
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 11 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.
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.
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 ask what specific tennis programs will be going on during the week you're thinking of visiting.
Tennis Staff. Sais Maharaj and Claudiu Retean co-direct the program. Maharaj comes from a family of avid tennis players in Trinidad, a passion that took him to the No. 1 ranking among juniors in Trinidad and Tobago and then to the Carson-Newman College tennis team and a stint on the pro tour. He has 30 years of teaching experience. Retean was nationally ranked in his native Romania and has nine years of experience teaching and coaching.
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 11 courts altogether. Of those, 10
are clay, engineered to be watered from below, and one
hard. Two of the clay courts have lights. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For comparison's sake, look at these multidimensional resorts, whose large size and varied recreation makes them very different from the Colony's intimacy:
If you're looking for other havens for active players, notable for their strong game matching, look at:
Rates vary seasonally and by location. In general they are highest over the year-end holidays and from February to mid-April, lowest during the summer, and somewhere in between during the rest of the year. Choices range from a one- or two-bedroom condo (which they call a suite) to a beachfront cottage or expansive "Specialty" suite.
Seasons. Year-round, but busiest over Christmas week and from February to April.
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.