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Sarasota, Florida
| Frequently Asked Questions
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| We really like this town and its four barrier islands: | Can I make the Sarasota reservation by phone? We |
| Longboat, St. Armands, and Siesta Keys, and Lido | would be happy to help you make any Sarasota |
| Beach. In 1927, John Ringling chose Sarasota to be | hotel reservation by phone. You can call our toll free |
| the winter quarters for his circus. Today you can visit | number between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| the Ringling Center for the Cultural Arts, a 66-acre | Monday through Friday (CST). 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| estate that includes three museums: the John and | Saturday and Sunday. |
| Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the Circus Museum, | |
| and the former Ringling mansion, the Ca d'Zan. The | How can I be sure information about my credit card is |
| complex also includes a small 18th century theater | secure? We use secure-socket-layer (SSL) |
| from Asola, Italy, a rose garden and beautifully | encryption, the standard encryption on the Internet. |
| landscaped grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay. | This type of encryption allows you to feel confident |
| Skeptics who wonder about the quality of the circus | and secure about supplying personal and credit |
| impresario's art collection will be startled; it's a | card information. |
| tasteful collection of primarily Renaissance and | |
| Baroque art, with an especially fine selection of | How will I know when my reservation is confirmed? |
| works by Rubens,Van Dyke, and Poussin. There's | Our confirmation number displayed immediately |
| not a sad-clown painting to be found. Affiliated with | upon successfully making your reservation. Our |
| Florida State University, it's the state art museum of | systems work behind the scenes to email you the |
| Florida. | final confirmation number. |
| | |
| The circus collection is wonderful, especially the | Are free shuttles supplied from the airport to the |
| restored circus wagons, the air cannon used by the | hotel? Some hotels do offer free shuttle services |
| first Human Cannonball and the meticulously | from the airport but not all. Please verify this |
| detailed miniature circus. A new section oriented to | information on the property information page, if this is |
| children is scheduled to open soon. Ca d'Zan, the | import to you. |
| recently restored 32-room Ringling mansion, houses | |
| an impressive collection of fine arts as well as Mable | Is there a minimum age requirements to reserve a |
| Ringling's decorative arts collection. | room? A minimum age of 18 is required by most |
| | hotels to book a room. Some require the guest(s) be |
| The Asolo Theater is closed for renovation, but a | 21. These requirements and other amenities |
| nearby performing arts center across Bayshore | information on the property "Detail" pages. |
| Drive from the Ringling complex hosts a variety of | |
| theatrical and musical productions in the 161-seat | Is free breakfast available? Some hotels offer free |
| Cook Theater and the 500-seat Mertz Theater from | breakfast with each room night booked. This |
| Dunfermline, Scotland. | information can be found on the property information |
| | "detail" page for your specific property. |
| Sarasota is known for its celebration of film. The | |
| Sarasota Film Festival is held each year in January, | Can I book the reservation to stay tonight? Some |
| and the city regularly hosts international films during | hotels accept reservations until 3:00pm on the arrival |
| the Cine-World Film Festival in November. | day. Only hotels that follow this policy will show when |
| | the today's arrival date is typed into the search form. |
| While you're in Sarasota, you might also investigate | |
| the Sarasota Jungle Gardens, 10 acres/4 hectares of | What do I do with questions concerning previous |
| unusual plants, flowering shrubs and palms, as well | reservation? Please fill out our "Customer Support |
| as animals and waterfowl. The Marie Selby | and Feedback" request form. Include your previous |
| Botanical Gardens are the only ones in the world that | reservation amount and the reservation confirmation |
| specialize in epiphytic plants (plants nourished by air | number along with your questions. We will contact |
| and rain). On display are more than 20,000 tropical | you within 24 hours. |
| plants, including 6,000 species of spectacular | |
| orchids and banyan and bamboo groves. If you're | What are additional fees and taxes? Each city/state |
| lucky, you might see the Titan Arum in bloom it's the | has different rates for taxes. Taxes are calculated |
| world's largest and smelliest flower. Country Living | and displayed on the hotel reservation amount. For |
| Gardener magazine has named Selby Gardens one | some hotels there are additional fees charged to |
| of the Top Ten Botanical Gardens in America. | your room reservation. These additional charges |
| | help us have the lowest rates on the Internet. |
| If anyone in your group has a fondness for | |
| mechanical things or just for odd combinations of | Do I pay for the entire reservation amount or do I just |
| collectibles you won't want to miss the Sarasota | make a deposit to hold the room? It depends on the |
| Classic Car Museum. It has vintage cars (including a | room you book. Some of our partners require just a |
| 1932 Auburn boat, a 1954 Packard convertible and a | $5.00 room night deposit to hold your room while |
| 1937 Dusenberg). More examples of yesteryear's | others require a full payment for the room at the time |
| transport are found at the Florida Gulf Coast Railroad | of your reservation. Please refer to the amount |
| Museum, where you can take a ride on an old train, | displayed on the confirmation page to see what your |
| complete with a red caboose. | credit card will be charged upon making the |
| | reservation. |
| Of Sarasota's four barrier islands, our favorite by far | |
| is Longboat Key. One of the best resort areas on the | Can I contact someone to help me? Yes. We have |
| Gulf Coast, this very pretty strip of beach has grown | tried to answer most questions with our frequently |
| increasingly popular, but it still has a nice, relaxed | asked questions sections. If youd like to talk with |
| atmosphere you never feel rushed. Resorts of all | one of our knowledgeable customer service |
| kinds line both sides of the island (those facing the | representatives please call our toll free number |
| gulf are more popular), serving guests of all ages. | between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday |
| We saw as many kids as we saw seniors on our last | through Friday (CST). 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and |
| visit, and that added to the pleasant feeling. We also | Sunday. |
| enjoyed St. Armands Key, a charming little | |
| community with a roundabout in the middle of town | Can I change my hotel after booking? Yes. By |
| that's surrounded by stylish shops and restaurants. | canceling your previous reservation and booking a |
| St. Armands has a small-village feel to it but also has | new reservation. Also, you can call one of our |
| a little more sophistication than some other Gulf | friendly customer service representatives at our toll |
| Coast towns. It's perfect for dining and shopping, | free number, between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| especially when you've maxed out on UV rays. | Monday through Friday CST, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| | Saturday and Sunday. |
| Lido Beach and Siesta Key are two other popular | |
| islands near Sarasota. Both have restaurants, shops | How do you book a room for someone else? You |
| and galleries. At the far end of Lido Beach is Mote | can us our system to book a room for someone else. |
| Marine Laboratory's Mote Aquarium, with a | Make sure you include that persons information as |
| 135,000-gallon shark habitat, a Mysterious Mollusks | the guest. You can have a different person paying |
| exhibit, sea turtles, jellyfish, two manatees (Hugh and | with their credit card than the name and address of |
| Buffett), two touch pools and viewing areas where | the guest staying in the room . |
| you can watch Mote's research in action. The Gulf | |
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