Sarasota, your first Life Time athletic country club is coming soon: Life Time Lakewood Ranch will debut in October 2026. Life Time’s ninth overall location in Florida and its first in the Sarasota area, the new club aims to provide residents with the latest in healthy-living offerings within its signature luxury environment.
“Life Time’s promise to its members is a stellar experience in an elevated setting so they can focus on their health and wellness goals,” says Steve Datte, lead general at Life Time Lakewood Ranch. “Currently, the nearest Life Time athletic country club to Sarasota is Life Time Harbour Island, which is 64 miles away. The community here has been calling out for a club of its own.”
Let’s explore the 86,000-square-foot space:
After being greeted by the concierge team at the front desk, members will see a lounge area that leads to the full-service LifeCafe, where members can enjoy a meal or grab something to go.
“The café lounge area will be significantly expanded compared to our clubs of the past,” says Datte. In addition to more seating space, the bar and lounge are located closer to the café to emphasize the social experience at Life Time Lakewood Ranch.
On the first floor, members can also visit the LifeSpa, a full-service salon and spa that offers body, skin, hair, and nail treatments designed to help them feel their best. “This LifeSpa offers a more private layout to give members a more elegant and secluded experience away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the club,” he notes.
The LifeSpa also features top-of-the-line products for skin and hair in its retail section. “These are products that our stylists and technicians use during appointments,” says Datte. “You’ll be able to try them out during a service and, if you like them, they’re available right there for purchase.”
Near the LifeSpa is the Life Time Work Club Lounge — an open-plan, community-style coworking area that’s complimentary for members. (Learn more: “What Is the Life Time Work Club Lounge?”)
Continuing through the first floor, members will find luxurious locker rooms for men, women, and families. Both the men’s and women’s locker rooms feature a full hydrotherapy suite experience with a sauna, steam room, whirlpool, and cold plunge. Members can feel pampered in these spaces dedicated to recovery and relaxation. There is also a family locker room that leads directly out to the pool deck.
The first floor is also home to the Kids Academy, where kids can learn, play, and grow with engaging and enriching age-specific programming and classes. Parents can leave their kids — ages 3 months to 11 years — at the Kids Academy while they use other areas of the club. (Parents can use up to 2.5 hours of child care per day, included with a Junior Membership.)
The Kids Academy will feature a kids gym, activity studio, language arts studio, movement studio, infant area, toddler room, and outdoor play area. “You can trust that when your kid is at the Kids Academy, they’ll be active both physically and mentally,” says Datte. “Whether it’s getting homework help, playing gym games, or enjoying creative time, your kids will be engaged in interactive and stimulating experiences.”
Another perk of a Junior Membership is attending unlimited monthly kids and tweens events. Parents can enjoy an evening to themselves — at the club or elsewhere — during regular Parents Night Out and Tween Takeover events, which are always based around fun themes.
Families can also enroll their kids in School-Break Camps for those days when school is out and they need some entertainment.
Moving upstairs, the second floor is where you can pursue your fitness goals. Discover the expansive workout floor, which has free weights, state-of-the-art cardio and resistance-training machines, and designated stretching areas. It’s easy to build and stay consistent with a fitness routine when everything you need is available in one convenient space.
“The workout floor is truly the best of the best,” says Datte. “We’ve planned the layout intentionally and have top-of-the-line equipment, so members can focus on pursuing just about any fitness goal.”
Dynamic Personal Trainers are available to guide and support members toward their fitness goals, while Dynamic Stretch specialists can provide assisted-stretch sessions to aid in members’ recovery efforts (both at an additional cost).
The workout floor is also where members can partake in GTX, Ultra Fit, and Alpha signature group training classes. GTX is a 50/50 blend of cardio and strength work; Ultra Fit combines sprint-interval training with balance and strength efforts; and Alpha is centered around Olympic weightlifting and metabolic conditioning. “Alpha will have its own space on the workout floor, while GTX and Ultra Fit will operate in a shared space,” notes Datte.
There are four studio rooms, with one each dedicated to Pilates, yoga, CTR (Core Tone Reform), and other unique-to-Life-Time group fitness classes, all of which are taught by top performers. CTR is Life Time’s newest class format that offers a high-energy, low-impact athletic reformer workout.
“Life Time continues to evolve its studio spaces to strengthen the experience for members,” says Datte. “For instance, we’ve really fine-tuned the lighting to help enhance the emotional connection to the class for members and elevate the ambience.”
After your workout, wind down in the LT Recovery zone, where you can find HydroMassage and CryoLounge chairs, Normatec compression therapy devices, and Hyperice percussive therapy tools. (Learn more: “How to Use 3 Popular Recovery Tools at Life Time.”)
“Recovery is such a big part of the fitness experience, so having a designated recovery space with the latest technology is a priority for Life Time Lakewood Ranch,” says Datte.
Additionally, Life Time Lakewood Ranch features a LifeClinic, where licensed chiropractors are available by appointment (at an additional cost) to help address and alleviate pain or discomfort so you can move and function at your best. (Learn more: “Why LifeClinic?”)
Also on the second floor are the club’s three indoor pickleball courts. Prefer pickleballing in the Florida sunshine? Then head out to the 11 outdoor courts, including five covered and six uncovered courts.
“Pickleball is still a relatively young sport, but Life Time is making sure to keep up with the constant evolutions of the game,” says Datte. “At Life Time Lakewood Ranch, we’ll offer opportunities such as leagues, open play, recreational programming, kids pickleball lessons, Intro to Pickleball classes, and more.”
Outside, members will also discover Life Time Lakewood Ranch’s Beach Club, featuring an outdoor leisure pool, lap pool, waterslides, and an outdoor bistro and bar. The pool deck will host an array of events for social fun.
“In Sarasota, this Beach Club can offer more than just a short summer experience,” says Datte. “This is a space that emphasizes leisure and relaxation while integrating social wellness. It will be available just about all year long!”
Datte’s vision for Life Time Lakewood Ranch is to create experiences that can’t be replicated anywhere else. “We’re going all out with our amenities, programming, spaces, and experiences,” he says. “This isn’t just a place for your fitness goals, but also an environment where you can feel supported on your healthy way of life journey. You’re not going to want to be anywhere else.”
