Westgate - owners' opinion of the resort (NOT purchase/sales/rescission issues)?

[seema]

Most of the threads I see on tug are negative or critical posts on sales presentations, rescission issues etc. Let us forget discussing those issues in this thread.

I do not see that many posts on the quality of the actual resorts or units (forgetting the issues on price).

I am an owner at Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa - the quality of the resort is comparable with Marriott (I am a Marriott owner at Ko Olina; I have stayed at a few MVCI resorts in Orlando including those around Marriott World Center Hotel) or other 5 star resorts.

The grounds are good. The units are high quality. The Lakes resort has free internet, free business center, free fitness center. Lot of free water activities on the lake (including paddle boat) for owners.

I like the fact that this and many other Westgate Resorts in Orlando/Kississimmee have free shuttles for resort guests to WDW, Universal Studios, Sea World -and the factory clearance malls.

(I am considering a purchase at Las Vegas Resort and Casino- no free business centre (it contracts out the business center to FEDEX). It does have free shuttles to the Strip (next to Treasure Island Hotel) and to Fremont Street.

The Lakes resort is advertising a water park to be built in the not too distant future.

What do Westgate owners think of the resorts.

At the sales presentation at Las Vegas Resort and Casino, the sales person stated that Westgate considers at least 4 of its current 28 resorts its "elite" resorts - the 2 resorts
mentioned above, and also Westgate Villas and the adjacent Westgate Town Center. So presumably the quality of most of the other 24 resorts is good - but not at the level of the 4 resorts mentioned in this thread?

 

[sue1947]

You'll find this information in the tug timeshare resort review section. Type in Westgate into the search and you'll get the list of Westgate options.
The resort review section requires a separate log in.

Sue

 

[seema]

Yes, I am aware of the reviews.

I am actually asking a different question. I am asking to rate the Westgate chain as a whole - perhaps compare to other chains including Marriott, Wyndham, Hyatt, DRI, Disney, Vistana etc?

Of the 4 resorts considered "Elite" by Westgate - Westgate Vacation Villas, Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa, Westgate Town Center, Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino - the first 3 have been rated 6 to 8 - but each of these has had a grand total of one review each for 2017 - which has been rated 8.5 or above. The Las Vegas resort is new - just one has been rated this year at a 9.0.

So I am interested in tuggers comments on the Westgate resort chain, and how it compares to the other major or minor timeshare chain.

I went to a sales presentation last week at Las Vegas - I was told that there are at least 600,000 Westgate owners. There are enough owners out there - hopefully some are with tug.

What do they think of their ownership in this chain, compared to other chains.

PS-you might want to see the first sticky on the Marriott forum. The question is how happy is one with the Marriott ownership. This is in addition to the additional reviews that each Marriott has on tug. I would hope that eventually this thread becomes a sticky as well!

PPS-I am an owner of Marriott Ko Olina and I have stayed at a variety of MVCI. At least the dedicated Westgate timeshare resorts in my opinion - both inside the unit and inside the building and the outside grounds - are on par with similar Marriott resorts.

 

[TamaraQT]

Westgate....Wow.....as a "former" owner I would NEVER consider it to be ELITE. What I enjoyed most about Westgate Lakes, Town Center and Vacation Villas are the on-site activities and the Westgate FUN staff. Thats it !!!! No they are NOT comparable to the amenities/facilities as Marriotts/Wyndams/Sheratons/etc. If you feel as though they are, all I can say is you are entitled to your opinion and I will digress to argue the point.

I bought Westgate on the resale market. I bought into Westgate Lakes. I never had a problem exchanging my week to go to Town Center or Vacation Villas. UNTIL....they put in a waterpark at Town Center/Vacation Villas. Westgate Lakes was located in Orlando which was considered a more "desireable" location than Kissimmee and the maintenance fees reflected that. I paid more MF per year for my 3 bedroom unit than owners paid at Town Center. Therefore there was never an issue if I wanted to trade my week into Town Center. An exchange into the Villas was never an issue either until the waterpark came along. Also WG Lakes allowed pets suddenly and having a daughter with terrible allergies eliminated me booking into the Lakes anymore. Besides, when I did use my week at the Lakes, there were always "issues". Bad room assignments with bad views. I was never satisfied and they never showed any care or concern even though I paid my MFees on-time faithfully. Once you are an owner, you are "OLD NEWS" to them and all they care to do is wine and dine potential owners and leave us "owners" to our own devices. It's ridiculous. I wish I had found TUG before I bought. I have since traveled and used Marriotts, Wyndhams, Sheratons, Bluegreen and others. Compared to them Westgate is the "bottom of the barrel". Westgate is closer to the bottom than the top.

Yes, I did enjoy being on vacation with my family. I let my Westgate timeshare go and I still visit Westgate for their amenities. But now I am no longer an owner and I get treated far better now because I have crossed over to "potential owner" in their eyes. So now they bend over backwards to ensure my satisfaction. I don't do timeshare presentations but I did their owners update once. To only sit there and listen to them tell me a bunch of lies. Such as "my week is going to put into their "value" category therefore decreasing my trade potential. To keep my trade value they wanted me to buy into another buidling, unit or buy another week. They are liars and crooks. And their facilities may be nice to look at but behind the scenes I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.....

Just my two cents......

 

[jrogersok]

Westgate....Wow.....as a "former" owner I would NEVER consider it to be ELITE. What I enjoyed most about Westgate Lakes, Town Center and Vacation Villas are the on-site activities and the Westgate FUN staff. Thats it !!!! No they are NOT comparable to the amenities/facilities as Marriotts/Wyndams/Sheratons/etc. If you feel as though they are, all I can say is you are entitled to your opinion and I will digress to argue the point.

I bought Westgate on the resale market. I bought into Westgate Lakes. I never had a problem exchanging my week to go to Town Center or Vacation Villas. UNTIL....they put in a waterpark at Town Center/Vacation Villas. Westgate Lakes was located in Orlando which was considered a more "desireable" location than Kissimmee and the maintenance fees reflected that. I paid more MF per year for my 3 bedroom unit than owners paid at Town Center. Therefore there was never an issue if I wanted to trade my week into Town Center. An exchange into the Villas was never an issue either until the waterpark came along. Also WG Lakes allowed pets suddenly and having a daughter with terrible allergies eliminated me booking into the Lakes anymore. Besides, when I did use my week at the Lakes, there were always "issues". Bad room assignments with bad views. I was never satisfied and they never showed any care or concern even though I paid my MFees on-time faithfully. Once you are an owner, you are "OLD NEWS" to them and all they care to do is wine and dine potential owners and leave us "owners" to our own devices. It's ridiculous. I wish I had found TUG before I bought. I have since traveled and used Marriotts, Wyndhams, Sheratons, Bluegreen and others. Compared to them Westgate is the "bottom of the barrel". Westgate is closer to the bottom than the top.

Yes, I did enjoy being on vacation with my family. I let my Westgate timeshare go and I still visit Westgate for their amenities. But now I am no longer an owner and I get treated far better now because I have crossed over to "potential owner" in their eyes. So now they bend over backwards to ensure my satisfaction. I don't do timeshare presentations but I did their owners update once. To only sit there and listen to them tell me a bunch of lies. Such as "my week is going to put into their "value" category therefore decreasing my trade potential. To keep my trade value they wanted me to buy into another buidling, unit or buy another week. They are liars and crooks. And their facilities may be nice to look at but behind the scenes I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.....

Just my two cents......

 

[jrogersok]

How are you not an owner any longer?

We've had a great time at the Lakes, Park City, and the two in Branson. They are not quite to the Marriott standards but we have enjoyed our use. The downside for us is now we live in the northwest so our home resort is so far away in Florida that we don't use it as much. Glad we only had an every other year and plan to either visit resorts in the west (there are only 4) or trade the weeks.