Westgate Lake Spa Resort

[themacfive]

I would appreciate any information regarding the Westgate Lake Spa Resort. I am considering staying there in April. We are looking into a 2-bedroom unit. I've never booked a hotel through 3rd party web site, but we found a great deal on the Westgate Lake thru Hotels.com. Has anyone ever done this? I just don't want to have to go through any timeshare presentation. I am fully prepared to dodge all bullets when we're there, but through booking with Hotels.com, am I agreeing to a sales presentation? It does not saying anything about it, but I nervous because of the great price.

Also, has anyone stayed there with children? Mine are 7, 11 and 13 and I'd like any information on specific kinds of family entertainment that is offered there, again without sales pitches involved. Is there any thing going on at the pool for them? ANY thing that's contributed to me with would so greatly appreciated.

 

[Lorix2]

Hello and welcome to the DIS (I was born in Lowell!)

Well, I would certainly ask hotels.com directly about the timeshare presentation and have everything in writing before you go.

I have not stayed at any Westgate property, but I can tell you from friends and people here on the DIS that Westgate is one of the toughest timeshare companies out there, very high pressure and downright rude and intimidating.

I personally wouldn't waste my vacation time for anybody's timeshare presentation, no matter what the rate.

If you do a search here on the boards, you'll find more info. Westgate has mixed reviews here, some say the accommodations are dumpy and the teen crowd overwhelming and rowdy.....to immaculate villas and very peaceful. I guess it depends on where you are situated on the property. Good luck and also check out www.hotelkingdom.com, for a ton of villa type accommodations, they are very reputable and will tell you in the "info" section if a timeshare will be required or not. They have a ton of deals also, we've used them and never had a problem.

Lori

 

[carol & jim]

We stayed at Westgate Lakes thru Hotwire in January. We did not have to participate in a time share speech. I was dissapointed with this property. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

[djm99]

I stayed at the Lakes twice. Both times I had a really nice, clean room. My first visit was a 2 bedroom and the second visit was a 3 bedroom. Its plenty of space and the rooms look exactly like their pictures (decor and all). Both times we stayed on the 2nd floor and regretted not asking for ground floor, so we could have a walkout balcony. The first time we stayed by the pool so I could sit on the balcony and "smell the pool". I will admit it was a little noisy at night, but it wasn't a big deal for me, because it just made me join the fun. The second time I stayed there I requested to be away from pool and had to walk a little ways to get to the pool. I prefer to be at poor side.

If you do attend the presentation - be rude to them as much as possible. Almost ignore them. Don't eat breakfast either. Your presentation does not begin until you FINISH eating. Legally, they can only hold you 90 minutes if you don't eat. So remind them of the time consistently. They have a reputation of being "brutal" so trust me - BE RUDE!!!!!!

At night (after 9 pm) parking could be a challenge. Most people’s biggest complaint is the congestion - and lack of space. All in all I would stay there again. Last year we did 8 days 7 nights in 3-bedroom lock-off and paid a total of $560. You can't beat that. Yeah we had to do the timeshare presentation but we were prepared for their bull. I fell asleep while my husband hardly ever paid them any attention. We were in and out within 60 minutes.

A few pointers if I could.

1. Make sure your staying at Westgate Lakes (Westgate has several properties.)

2. Request the ground floor if you want a walk out balcony.

3. Request to be near a pool if at all possible.

4. Request to be as far away from the back as possible. The back of the take property is a mess (near their restaurant) - those rooms have not been remodeled. Keep in mind your room is chosen (most times) before you get there so call NOW and request to at least to be far away from the restaurant.

5. If you are arriving during a weekend don't bother trying to get there at the 4 pm check in - it’s a mess!!!! And again, it’s a strong chance they have chosen a room for you already, so if it’s not ready - you may have to wait. Early check in is not guaranteed when of course they are completely booked.

6. Westgate Lakes is in a perfect location off I-Drive, near Universal/Sea World, and off the highway that take you to Disney within a few minutes. The only draw back in this location is traffic. Traffic is a mess, but when on vacation I don't worry about stuff like that - I just go along with the flow!!!!!! I treat my vacations like I did my Wedding Day and treat those days off as all about me – IGNORING ANY AND EVERYTHING NEGATIVE!!!!!

The rooms look EXACTLY LIKE THIS.....http://www.westgatevacations.com/index.cfm?mrksrc=0&phone=0&page=wglakes&cat=wgl&title=WG Lakes-

 

[kgilchri]

I stayed here two years ago, and I thought it was pretty nice. We had a two-br suite, right by the main pool. We had no problem with the noise levels, and it was rather crowded (Spring Break time). We booked it through Expedia and didn't have to participate in any type of time share presentation (thank goodness).

They had some nice activities people of all ages could participate, a lot of kids programs as I remember. They had paddle boats, sail boats, and motor boats you could take out on the lake. They also had a bunch of inflatable things out on the lake; climbing wall, trampoline, see-saw, etc... Overall, we had a lot of fun, I don't know if it's worth the price we paid, but it was fun.