Westgate Lakes?

[jessaboo]

Tell me everything you know about this offsite place.


THANKS.

 

[jessaboo]

Does anyone know anything?

 

[djm99]

In general, I love Westgate Lakes. I've stayed there 2 times. Both times I stayed in a 3 bedroom unit. The property was clean, neat, and looked exactly as all the pictures I found posted all around the internet. The master bedroom is nice and has a large Jacuzzi tub in the room, it would have been nice to have a private shower, but if you enjoy the openness of bathing - you'll love the master bedroom. I would say it’s great for honeymoons. The living room was nice, with a leather sectional sofa sleeper in it, a big screen TV (maybe 50 in. - which I read was replaced with Plasma TV's) and the dining area had a table and I think 4 chairs. The Kitchen area has a bar with 3 or 4 other bar chairs. The kitchen has a full size frig, dishwasher, oven, and full size washer/dryer. Although the kitchen has plates, pots, pans, eatery, etc. it does not provide dishwasher liquid, dish detergent, or laundry detergent - so prepare to go to the grocery store or bring it from home or go to the store.

You are supposed to wash your linen and bedspread before you check out (if you are staying as a timeshare option). It was good to know that the bedspread is washed after every check out (FACT: most hotels - even high end hotels - very rarely wash the bedspread - unless its obviously soiled. They do almost always change linens) - gross isn't it! But, back to Westgate Lakes, the 3rd bedroom is actually a studio suite. It too had a king size bed with a hot tub, a sleeper sofa with TV in the living room area - all open floor plan. It does not have a full kitchen (only kitchenettes - with small frig and microwave). The third bedroom is connected with the 2 bedroom unit, but provided plenty of privacy. I loved it!!!

The only down side to this resort was the nightmare check in (everyone checks in a 4pm, so many people were there) - we left and went to the grocery store. By the time we came back - check in was a breeze. Parking is a nightmare after 8 pm too. That was the only thing that really bothered me about my stay. My first stay I stayed at pool side. You could hear children jumping in the pool all night - it was a little noisy, so the second time I decided to stay near the restaurant (the rooms are newer) - but far, far, away from the pool - so we very rarely used it! If we stay here again - I will stay near the pool - I'd rather hear a little noise than walk a mile to the pool. Besides, who wants to sleep their vacation away - I don't!!!

Suggestion: ask for a room with ceramic tile. The ones with carpet (might be few and far between) often smell. That is typical of any hotel with carpet in Florida. With wet feet day after day, year after year, this often leaves a musty smell.

Do a google of "Westgate Lakes reviews" - as you read the reviews don't confuse bad reviews of the timeshare presentation with that of the resort itself? The resort itself is really nice the timeshare presentation is a whole other story! Yeah the presentation is a hard sell, but be firm - don't eat the meal they offer (it prolongs your presentation - the presentation doesn't officially start until after you eat your meal - so eat before the presentation and let them know that you are timing them and that you have every intention on leaving in 90 minutes). Now, if you don't plan to buy - don't ask a 100 questions - just seat back and look disinterested (I bring other stuff to read) - these people are trained to seek blood!!! Take a chance on Westgate!!!


Here are some pictures...

 

[allie_to_you]

My DH & I are staying at West Gate Lakes resort in November. Some friends of ours our owners and they are letting us stay for free. Will we be bombarded with the timeshare pitch? Can't you just tell them no from the start or just skip the meeting?

Has anyone ever gotten a handicapped accessible room there before?

 

[TotoToo]

My DH & I are staying at West Gate Lakes resort in November. Some friends of ours our owners and they are letting us stay for free. Will we be bombarded with the timeshare pitch? Can't you just tell them no from the start or just skip the meeting?

Has anyone ever gotten a handicapped accessible room there before?

While the answer SHOULD be "No, you won't be bothered since you are there as the guest of an owner" it isn't. Even owners get bombarded with requests to attend "maintenance meetings" or "owner updates" or whatever they choose to call it under the guise of a legitimate meeting that is invariably a hard sell of more overpriced, retail timeshare use.

Since you are aware of the issue and rightfully want to avoid it here are some very simple steps to take.

1) Our favorite is to take the weasel ride to the unit and accept the offer to attend the meeting. But make sure to schedule it for your departure day - or the day after, they aren't the swiftest of thinkers - preferably at 10AM. Use the excuse that you have planned every minute prior to that to maximize your expensive stay in Orlando and just can't squeeze them in. That way you are free to enjoy the unit and any social hours, etc and if they ask you can truthfully state "we're already scheduled". In person they do back off if you say that. But you're not out of the woods yet. UNPLUG THE PHONES in the unit. Despite the appointment they will call your unit early & late - and in between - to either set up a date (again, these aren't scholars) or to "confirm" your appointment. You don't need that on vacation and no one else will be calling you there so unplug the phones. Plug one in if you need to call out and to enjoy the many messages they will have left begging, pleading and maybe even threatening about what will happen if you don't attend. Ignore it all or enjoy a laugh as that brings us to number

2) You are a guest of an owner. You don't HAVE to attend anything. You don't have to take a tour or hear an update or get a free meal - you are staying in their "home" for a week to enjoy a vacation. Not to listen to sales weasels. So don't believe the threats that they will charge you for repairs or towels or toasters or whatever - it's all bluster. Ignore it if you hear it and remind them you are already scheduled. By the time they realize you aren't showing up you have checked out and they are left standing alone calling your name. At least that's some satisfaction of a small inconvenience to them as they inconvenience everyone else.

3) Don't ever - ever - even consider buying from Westgate at retail (developer) prices. It is a total rip off. Even if you love the resort and want to own there to return time and time again you can easily buy a resale for a big (we're talking a minimum of 30% and often 50-60 - 70% or more) discounts and not reward the sales weasels for the obnoxious behavior they exhibit toward owners and guests.

Not sure about pre-assignment of a handicap unit. They have plenty so it wouldn't seem to be an issue.

Except for sales the resort is pretty good. Not our favorite but nice, big units and not a bad location. Enjoy.

 

[djm99]

My DH & I are staying at West Gate Lakes resort in November. Some friends of ours our owners and they are letting us stay for free. Will we be bombarded with the timeshare pitch? Can't you just tell them no from the start or just skip the meeting?

Has anyone ever gotten a handicapped accessible room there before?

During my visits, I was NEVER approached to do a timeshare. In all fairness, I spend little time in the resort lobby area. I visited the pool, once or twice later in the evening. I didn't really spend a lot of time roaming around.

 

[allie_to_you]

Thanks you guys for the great advice...very helpful!

 

[jessaboo]

Thanks guys!

I've been trying to plan the trip I'm taking around the hotel I picked.


Sounds like a great place!

 

[lilallybean]

I am going to post info about our westgate stay everywhere that I can. I want others to know exactly how bad our trip was and I hope it makes at least a little impact. We got a one week stay in a 3 bedroom from one of my sister's coworkers. We paid her over $1000 total for the week. The two families split the cost. The PLACE itself was very nice, The rooms were very nice and clean. It couldn't LOOK better. Now that is where the good ends. We were in the park on the day of check in. My sister called to see if it would be a problem for us to check in when we the parks closed. She was assured that this was not a problem at all. We got to the resort shortly after 9 PM. They informed us that the other people we were staying with had already checked in for all of us and they had our keys. Oh, isn't that nice of them? Well, problem is we were NOT traveling with anybody else. They wanted us to just get the keys from them and go on. Um no...I don't want somebody else having keys to our rooms, and us to theirs! It is now about 10 PM and they decide to escort us to the room. We get there and get in...well we at least get into the lower two rooms. The adjoining room upstairs has a key lock as opposed to the card lock. The woman doesn't have the key and said that only security could open it. "Don't worry you are first on the list, they will be here in 10 minutes." Half an hour later still nothing. We placed two more calls and nothing. By this time we were trying to get the kids ready for bed, When they got in the showers no hot water. We called again and mentioned the water. Right away maintance showed up and after running the water for 15 minutes we finally got hot water. We were still locked out of the area that my hubby, the kids and I would be staying in. The maintance guy called security on the radio...several times. It is now after 11. The kids are exhausted so my two kids settled down on the floor! I placed another call to the front desk and after asking what the hold up was, I was hung up on without an answer! We ordered a pizza and waited. Pizza got there very fast. while waiting my sister, her hubby, and myself all called trying to figure out when they would be there. It is now 12...maintance guy came back to see if we had gotten the door open. He said he could open the door from upstairs, but we would have to take the outside stairs or elevator to get the room. Well at least now we can get INTO the room, but we had to haul all of our luggage back out and to the elevators, all the way down the corridor and into the room. Our kids are still asleep on the floor downstairs and to get to them we can only go out the long way. We can't leave the room since we don't have a working card key for it yet! I called again and was told they were on the way to open it. Waited again and finally 34 minutes after we hung up they arrived to let us into the room with a key! No excuse other than "we were busy". 12:45 and we can get to bed...how nice!
The next day when I went to talk to management the manager..."Pablo"...yelled at the girl talking to us..."They can TAKE A NUMBER!" To clarify there were not any numbers to pull and be waited on. He didn't say "I am really busy at the moment, take a number and I will be with you as soon as I can." It was yelling at us. The place could never get the name on the room right. Everytime I tried to talk to somebody about the situation I got the run around. One older lady openly rolled her eyes at me, and when I told her I didn't appreciate that she acted like she had not done that. PLEASE...I have 3 kids! Finally we did talk to a lady...Celia I think was how she spelled her name. She listened to us and acted shocked by the treatment and seemed sincere about wanting to do something to make it up to us. She called me back later in the day to set up a meeting for Friday morning at 8AM with her and a man named Hector (an upper management). We showed up at 7:50 for the meeting, the whole family as requested. Our one night that we could have slept in...and would you believe NOBODY from their side showed up! Finally another guy met with us at about 8:45. We had to tell the whole thing again. He had the gall to want to offer us another night 'at a discount' for only $89!!! Or how about some meal vouchers!

Now those of you who are planners like me know that you have every meal and every day laid out. I don't have time for a meal at their restaurant which by the way is not even on the grounds there...it is down by SeaWorld! We also can't just skip out on work to stay another day, and let alone have to pay anything for it!

I suggested that they treat us to a massage in the spa on their grounds, OR to a free weekend at the resort in Branson which is closer to our home.

Nope-'can't do that', take it or leave it...tuff!!! So, I will do my best to let everybody else know how bad the staff there was.

My advice...stay at the travelodge down the road. We stayed there the first 3 nights and we were treated SOOOO much better! If you do decide to stay at westgate....take extra pillows and blankets in case you end up having to sleep on the floor!

*One last thing, when checking in my sister overheard two workers talking in spanish saying..."anybody who buys into this place is crazy".

 

[djm99]

We got a one week stay in a 3 bedroom from one of my sister's coworkers. We paid her over $1000 total for the week. The two families split the cost.

Where you sharing a 3 bedroom with another family?

 

[lilallybean]

We shared it with my sister and her family. So we had the A and C rooms, another family NOT with us had the B room.

 

[djm99]

We shared it with my sister and her family. So we had the A and C rooms, another family NOT with us had the B room.

BTW, I am NOT Westgate rep. I totally agree about the purchasing at Westgate at the rates they offer at the resort. Resell you can get that resort at 1/3 of the price. I do want to add, that sharing a unit is often a problem if the two do not check in at the same time. Westgate only wants to deal with the individual who will be 'doing the presentation', everyone else is secondary. When you wrote that you gave the sharing family the $1000 and you didn't check in at the time, that is a formula for disaster. Your family should have gotten your keys. And with any resort, at checkin they give rooms to those who show, and the others you come in late (without their knowledge) get the leftovers. That is why someone was placed in the B unit. You guys got the leftovers.

 

[lilallybean]

We had nothing to do with the other family. They were not with our group. My sister, her family and mine did check in all at the same time. I don't see that we got 'left overs' we got the two rooms that connected, that is how it was supposed to be. The room that my hubby and I were in had spiral staircase that connected to my sisters. There was a door between the two that was locked. That was were we had problems. That still doen't excuse the 'service' that we received. That is NOT how you win over new buyers!

 

[djm99]

We had nothing to do with the other family. They were not with our group. My sister, her family and mine did check in all at the same time. I don't see that we got 'left overs' we got the two rooms that connected, that is how it was supposed to be. The room that my hubby and I were in had spiral staircase that connected to my sisters. There was a door between the two that was locked. That was were we had problems. That still doen't excuse the 'service' that we received. That is NOT how you win over new buyers!

Okay -

Each time I visited Westgate I shared the 3 BR w/another family. I did usually check in between 4 - 6 pm. I did NOT experience anything you wrote about. I do realize that each day is different and employees are replaced. I believe that this was what happen to you. IMO, this is NOT the norm that myself (along with the many other friends and family) have seen during our visit. As a matter of fact, I have a friend who is in Westgate as I write this email. When I spoke with my friend earlier, it was the same ole thing, rooms were wonderful (they have a room with a plasma TV - they are in a 2 BR), resort is beautiful, the parking lot is overcrowded - same ole same ole.

 

[Lewanc]

I am going to post info about our westgate stay everywhere that I can. I want others to know exactly how bad our trip was and I hope it makes at least a little impact. We got a one week stay in a 3 bedroom from one of my sister's coworkers. We paid her over $1000 total for the week. The two families split the cost. The PLACE itself was very nice, The rooms were very nice and clean. It couldn't LOOK better. Now that is where the good ends. We were in the park on the day of check in. My sister called to see if it would be a problem for us to check in when we the parks closed. She was assured that this was not a problem at all. We got to the resort shortly after 9 PM. They informed us that the other people we were staying with had already checked in for all of us and they had our keys. Oh, isn't that nice of them? Well, problem is we were NOT traveling with anybody else. They wanted us to just get the keys from them and go on. Um no...I don't want somebody else having keys to our rooms, and us to theirs! It is now about 10 PM and they decide to escort us to the room. We get there and get in...well we at least get into the lower two rooms. The adjoining room upstairs has a key lock as opposed to the card lock. The woman doesn't have the key and said that only security could open it. "Don't worry you are first on the list, they will be here in 10 minutes." Half an hour later still nothing. We placed two more calls and nothing. By this time we were trying to get the kids ready for bed, When they got in the showers no hot water. We called again and mentioned the water. Right away maintance showed up and after running the water for 15 minutes we finally got hot water. We were still locked out of the area that my hubby, the kids and I would be staying in. The maintance guy called security on the radio...several times. It is now after 11. The kids are exhausted so my two kids settled down on the floor! I placed another call to the front desk and after asking what the hold up was, I was hung up on without an answer! We ordered a pizza and waited. Pizza got there very fast. while waiting my sister, her hubby, and myself all called trying to figure out when they would be there. It is now 12...maintance guy came back to see if we had gotten the door open. He said he could open the door from upstairs, but we would have to take the outside stairs or elevator to get the room. Well at least now we can get INTO the room, but we had to haul all of our luggage back out and to the elevators, all the way down the corridor and into the room. Our kids are still asleep on the floor downstairs and to get to them we can only go out the long way. We can't leave the room since we don't have a working card key for it yet! I called again and was told they were on the way to open it. Waited again and finally 34 minutes after we hung up they arrived to let us into the room with a key! No excuse other than "we were busy". 12:45 and we can get to bed...how nice!
The next day when I went to talk to management the manager..."Pablo"...yelled at the girl talking to us..."They can TAKE A NUMBER!" To clarify there were not any numbers to pull and be waited on. He didn't say "I am really busy at the moment, take a number and I will be with you as soon as I can." It was yelling at us. The place could never get the name on the room right. Everytime I tried to talk to somebody about the situation I got the run around. One older lady openly rolled her eyes at me, and when I told her I didn't appreciate that she acted like she had not done that. PLEASE...I have 3 kids! Finally we did talk to a lady...Celia I think was how she spelled her name. She listened to us and acted shocked by the treatment and seemed sincere about wanting to do something to make it up to us. She called me back later in the day to set up a meeting for Friday morning at 8AM with her and a man named Hector (an upper management). We showed up at 7:50 for the meeting, the whole family as requested. Our one night that we could have slept in...and would you believe NOBODY from their side showed up! Finally another guy met with us at about 8:45. We had to tell the whole thing again. He had the gall to want to offer us another night 'at a discount' for only $89!!! Or how about some meal vouchers!

Now those of you who are planners like me know that you have every meal and every day laid out. I don't have time for a meal at their restaurant which by the way is not even on the grounds there...it is down by SeaWorld! We also can't just skip out on work to stay another day, and let alone have to pay anything for it!

I suggested that they treat us to a massage in the spa on their grounds, OR to a free weekend at the resort in Branson which is closer to our home.

Nope-'can't do that', take it or leave it...tuff!!! So, I will do my best to let everybody else know how bad the staff there was.

My advice...stay at the travelodge down the road. We stayed there the first 3 nights and we were treated SOOOO much better! If you do decide to stay at westgate....take extra pillows and blankets in case you end up having to sleep on the floor!

*One last thing, when checking in my sister overheard two workers talking in spanish saying..."anybody who buys into this place is crazy".

Hi There -- So sorry to hear you had bad "service" experiences at Westgate . By the way, you didn't mention the name of the Westgate Resort where you were staying, (i.e. Westgate Lakes, Westgate Town Center, etc.) as there are several in the Orlando area. Think you should update your post and name the exact facility, so people won't eliminate all Westgate Resorts off their possible lodgings list. I have an idea from your post of which facility you were speaking, but will wait for your updated post to see if I'm right.

 

[TotoToo]

Gee, what a surprise. Westgate seems to know how to build resorts and certainly sell them for far more than they are actually worth but have no clue how to operate them. At one of our three stays at Westgate Lakes (we actually own, sorry to say, at Westgate Villas) we too got treated to finding others in "our" room at check in. We were given our key, we went to the room, the door opened and there were - I think - at least 14 people in a unit rated for 8. it looked like they had been squatting there for a month! I don't know who was more surprised, us walking in with our suitcases, etc or the people in the unit who suddenly had strangers in their room. My wife was outraged and tried for the rest of the week to find out how that could happen but never got an answer just the run around (do you see a pattern here?). But they sure were able to schedule or "update" torture with a sales weasel.

Face it, Westgate is all about sales and nothing else. If you happen to get a semi-enjoyable week of vacation out of a stay there it won't be because they made it so but in spite of the management and sales. We avoid Westgate even as owners. We simply use our week as an RCI Points deposit and then enjoy a real resort someplace else.

Your experience is not uncommon and should be a warning to anyone thinking of dealing with Westgate.

 

[lilallybean]

We stayed at Westgate Towers. Again I will stress that the place LOOKED amazing, we were very impressed with the building. The PEOPLE there is where we saw a problem. Just goes to show that Beauty is only skin deep!

 

[Lewanc]

We stayed at Westgate Towers. Again I will stress that the place LOOKED amazing, we were very impressed with the building. The PEOPLE there is where we saw a problem. Just goes to show that Beauty is only skin deep!

Hi Lilallybean - Thanks for noting the Towers as your bad experience. I thought you might be speaking of the Lakes as I have heard of problems there, the same as you described. It seems as if Westgate management needs to up the criteria on employee selection. After all, Westgate is a resort, and a competent, helpful staff is a necessary part of the business.