westgate resorts?

[andychris14]

I received an email for a great rate at the westgate resorts. We have stayed at the vistana and vistana villages and really liked it.
Is this resort comparible to the vistana's?
I want to hear the good,bad and ugly before booking.
It is only 2 nights but do not want to be in a dump.
Is the resort/rooms clean? How is the pool?
I want to hear it all
Thanks

 

[DianeV]

It depends which actual Westgate resort it is..they have a few in the area

 

[andychris14]

hmm interesting- all it says is orlando westgate. Maybe they show you pictures of the really nice one but put you in another one.

 

[DianeV]

LOL its hard to say with Westgate! Lets just say their techniques leave alot to be desired.

Offhand I know there is Westgate Villas, Westgate Town Center, Westgate Towers, Westgate Lakes..there may be more

 

[vickiea]

We just came back from a one week stay at Westagte Towers and we found it fine, we stayed in a 2 bedroom suite.

We didn't encounter any sales pitches either.

Vickie

 

[andychris14]

thank you for your responses
Dianev- what do you mean by their techniques leave a lot to be disired?? Should I pass on this and just stay somewhere else?
Thanks you

 

[Hasil72]

LOL its hard to say with Westgate! Lets just say their techniques leave alot to be desired.

Offhand I know there is Westgate Villas, Westgate Town Center, Westgate Towers, Westgate Lakes..there may be more

I'm with Diane...you never know. We stayed at Westgate Lakes (off of I-192) a few years back as a gift from my husband's uncle. Let's just say that they are known for their high pressure sales. I would call to get specifics about if you're reserved at a specific resort of your choice or if they choose for you based on where they have availability.

Good luck!

 

[kerry34]

We stayed at Westgate Vacation Villas off 192 several times. We never had any trouble with the rooms not being clean or anything like that. Check in was kind of a long process though. As far as high pressure sales tactics, those only work if you give in to them. Just tell them flat out you are not interested. We did this and they backed off. You just need to be firm about it.

 

[dr_nigel_c]

Yes, there are lots of Westgate resorts in the Orlando area:

Club
The Seasons
Blue Tree in Lake Buena Vista
Lakes Universal Studios Area
Palace
Leisure Resort
Towers
Town Center
Vacation Villas (Kissimmee)

Found the official Westgate website: westgateresorts.com

As mentioned by the other posters here, yes, they can be very pushy when it comes to their timeshare sales. Just be firm and you should be ok!

 

[newt1912]

Just home from 1 week stay in a 1 BR at Westgate Vacations Villas on 192 and I was impressed with how large the unit was and it was nice also. We got the 7 nights for $50/night and I thought it was a great deal. The location is great for WDW. We use to own at DVC and recently sold and I thought I would think all other timeshare villas could not compare but this
1BR was larger than those at DVC.

Yes, we had to do a timeshare tour/presentation on Friday, day 7 of our stay and again I was prepared to have a pushy sales person but I must say it was not the case. My husband and I were so impressed, in fact, that we are considering purchasing at Westgate. The 1BR we were shown at Westgate is brand new and very, very nice. Believe me, our sales person never pressured us nor did his manager who would come by and give us a better deal. I fell in love with the newer unit we toured but firmly told our salesperson and the manager that we would not make a financial decision that day. I told them that we had to go home and think about it. I couldn't believe that they accepted that and asked us if we would like to return to Westgate in the next 2 years and I said yes. I definitely will return so the deal they gave me works for me. I had to pay $200 towards a $795 one week stay at Westgate and use it before Jan. 2010. I can pay the remaining $595 in monthly payments with no interest. Of course, I could cancel within 10 or 14 days also. The price they offered on the new 1BR villa will hold until Jan. 2010 or whenever we make our return visit. I can't complain.

I will research Westgate in the days to come so anyone with input feel free to post or email me at newt1912@aol.com if you have good or bad things to say about the Westgate Vacation Villas on 192. I really want to research how easy it is to trade using the exchange program. I never did that with DVC because it was not a good use of one's points. Any info is appreciated.

 

[littlestar]

I will research Westgate in the days to come so anyone with input feel free to post or email me at newt1912@aol.com if you have good or bad things to say about the Westgate Vacation Villas on 192. I really want to research how easy it is to trade using the exchange program. I never did that with DVC because it was not a good use of one's points. Any info is appreciated.

Jeanette, there's a lot of nice timeshares in Orlando. Go to tugbbs.com and read those boards and do research. Besides our DVC points, we also own an every other year lock off at Marriott Horizons and another every other year lockoff in the mountains. That helps to keep the dues down having every other year and since they are lock offs, we get a unit to use or trade every year! The exchange company (Interval International) usually gives us a bonus week for the 1 bedroom side and we get three exchanges a year.

Good luck.

 

[TotoToo]

While Westgate has some nice resorts (there are much better to be found but plenty that aren't as nice) you should NEVER buy from the developer. You'll pay at least 50% too much for the exact same ownership you can get at a steep discount resale.

We enjoy timesharing as a great way to visit not only Orlando but travel all around the country. But after one retail purchase and 6 resale we can safely say resale is the only way to buy a timeshare.

 

[newt1912]

While Westgate has some nice resorts (there are much better to be found but plenty that aren't as nice) you should NEVER buy from the developer. You'll pay at least 50% too much for the exact same ownership you can get at a steep discount resale.

We enjoy timesharing as a great way to visit not only Orlando but travel all around the country. But after one retail purchase and 6 resale we can safely say resale is the only way to buy a timeshare.

Since what I was shown at Westgate Villas is new construction and since everyone is saying to purchase resale, how long does it normally take before one finds resales? I trust the Timeshare Store but they only deal in resale for DVC. Any other reputable timeshare sites that sell other timeshares resale? All I know about timeshares right now is DVC because that is the only one I owned and sold.

 

[TotoToo]

Since what I was shown at Westgate Villas is new construction and since everyone is saying to purchase resale, how long does it normally take before one finds resales? I trust the Timeshare Store but they only deal in resale for DVC. Any other reputable timeshare sites that sell other timeshares resale? All I know about timeshares right now is DVC because that is the only one I owned and sold.

Don't get caught up in "new vs used" in timeshare. Except for one occupant no one gets a new timeshare as you would a new car no matter who you buy from. The unit you were shown most likely was in one of the newer areas but even those can have resales available (not at as low a price as units that have been around for a while) within months.

What you want to look for is the newer design in the unit (if you really liked that) but from a seller who purchased 3 - 5 years ago as hey most likely have paid off the original cost and are now, since it is offered for sale, looking to get out. They may be asking for 3/4 of the current price - don't even think about offering that! Make what may seem like a ridiculous offer of 1/2 to 1/3 of what they are asking. They may get mad, they may say no but hold your ground and tell them if they change their minds your offer stands unless you buy elsewhere. Then move on and make more lowball offers. Since it is a buyers market like no other you will get someone to bite (it may take a little while) maybe even that first seller after they discover how few buyers there are and how low the offers are. Reality has a way of lowering prices. Remember that the true cost of timeshare is the annual fees NOT the purchase price. The lower the purchase price the less you have at risk and the better the overall value.

There are literally tens of thousands of timeshares for sale. Don't get locked into one but be a little flexible and find a few that you wouldn't mind owning. Once you do that you can get a great deal resale and be on the way to some great vacations in large, well equipped condo's for less than you'd pay on average for a cramped hotel room. Thats the true beauty of timesharing and it happens easily at resale pricing.

 

[daisy1234]

A few questions...what would a resale cost ...just an example. I nevr understood why anyone would purchase a timeshare when you can rent a place anytime any where?? I always thought it is thousands of dollars up front?

 

[TotoToo]

A few questions...what would a resale cost ...just an example. I nevr understood why anyone would purchase a timeshare when you can rent a place anytime any where?? I always thought it is thousands of dollars up front?

Westgate Villas - $1000-$2500 resale. New? $20,000+! Why would anyone EVER buy "new" if they knew about resale? As stated above all timeshares are used and all have the same fees (at the same resort). So the savings are in purchase cost and it can be dramatic. A 2 or 3 bedroom condo for $2500 and $700/year for 7 days is a deal. $25,000 (and many ask for MUCH more) for the same thing makes no sense.

 

[newt1912]

Westgate Villas - $1000-$2500 resale. New? $20,000+! Why would anyone EVER buy "new" if they knew about resale? As stated above all timeshares are used and all have the same fees (at the same resort). So the savings are in purchase cost and it can be dramatic. A 2 or 3 bedroom condo for $2500 and $700/year for 7 days is a deal. $25,000 (and many ask for MUCH more) for the same thing makes no sense.

Actually, for the new construction 2BR villa the first price given to us was, I believe, close to $30,000. Obviously, only the truly uninformed would ever pay that price. As soon as one says that the price is too high, the manager comes over and gives you the more realistic offer. The more realistic offer we got was for the 2BR flex which is where you can use the 2BR every other year or the 1BR each year. What was great about this new construction 2BR was that each side of the 2BR was almost identical with washer and dryer on both sides and both sides very large. Anyone familiar with a 2BR DVC knows that the 2nd BR is actually a studio and not really two 1BRs together. I would be very, very comfortable in either side of the 2BR we were shown. Both sides had the jacuzzi, washer/dryer, etc. I was impressed. The final offer given to us for this 2BR flex was $12,400. What I liked was that the $706 maintenance fee is paid every 2 years so it is only $353/year if one uses the 1BR each year. I was paying close to $1000 in maintenace fees for 200 points for VWL which got me 1 week of a 1BR most times of the year in WDW. It was the yearly fees and the no smoking ban which finally made me reevaluate DVC and sell while I could still sell for a profit.

I need to find out the name of the building that I like at Westgate and look for resales for that building and find someone who is selling a 2BR flex. I hate having to call Westgate - I wish I took better notes during our presentation.

Anyone know the name of the new building at Westgate Villas which will house the movie theater, etc? That is where I was shown the new villas.

 

[TotoToo]

Actually, for the new construction 2BR villa the first price given to us was, I believe, close to $30,000. Obviously, only the truly uninformed would ever pay that price. As soon as one says that the price is too high, the manager comes over and gives you the more realistic offer. The more realistic offer we got was for the 2BR flex which is where you can use the 2BR every other year or the 1BR each year. What was great about this new construction 2BR was that each side of the 2BR was almost identical with washer and dryer on both sides and both sides very large. Anyone familiar with a 2BR DVC knows that the 2nd BR is actually a studio and not really two 1BRs together. I would be very, very comfortable in either side of the 2BR we were shown. Both sides had the jacuzzi, washer/dryer, etc. I was impressed. The final offer given to us for this 2BR flex was $12,400. What I liked was that the $706 maintenance fee is paid every 2 years so it is only $353/year if one uses the 1BR each year. I was paying close to $1000 in maintenace fees for 200 points for VWL which got me 1 week of a 1BR most times of the year in WDW. It was the yearly fees and the no smoking ban which finally made me reevaluate DVC and sell while I could still sell for a profit.

DVC timeshares are not representative of the size and in some cases even the quality of most Orlando timeshares - especially the top ones. You are getting a false comaprison by using DVC as the base.

Sounds like it would be worth your time to visit a few other, top Orlando timeshare resorts before picking the one(s) you like enough to buy. EOY (Every Other Year) units at Westgate are hard to sell and on resale may be well under $1000. That makes the $12,000 figure way too high again. We also liked Westgate back in the 90's and did end up buying there (resale, thank heavens) but if I had to sell any of our 7 timeshares today Westgate would be the very first on the block. We have two others in Orlando we like much better over the long run and both have lower fees for the unit size we own. (2 or 3 bedroom). Westgate is OK but not one of our favorites anymore.

 

[newt1912]

DVC timeshares are not representative of the size and in some cases even the quality of most Orlando timeshares - especially the top ones. You are getting a false comaprison by using DVC as the base. Sounds like it would be worth your time to visit a few other, top Orlando timeshare resorts before picking the one(s) you like enough to buy. EOY (Every Other Year) units at Westgate are hard to sell and on resale may be well under $1000. That makes the $12,000 figure way too high again. We also liked Westgate back in the 90's and did end up buying there (resale, thank heavens) but if I had to sell any of our 7 timeshares today Westgate would be the very first on the block. We have two others in Orlando we like much better over the long run and both have lower fees for the unit size we own. (2 or 3 bedroom). Westgate is OK but not one of our favorites anymore.

Thanks for the great information. Any recommendations of other timeshare resorts close to WDW? We obviously don't want to deal with traffic and want to be close to WDW. From the Westgate Villas we exited on Entrypoint Road and crossed right over Rt. 192 to the other side and were soon on WDW Property. Turned onto Oceola Pkwy and we could not believe we were at Epcot in 5 mins.

 

[teresajoy]

I received an email for a great rate at the westgate resorts. We have stayed at the vistana and vistana villages and really liked it.
Is this resort comparible to the vistana's?
I want to hear the good,bad and ugly before booking.
It is only 2 nights but do not want to be in a dump.
Is the resort/rooms clean? How is the pool?
I want to hear it all
Thanks

We stayed at Westgate Villas in May. We got a very good online deal, $29 a night for the week. We really liked our room. It was clean, and big. We had a small problem with the phone cord in the room, but they fixed it right away, and then they didn't charge us for any of the phone calls we made all week. That was nice. The pool was clean and nice too. I have some pictures of the unit we were in, I will try to get those uploaded for you. We had to go through a presentation, and had heard really bad things about the Westgate pressure tactics, but we were pleasantly suprised. We let our salesperson know that we didn't want the timeshare, we allready own one on the same lake, and just like it a lot more anyway. She showed us the unit, and pretty much just let us go after that. The whole presentation only took us about an hour, including the breakfast that we ate.

I would definetely stay here again if we got a good deal like that.

ETA: There were washers and dryers available to use for free, which was really nice too!