Timeshares by Westgate

Background

David A Siegel started his business life as a Florida real estate developer in 1970 but it was through the Timeshare industry that his company, Westgate Resorts, is well known. With a quarter of a million owners, a half billion dollars in annual revenues, growth rates that regularly double the average for the industry and over 5000 employees, Westgate Resorts is the largest privately-owned timeshare developer/operator in the United States.

Strong in Florida

Many of the Company’s resorts are in Florida with the Orlando area having the majority. There are also Westgate resorts in Missouri, Las Vegas, Arizona, Mississippi, Virginia, Utah and Tennessee.

All of these developments are based on the established Westgate formula.

Well-appointed, spacious accommodations in resorts with a range of good basic family activities The resorts are large and invariably built in close proximity to man–made attractions, natural wonders or both. The fit-out and construction standards can be described as three star and overall, Westgate offers good value for money.

Brand Characteristics

The Westgate brand is also characterized by high-powered, sophisticated marketing program. Sales strategies are based around low cost stays at one of the Westgate resorts provided you attend a sales seminar. And there are certainly bargains to be had, the longer you resist. Without the brand recognition of, say, a Disney, a Marriott or Hilton, the Company just has to maybe offer a little more. And try a little harder. With two thousand full time employees in the sales division and one of the most modern telephone call centers in the country, this is an organization that knows how to sell timeshare ownership.

It is hard to compete in Orlando with the onsite advantages of Disney, and it says a lot about the Westgate marketing and value for money that they can do so.

The Company also finances many of the purchasers of Westgate products and have established one of the industry’s lowest default rates by working closely with delinquent accounts.

Westgate Lakes in the Universal Studios area is one example of the Company’s offerings in the Orlando area. While all developments differ, this resort is also typical of a Westgate Timeshare development. Well situated midway between Universal and Disney World, the complex has over 1600 lake front villas with floor plans that allow for a great deal of flexibility. These villas are a combination of one, two, three and four-bedroom condominiums with lockout options and dual kitchens that afford owners numerous options.

A three-bedroom unit with dual discreet entrances, so that you can have a self-contained single bedroom unit and a two-bedroom facility by simply closing an interlocking door, creates numerous options for the owner. For example, when a family is vacationing with the grandparents and three children, they can make use of the whole facility. When holidaying without the grandparents they can convert their timeshare into separate self- contained single, and two-bedroom condos. The owners can use the two-bedroom unit and the single bedroom facility can be leased out. They are well fitted-out with VCRs or DVD players in every bedroom and living area, jetted tubs and screened in balconies or patios.

Pricing

And you can get some good deals if you know how to “say no” for a while. One recent story tells how the salesman offered a couple one of these three-bedroom complexes for around $10,000. The couple had responded to a Westgate telephone marketer’s offer of a low cost three-night stay at the resort if they attended a ninety-minute sales seminar. The ninety minutes turned into three hours, after which the couple were offered one of these three bedroom lockout villas. For around $20,000. After refusing each of the “never to be repeated” ever lower offers, the salesman called his manager over, who said, “I have special authorization to sell one of these villas to you for under $10,000.”

Summary

All in all, as we noted, Westgate Timeshare ownership offers good value for money, but be prepared to do some tough negotiating and never take the salesman’s first price if you are purchasing new.