A Great Stay at Westgate Resorts

We visited Westgate Resorts and Spa during the week of March 10-17, 2013. It was a beautiful week with cool nights and warm sunny days so I cannot comment on the air conditioning. We left the windows open and enjoyed the fresh air. Our 2 bedroom condo was spacious, easily fits a family of 4-6, but is rated an 8-10! We were only 2! The second room had two true double beds (not twins). The sleeper sofa in the LR could sleep another 2, but this arrangement would ruin the spacious, open feel of the condo, which I loved.

Our Westgate Resorts unit was located in Building 6, which was easily accessible from any of the entrances on the property. Parking (free) was never a problem during our week. I liked that building 6 had easy access to the largest pool of many and we had a view of this pool from our top floor balcony.

We are west facing and enjoy sunset views from our screened and furnished balcony. A big present. We couldn’t see Big Sand Lake from Building 6, but the pool view after dark was very nice with lots of landscape lighting. The main bathroom was excellent and special with a walk in shower and separate jacuzzi tub that had a 2 step edge and was at least 6ft x 6ft.

There was a private room for the bathroom. The double bed was comfortable. The upholstered chair was also comfortable. There was plenty of natural light from the balcony that you could enter privately. There was also access to the balcony from the LR. The balcony was spacious. Enough space for the padded recliner that can be extended in any direction. It was equipped with a dining table and 4 chairs that were standard. The 5 blade ceiling fan was never needed. We had a late dinner and early breakfast on the balcony every day. I loved it (and the wonderful weather we were blessed with). March weather in Orlando can be nasty.

I liked the layout of the Westgate Resorts condo which allowed access to the 2nd bathroom from the 2nd bedroom or from the hallway (yes, 2 entry doors). It was also a full bathroom, with a shower/tub combo. Good size sink/vanity too, with good lighting and ventilation.

The kitchen was fully equipped and we put it to the test by cooking every night. The laundry room was located in a convenient closet behind the kitchen with shelving and a full size washer and dryer. The condition of all the appliances in our condo was near new. The full size refrigerator included an efficient ice making freezer. The oven, microwave, and garbage disposal all worked properly. The base cabinets were cheap plywood and the doors did not line up. It’s not a big deal to me.

Our only maintenance call while on vacation at Westgate Resorts involved the electric stove top element which was replaced promptly. I ordered a roasting pan and received a new one still in the shrink wrap within 20 minutes of my phone call. The 50 inch TV in the LR was a great treat. There were smaller TVs in each room. I don’t remember if any of them were flat screen.

Summary: Westgate Resorts has a winner in this property. The location is convenient to everything and especially I-4 in both directions. There is a Super Walmart just a few minutes away. Many restaurants are also in the area and many stores. We had rented a car so I have no comment on the free shuttle services provided.

You can’t easily walk to anything off of the Westgate property, so please keep this in mind in case you intend not to rent a car. I found the Westgate Resorts staff at this location to be very friendly, even cheerful. The many high-rise buildings appeared to be in good repair. The lobby area was tastefully decorated. I visited many of the pools and each one was clean and there were plenty of recliners, chairs and umbrellas.

The landscape was mature and tasteful. The hardware was very well maintained, showing a lot of upgrade activity. The trails along the lake were a great treat for morning walks, and the grilling areas seemed to be in good shape, too, although I didn’t use any as they were located far from our building. Locating a lakeside grill in a beautiful wooded setting was a destination I added to my “next time” to-do list!

At our Westgate resorts there was a weekly schedule of activities that included lots of pool games, exercise classes, kids stuff, etc. We didn’t use the spa so I can’t comment. We also don’t use the tennis courts, miniature golf course, fishing poles, paddle boats, jet skis, jet skis and canoes which are free if you own but otherwise good value -price. We took advantage of the early morning breakfast buffet deal that was held at the Smokehouse Grill on campus. An excellent value for money.

I enjoyed our week at Westgate Resorts Lakes and look forward to returning. I traded using DRI points and now we’re headed to Virginia Beach.

Thanks for reading my review. I hope it helps you plan your next vacation.