Westgate Resorts
Westgate Resorts is a real estate company and timeshare company. The company began when David A. Siegel started Central Florida Investments (CFI), the parent company of Westgate Resorts, in the early 1970s, as a real estate development firm. The firm started out of David Siegel's garage, but has since grown to be the largest privately held timeshare company in the world.[1] CFI employs more than 6,500 people across the United States and has annual revenues approaching $1 billion.
The company first expanded from Central Florida to Miami and Daytona Beach, then outside the State of Florida. Westgate now encompasses more than 12,000 resort villas at 28 resorts throughout the United States in destinations such as Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Park City, Utah; Williamsburg, Virginia; Miami, Florida; Branson, Missouri; Mesa, Arizona; and Tunica, Mississippi. The company provides vacation accommodations as well as offering worldwide travel exchange through its affiliation with Interval International and I.C.E. (International Cruise and Excursions).
Contents |
[edit] Properties
- Westgate Vacation Villas
- Westgate Town Center
- Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa
- Westgate Towers
- Westgate Palace
- Westgate Blue Tree at Lake Buena Vista
- Westgate Leisure Resort
- Westgate River Ranch
- Harbour Beach Resort
- Grenelefe Golf & Tennis Resort
- Westgate South Beach
- Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort
- Westgate Park City Resort & Spa
- Planet Hollywood Towers by Westgate
- Westgate Flamingo Bay
- Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort
- Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort
- Westgate Branson Woods
- Westgate Branson Lakes at Emerald Pointe
- Westgate Historic Williamsburg
- Westgate Painted Mountain Country Club
[edit] Current projects
In 2011, Westgate Resorts launched company-wide rebranding efforts to further enhance the experience for its owners and guests. In addition, online reservation requests were implemented for all Westgate Resorts owners, allowing for the convenience of making deposits, exchanges and modifications to reservations. Westgate Resorts opened a casual eatery, Shorts & Sandals, and adjacent Hershey's Ice Cream Shoppe at Westgate Vacation Villas and Town Center. Westgate Resorts also has initiated Westgate University, an online education resource for owners set for launch in 2012.
[edit] Wild Bear Falls Water Adventure
Westgate’s Wild Bear Falls Water Adventure at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa is the largest indoor/outdoor waterpark in the South and the fifth largest in the United States. At more than 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2), the park uses over 300,000 gallons of water daily. Other features include a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) mezzanine with a restaurant, retail shop and electronic game room; Cades Cove Lazy River, a 900-foot (270 m) lazy river; Clingman’s Dome, a 360-foot (110 m) body slide; and Laurel Falls, a 300-foot (91 m) tube slide. For families with young children, the park features Little Pigeon River, a zero entry pool and toddler play area, and Wild Bear Falls, a tree house play feature that dumps gallons of water periodically on the guests below. [2]
[edit] Westgate Resorts Foundation
Westgate Resorts also operates the Westgate Foundation, which gives out over $2 million annually to Florida and national charities and causes. According to the website's Mission Statement: "The mission of the Westgate Resorts Foundation is to actively support charitable activities in areas where our employees live and work. Emphasis is placed on our employees, children, women, families, seniors and other local programs that improve the quality of life in our communities."
[edit] Mystery Fun House
The Mystery Fun House was an attraction owned and operated by Central Florida Investments since 1976. Located across from Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, the facility closed in 2001 as a destination attraction and reopened as a corporate operations facility. Two movies were filmed at the Mystery Fun House, the birthday scene of Parenthood (1989) and some of Night Terror (1989).
