Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa — Hotel in Dr. Phillips

This place has many mixed reviews for a reason. Some things are great and some things are awful, it just depends on what you get. I purchased a 5 day/4 night package after going through & declining a presentation/offer in Branson, MO. Prior to my trip I verified via the main reservation line that I would have waterpark access "as an owner" and not have to go to a presentation, I was assured I would not.

The room was "renovated" you can ask for that when booking. It was nice, a big size and great views but it was not cleaned well. Many things were dirty (floor, dishes, outside of frig, wall splatters, couches full of sunscreen) and everything was dusty, very dusty. We could not walk around barefoot, our socks were filthy.

They do provide a broom and mop so that was nice. If you like things clean bring some Clorox wipes, spray/rag and be prepare to clean your whole room.

They attempted to "update" the room with poorly installed vinyl flooring in the bedrooms and looks like they painted the tops of the old furniture but it was all scratched up/chipping off. Still large bulky outdated furniture. They were newer appliances so that was appreciated. Washer and dryer worked well after I fixed the dryer vent that had a hole in it and was causing the room to get hot/damp. The dishwasher looked nice, didn't use it so not sure if it worked well. The fridge was missing a shelf in the door but was otherwise clean (on inside) and newer.

The king bed had sheets that were dirty upon arrival. Getting in late from the parks and getting ready to go to bed then seeing that is very upsetting, so do yourself a favor and check it right away. After the fiasco that was getting new linens and having to sleep on the couch (no sheets for sofabed either), when replacing sheets I was not pleased to find a disgustingly crusty blanket and a few tiny bugs in top of a mattress encasing cover. I didn't believe they were bed bugs (but I've never seen any in person so I don't know). Needless to say I was paranoid the next 3 nights, even after putting extra blankets and sheets under/over the reg mattress cover and using a self washed blanket and all new before v clean sheets. No bites so I guess they were just some other tiny bugs, maybe from the floor, not sure. The beds in the second bedroom seemed fine, my kids didn't complain and slept well.

The housekeeping is not good. My request for sheets took all night and then they did not bring a mattress cover, when I finally got that in the morning and was making the bed, I found they had sent me the wrong size sheets. The front desk ladies were nice and since I had to call about 5-6x for this they were apologetic. For some reason housekeeping closed out my request without filing it so they had to redo it. This led to a terrible night's sleep and poor first day there.

After checking in they send you to another (sales) person to "give you your info". Since I did not need to go to a presentation, I thought I'd get my waterpark passes and be on my way. Instead I was given a card for my "personal concierge" who would give me my "card" and passes. I texted this person immediately as I wanted to get to the waterpark. He said we had to meet for a short time and I expressed my business and plans. He said we could find another time and then authorized my waterpark passes, which I had to go to someone else to get. Such a pain.

I ended up meeting with him on my checkout day. He asked a few questions and made an offer which I immediately declined, he made a copy of my DL to "prove" he talked to me and made offer even though I had to sign forms declining. I didn't appreciate being lied to about being required to meet with sales.

The location is extremely inconvenient if you do not have a car. You'll have to Uber everywhere. They have a shuttle to Citywalk scheduled with only 4 morning and 3 or 4 evening runs. No where else and you have to schedule it 24-48 hours ahead so no deciding to go to the parks on the fly. No transportation to Disney. Uber is about $10 each way depending on the...

First Impressions Matter!|Check-In|I was handed my room keys and given a questionable time frame for checkout. The young man had stated that regular check-out was at 10 a.m., but I could also do a late check-out by 12 pm for no extra charge. I had to ask for directions to our room, at which time he smiled and chuckled. He then handed me a map and sent me to the hospitality counter for a welcome packet. I was handed a white envelope, and this was my check-in.|The Room (816)|As usual, we dropped off our luggage and then went out for our first night dinner. We came back and retired for the night after a long day of travel. The next morning, I noticed we were missing a lamp in our bedroom, a toaster, and other key items that we are accustomed to having during our stays at any Resorts. The room was missing detailed décor, and you could see things were old and dated, but the room was sufficiently clean.|The Pools|The pools were great, and the jacuzzi would have been a nice bonus if I could have enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it was a “Free for All” even though rules were posted, none were followed. Kids were diving in the pool, kids were in the jacuzzi, and adults brought in glass bottles. No staff were ever monitoring the pool areas.|The Waterpark|If you are not a Westgate Owner, you have to pay to enter. This is crazy considering I am an owner and traded my home resort with all its amenities via Interval International to stay at this property. This has never happened before; every time we have traded to stay at another property as owners, we have been treated as owners, but not this time. We were treated as if we walked off the streets to stay here, not a feeling we have ever had staying at other resorts or exchanges.|The Spa|I was super excited to treat my daughters to Spa services as they offered services for children 12 and under. When I secured our appointments, they stated we should arrive early to use the amenities. We arrived early for our appointments, but to our surprise, the amenities were a disappointment. They had a small jacuzzi, a steam room, and a sauna. A Sauna,…. that was not working that day. The services we obtained were great. Donna provided my daughters with a facial and manicure which they loved. I received a body scrub and foot massage by Takeisha that was awesome. I highly recommend the services. My daughters were a little sad because they did not have kid-size robes, and the adult ones were a little too big. |Check-Out|I went the day before to registration to inform them that I wanted to check out late, as this was mentioned during check-in as an option due to our flight being delayed. To my surprise, the young lady asked if I was approved for a late check-out and stated she would need to check for authorization. She went off and returned with a gentleman who told me that this was not possible. So why was I given this option during check-in? It's like they are not all on the same page.|Overall|The Resort is very busy as they have over one thousand rooms (which is why they don’t offer room service). They have a huge onsite sales center, which they promote heavily. Actually, we were left an invitation on our room door to attend the sales center to become owners, which we graciously declined. Why would we want to become official “Westgate” owners at a resort that treated us like walk-ins. The location of the resort is ideal as it is centered amongst everything. When I informed “Alejandro” at guest services of all the items missing from our room, they brought the items. Whenever I ordered clean towels, they brought them as they had golf carts zipping through the entire property. Sadly, we will never stay here again. I also understand all of the mix reviews, as mine is mixed as well. |Tip: If you want a low-key resort, do not stay here because it is extremely busy. |I would highly recommend they purchase some kid robles for that extra special touch, since they offer services to...

First Impressions Matter! Check-In I was handed my room keys and given a questionable time frame for checkout. The young man had stated that regular check-out was at 10 a.m., but I could also do a late check-out by 12 pm for no extra charge. I had to ask for directions to our room, at which time he smiled and chuckled. He then handed me a map and sent me to the hospitality counter for a welcome packet. I was handed a white envelope, and this was my check-in. The Room (816) As usual, we dropped off our luggage and then went out for our first night dinner. We came back and retired for the night after a long day of travel. The next morning, I noticed we were missing a lamp in our bedroom, a toaster, and other key items that we are accustomed to having during our stays at any Resorts. The room was missing detailed décor, and you could see things were old and dated, but the room was sufficiently clean. The Pools The pools were great, and the jacuzzi would have been a nice bonus if I could have enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it was a “Free for All” even though rules were posted, none were followed. Kids were diving in the pool, kids were in the jacuzzi, and adults brought in glass bottles. No staff were ever monitoring the pool areas. The Waterpark If you are not a Westgate Owner, you have to pay to enter. This is crazy considering I am an owner and traded my home resort with all its amenities via Interval International to stay at this property. This has never happened before; every time we have traded to stay at another property as owners, we have been treated as owners, but not this time. We were treated as if we walked off the streets to stay here, not a feeling we have ever had staying at other resorts or exchanges. The Spa I was super excited to treat my daughters to Spa services as they offered services for children 12 and under. When I secured our appointments, they stated we should arrive early to use the amenities. We arrived early for our appointments, but to our surprise, the amenities were a disappointment. They had a small jacuzzi, a steam room, and a sauna. A Sauna,…. that was not working that day. The services we obtained were great. Donna provided my daughters with a facial and manicure which they loved. I received a body scrub and foot massage by Takeisha that was awesome. I highly recommend the services. My daughters were a little sad because they did not have kid-size robes, and the adult ones were a little too big. Check-Out I went to registration to inform them that I wanted to check out late, as this was mentioned during check-in as an option due to our flight being delayed. To my surprise, the young lady asked if I was approved for a late check-out and stated she would need to check for authorization. She went off and returned with a gentleman who told me that this was not possible. So why was I given this option during check-in? It's like they are not all on the same page. Overall The Resort is very busy as they have over one thousand rooms (which is why they don’t offer room service). They have a huge onsite sales center, which they promote heavily. Actually, we were left an invitation on our room door to attend the sales center to become owners, which we graciously declined. Why would we want to become official “Westgate” owners at a resort that treated us like walk-ins. The location of the resort is ideal as it is centered amongst everything. When I informed “Alejandro” at guest services of all the items missing from our room, they brought the items. Whenever I ordered clean towels, they brought them as they had golf carts zipping through the entire property. Sadly, we will never stay here again. I also understand all of the mix reviews, as mine is mixed as well. Tip: If you want a low-key resort, do not stay here because it is extremely busy. I would highly recommend they purchase some kid robles for that extra special touch, since they offer services to...