Timeshare Company Profiles: Westgate, Wyndham and Worldmark

Westgate Resorts, with more than 10,000 timeshare units, is the third largest timeshare in the world. Westgate has more than 400 owners and employs 6,500 people, the Westgate website says. Westgate, the brainchild of David Siegel, was founded over 40 years ago and grew from garage business to empire. Westgate has gone down in history as the world’s largest privately owned timeshare. One of the company’s proudest accomplishments is the construction of the PH Tower, which, according to company history, is the only timeshare tower connected to a casino in Las Vegas. According to Westgate’s website, PH Tower will be worth over $1 billion when completed. Westgate also reports that the building will have more than 2,850 units.

Some of Westgate’s other properties include Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa in Orlando, Westgate Miami Beach, and Westgate Towers near Disney World in Orlando. There are also properties in Utah and Tennessee.

Wyndham Worldwide is a leader in vacation rentals and vacation ownership and exchange. Properties range from resorts and residential clubs to yachts. Wyndham vacation rentals have more than 200,000 units and 155 vacation ownership resorts. People who choose vacation ownership through Wyndham have the flexibility to stay in spacious condominiums around the world. There are around 820,000 owners. One of the highlights of Wyndham’s collection of properties is the Registry Collection, made up of 160 luxury properties. According to Wyndham, it is the largest exchange for luxury properties. Destination properties are located in Belize, Brazil, Canada, the Caribbean, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Spain and the United States.

Wyndham Resorts is also a leader in vacation rentals and, according to company documentation, Wyndham is the largest marketer of vacation rentals in Europe. Some of the rental brands that Wyndham operates include Canvas Holidays with camp rentals, Cuendet with villas in Europe, Hoseasons Group with villas and cabins, Landal GreenParks and Novasol. Wyndham Resorts has been named one of Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired Companies of 2010.

Worldmark Resorts is a division of Wyndham and has 60 resorts for vacation owners. Worldmark has condo and studio style accommodations. One- and two-bedroom condos are 60 percent larger than hotel rooms, Worldmark reports. Penthouse suites are also available to owners. Locations are in the continental United States, Hawaii, and Fiji. Worldmark is also affiliated with another company, RCI, and therefore can provide properties in the Caribbean, New York, Paris, Mexico, Australia, Ireland, Venice, Egypt, India, Hong Kong, China, Japan, the South Pacific, and the Cayman Islands. .

Worldmark differs from other timeshare resorts by offering its owners more flexibility. The points system is not tied to unit size or location, so timeshare owners can stay at any of the resort’s 60 locations at any time.