Westgate Resorts - History
1970 - David A. Siegel starts a real estate development firm with an office located in his family garage.
1982 - The Westgate family of resorts is born when Westgate Vacation Villas opens one mile from Walt Disney World® Resort.
1986 - Florida Magazine publishes an article stating that "Westgate Resorts is the world's largest timeshare resort."
1991 - Vacation Industry Review magazine calls Westgate Resorts an "Orlando success story."
1995 - Westgate Miami Beach opens, featuring 500 feet of sandy beach and the only fishing pier on Miami Beach.
1996 - Westgate Lakes opens in Orlando and quickly becomes the second-largest timeshare resort in the world. David Siegel is recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of Florida.
1997 - Central Florida Investments (CFI) publishes its first issue of I Love Orlando magazine. Westgate Towers opens, just minutes from Walt Disney World® Resort. Westgate Daytona Beach opens within walking distance of the world-famous Daytona Beach boardwalk and pier. Westgate Resorts/CFI is one of the largest privately held corporations in Central Florida with more than $300 million in sales. U.S. timeshare sales reach $2.72 billion. Approximately 5,000 resorts exist worldwide with global sales estimated at close to $7 billion.
1998 - Westgate Resorts opens a 210,000-square-foot call center in Ocoee, Florida. The call center is one of the most technologically advanced centers of its kind.
1999 - Westgate Town Center opens, starting a 3,000-unit expansion of Westgate Vacation Villas. Westgate Smoky Mountin Resort at Gatlinburg opens at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
2000 - Construction begins on Westgate Park City & Spa in Park City, Utah, with plans to open for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
2001 - Westgate Flamingo Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, opens. Westgate Resorts now includes eight resorts, with ownership at 180,000 and growing. The Westgate Resorts Foundation is formed as a charitable organization to serve the needs of the community in which Westgate Resorts does business and to support company employees in need. CFI publishes the first issue of I Love the Smokies magazine. Westgate Resorts purchases the 1,600-acre River Ranch near Lake Wales, Florida.
2002 - Westgate River Ranch, the "World's Largest Dude Ranch," opens its doors. Westgate Blue Tree Resort at Lake Buena Vista opens in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
2003 - Westgate Palace opens in Orlando, Florida. Westgate Resorts purchases the Ramada Plaza Hotel & Inn Gateway in Kissimmee, Florida. Westgate Historic Williamsburg opens in Williamsburg, Virginia.
2004 - Westgate Resorts opens four new resorts: Westgate Branson Woods and Westgate Branson Lakes at Emerald Point, both in Branson, Missouri; Westgate Tunica Resort, Tunica, Mississippi; and Westgate Painted Mountain Golf Resort in Mesa, Arizona.
