The Changing Shape of Luxury Travel: Westgate and VI Resorts Bet on Flexibility
Written by Sixteen Ramos In luxury travel circles, permanence is no longer the ultimate aspiration. Increasingly, high-net-worth individuals are seeking access over acquisition-favoring curated experiences, exclusive memberships, and the freedom to move across destinations without the baggage of traditional property ownership. This mindset shift is visible across sectors, from private aviation to hospitality, where club-based models and flexible travel portfolios are replacing the rigidity of legacy luxury structures.
Understandably, Westgate Resorts, a Florida-based hospitality brand, has announced its most significant expansion yet through the acquisition of VI Resorts. The move more than triples Westgate's footprint, introducing 42 new properties across the western United States, Canada, and Mexico, while formally integrating a points-based vacation ownership model into its portfolio. For a brand historically rooted in deeded week ownership, this transition represents a measured response to the changing expectations of today's luxury traveler-who values variety, consistency, and high service standards across multiple locations.
The creation of the VI Resorts by Westgate brand also adds an established base of over 41,000 vacation club members, along with the acquisition of Vacation Ownership Sales, the group that has exclusively managed VI Resort's marketing and sales operations for decades. Together, the newly combined network brings 64 total properties under Westgate's umbrella and signals a deliberate pivot toward ownership as a service rather than a fixed asset.
For travelers who once viewed vacation homes or second properties as hallmarks of success, a new calculus is emerging-one that favors flexibility, service, and experience over fixed assets. While owning a beachfront condo or ski chalet once symbolized permanence and prestige, the realities of property management, maintenance costs, market volatility, and limited usage are prompting many to rethink the value proposition. In its place, professionally managed, multi-destination membership models are gaining traction-offering access to a network of high-end resorts without the burdens of individual ownership.
These models appeal to a growing segment of travelers who want consistency in service, reliability in accommodations, and the freedom to explore new destinations under one unified system. For them, the return on investment is measured less in equity and more in access-access to curated experiences, concierge-level hospitality, and seamless planning. Particularly as travel behaviors shift toward shorter, more frequent trips and as consumers place higher value on frictionless service, the appeal of these modern vacation ownership models is becoming harder to ignore.
The Westgate-VI Resorts deal is a direct reflection of this shift, reinforcing how luxury consumers are redefining the role of "ownership" in the travel context.
By expanding its offerings through a model that prioritizes mobility and member experience, Westgate is aligning itself with a new generation of affluent travelers who want more control over how-and where-they engage with luxury. As the boundaries between hospitality, lifestyle, and investment continue to blur, the expansion offers a case study in how legacy brands can adapt without abandoning their foundational strengths.
