Westgate Resorts announced today that its new, all-encompassing WestgateCARES Program will launch on Monday, May 4.  The program is a roadmap on how the company will safely reopen its resorts, hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, spas, casinos and other amenities with specific procedures that meet, and in most cases, exceed government-mandated directives.

From the very beginning of this crisis, Westgate organized a dedicated team of professionals to rapidly develop and implement comprehensive procedures to protect its guests and Team Members, including advanced cleaning procedures, strict personal hygiene protocols and a long list of operating procedures necessary to mitigate the risk of this virus. Westgate also announced that all of its WestgateCARES standard operating procedures and policies will be made publicly available on Westgate's website to help other businesses craft their own procedures.

"From day one of this crisis, every decision we made was based on one simple premise: how do we protect our Team Members, guests and the local community?" said Mark Waltrip, Chief Operating Officer of Westgate Resorts. "Just as important, we recognize that many businesses may not have Westgate's extensive resources to develop such comprehensive procedures, and it is our hope that sharing this vital information will help everyone reopen safely and reduce the spread of this terrible epidemic."

Some of the procedures that will be made available include: restaurant and spa operating procedures; contact-less curbside hotel check-in; enhanced sanitization standards for all guest rooms, common spaces and Team Member areas;  how to create your own personal protective equipment (PPE); guest and Team Member Screening protocols; and more.

"We have had a very successful track record of preventing the spread of the virus at our resorts, but we recognize that we are all in this together and the entire business community is only as strong as our weakest link," added Waltrip. "We are also hopeful that other businesses will do the same so we can all learn from each other and protect our community."