Some hotels give you a place to sleep…read more The Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg gives you a place to sleep... and occasionally a front-row seat to a bear. Seriously. If spotting wildlife is on your Smoky Mountain bucket list, this hotel may save you a trip into the national park. And if that bear gets a little too curious, you're already safely inside. The location is one of the best in Gatlinburg. It's right in the heart of town, yet tucked away on River Road, just far enough from the Parkway to avoid much of the noise and chaos. You can walk to everything and still feel like you've escaped the crowds. The hotel itself is clean, comfortable, and well maintained. But what keeps bringing us back is the staff. Hospitality is one of those things that's easy to advertise and harder to deliver. These folks deliver it. Everyone we've encountered has been friendly, welcoming, and genuinely interested in making guests feel at home. We've stayed here three years in a row. And we're already planning year four. In the hotel business, that's about the strongest recommendation I can give.

We've stayed at this Hilton several times over the years and it just seems like it's gone downhill…read more We had a King bed/Balcony/Whirlpool/Fireplace room. Pros: * Location - short walking distance to some of the best restaurants ever. * Parking lot is fine - easy to get in/out * Really nice hotel staff * Easy self-checkout for drink/snack purchases in the lobby. You can pay via card or charge to your room. * Very clean lobby restroom Cons * NEW - they now charge a $45 self-parking fee per stay. We found this out when we got our receipt upon checking out * Bathtub/shower drain was so slow, you stood in 3-4 inches of water every shower * Shower curtain was too short so you had to direct the shower head towards the shower wall and away from the middle, otherwise you'd soak the floor * Weird moldy looking stain on comforter * Motion sensor on thermostat, so at night it would become unbearably hot while we slept. Only when we got up did the AC kick back on. They also have a breakfast but I can't understand why anyone would eat hotel breakfast when some of the best breakfast restaurants are within a short walking distance. So no comment on that, because we didn't even bother. I don't know, it just seemed like adding insult to injury when we saw the $45 self-parking fee after the room issues we had. We'll probably look elsewhere for our next Gatlinburg stay.

Staff was awesome. Room was very clean. That's what I'm…read moreparticular about. Clean room is a must. And this was spotless. Definitely recommend. Perfect spot in Gatlinburg.

Upon arrival we were given a parking lot view instead of pool view we had booked. Front desk said…read moremanager had changed our room due to overbooking. Manager was not available to speak with but would contact us the following morning. Three days later we left and never heard from the manager. Just disappointed with management. Resort location is good, but rooms are more of a 2.5-3 star rating.

This Courtyard by Marriott is only a few years old, and we've been coming back ever since it…read moreopened. It's a little off the main strip, but still very walkable and honestly a nice break from the constant hustle. We use a meeting room here every year, and the staff is consistently fantastic -- professional, accommodating, and easy to work with. The lobby is a standout: a great coffee shop/café, the fireplace always going, and an atmosphere that makes it genuinely inviting to sit, meet, or just relax. The rooms are beautiful and well kept, and somehow we always manage to spot a bear while we're here, which never gets old. Reliable, comfortable, and welcoming -- this has become our go-to stay in Gatlinburg.

Fantastic hotel that is absolutely the best choice closest to the Gatlinsburg Convention Center…read more Clean and sanitary. Large rooms and bathrooms with plenty of shelf space throughout. Several lights tailorable to your preference. Cute balcony. Nice outdoor courtyard and event space/room. Housekeeping is amazing. Starbucks options on site but not the full menu. Bistro offers breakfast and dinner only. Small closets and minimal hangers so bring your own. Otherwise, a wonderful choice to stay!

So the location is perfect, in that it's a nice distance from downtown Gatlinburg; easy to get up…read morethe hill, but also lets you escape from the fray and feel like you have a little bit of solitude at the pool either inside or out. Oh, food options were good, literally one of the best breakfast buffets. I've been to at a hotel, however, if you got there at 8:30 or beyond, good luck in the buffet hunger games. I will add the bar staff were exceptional, and the complementary happy hour is a solid win. The challenges are that the service is actually not great for being such a young hotel. Room service was abysmal, I'll touch a picture of a "made bed". They apparently don't automatically clean the room, you have to ask them for a full clean, which is very odd considering most hotels you have to ask them to not clean the room. At the pool, there was a situation where a child threw up, I notified maintenance, who then came back and said nope, the front desk said he couldn't report it, a guest had to report it, therefore the vomit stayed for another 35 minutes, even though we wiped it as best as we could (not our child). Our toilet was broken for the duration of our six nights. Additionally, they were shortstaffed. So you could tell the front desk didn't have rotation, there weren't people walking around, checking to make sure everything was clean and ready. To be fair it could've been the fact that this was the busiest they've been all season, but as a major hotel, it feels like you should be equipped and prepared. I would also add that the trolleys were lacking, and it took us a long time to get one to be able to bring our belongings in. But still, I think three stars is fair, and hope they can up some things when we come back because we will be back, Gatlinburg was awesome!

Beautiful newer hotel that offers all the basics and so much more. The negatives: pillows were all…read moreflat, not every room has a balcony and the fitness center was small. That's it. I had to search for negatives. Considering almost all neighboring properties had balconies for each room and cost less per night , I felt this was a lost opportunity. The positives, everything else! The room was clean and beautiful. The daily Manager's reception was a nice treat, two swimming pools, lazy river (closed when I went), multiple seating areas throughout the property and friendly staff had all the elements for a 5-star rating. And let's not forget the notable Embassy Suites breakfast. We truly enjoyed our time here and did not want to leave. I would most definitely return.

4.5 rounded up. First, for the price this place is amazing. You are centrally located right in the…read moremiddle of Gatlinburg. While the hotel is a little outdated the rooms are CLEAN and the beds are SUPER comfortable. If you're looking for a fancy stay I'd recommend one of the higher priced places but if you want budget friendly and clean this is the place! I would stay here again. My only real complaints were there needed to be more towel hooks in the bathroom (we are a family of 4 and there was ONE hook on the back of the door.) and the sausage gravy needed a bit more seasoning in the mornings. Every staff member was friendly and accommodating. We had a wonderful stay.

Hotel is old.... very old and outdated. Mold on ceiling…read moreabove shower head, spiderwebs all over patio and railings, needs a makeover!! Only good thing was the office staff was friendly.

My husband and I stayed here this past weekend while we were Hilton hopping. We had a free weekend…read moreand decided to go to 3 different Hiltons in 3 days. This was by far our favorite!! It's located right off the strip and you can walk to the parkway without having to go up hills to get the to "fun" . Breakfast was great and had biscuits and gravy w eggs and Canadian Bacon and fresh fruit and waffles. I recommend taking your food to the sitting area on the water right off the breakfast area. Bathrooms off the lobby were nice and clean. I know it's an odd thing to review but the ladies bathroom had complimentary feminine hygiene products. Showers in room was nice w nice hot water. You do enter the rooms from the outside but it looks like each room has a balcony w a sitting area w chairs. We will definitely be back!

Centrally located in downtown Gatlinburg! Walk anywhere. The staff was super friendly and helpful…read more Room was clean and very nice. Pet friendly! Will stay here again!

Let me start by saying: location, location, location. And then: service, service, service…read more The hotel itself could use a bit of an upgrade, maybe in the décor -- something brighter and a little more modern. That said, it's still very nice. The rooms are spacious, and the views are absolutely unbeatable. What truly stands out, though, is the location. Perched on top of a mountain, it offers some of the most spectacular views in all of Gatlinburg, while still being close to downtown. You get the best of both worlds -- the peace, beauty, and silence of nature, along with easy access to restaurants, nightlife, and attractions. The most important highlight of this hotel is its staff. From the front desk to the kitchen team, housekeeping, and the bar staff, everyone is kind, polite, friendly, and incredibly welcoming. Without a doubt, one of the best hotels in Gatlinburg. We only stayed a few days, but we will definitely be back. Lastly, I'd like to highlight the food. The breakfasts are not only delicious but also very generous in size -- definitely big enough to share -- and dinner is just as good.

We had breakfast at the buffet at The Park Vista and overall it was decent, but not outstanding…read more The selection was solid -- eggs, bacon, fruit, pastries, and a made-to-order omelet station -- so there were plenty of options for everyone. That said, the quality felt pretty average for the price. Some items tasted like standard hotel buffet fare rather than something fresh or memorable. Service was fine and the dining area was clean, but nothing really stood out. It's convenient if you're staying at the hotel, but if you're looking for a standout breakfast in Gatlinburg, there may be stronger options nearby.

We recently stayed at the Old Creek Lodge for our first stay in Gatlinburg…read more We were hoping to spend most of our time visiting the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Old Creek Lodge is a great location to do just that. We got a king suite. The room was on the river side of the second floor. Our room had a balcony with a great view of the river below. It was well appointed with a fireplace for cooler months, a jetted tub, sofa, chair with ottoman, large TV, and king bed. The bed was a little uncomfortable for me though that could be simply a preference thing (my husband seemed aok with it). We definitely enjoyed the jetted tub after days spent hiking at the park! The room was a good value and though it had a well worn feel, it was comfortable for our stay. Bonus: there's a bear that frequents the river and we saw her more than once on our strolls to dinner. Get to it!

Room was nice with fireplace, balcony ,and good view. Location was great within a short walk to the…read morepark or shops. Was clean and comfy. Would stay at again. Con was parking is tight and breakfast area was small.