Tennessee's 5 Best Hotels In Downtown Gatlinburg, According To Reviews

Tennessee has no shortage of incredible cities, from Memphis to Nashville to Knoxville. However, if you're looking for more of a quiet getaway that is also close to the Great Smoky Mountains, nothing really compares to Gatlinburg. Sure, Pigeon Forge is where all the families go for entertainment (including Dollywood), but Gatlinburg is a breathtaking mountain city brimming with affordable fun that is great to visit any time of the year.

That said, because Gatlinburg is such a tourist-friendly city, it's practically bursting with amazing hotels and resorts to enhance your visit. So, one of the most pressing issues you'll run into when booking your trip is figuring out where to stay. While there are many different factors to consider when choosing a hotel or resort, one of the simplest and most effective is to look at online reviews.

To that end, we've brought together our picks for the five best-reviewed hotels in downtown Gatlinburg. Keep in mind that we're limiting these spots to the downtown area, so if you're hoping to stay closer to the Smoky Mountains or on the outskirts of town, that will have to be a different list. Also, we've tried to collect a variety of highly rated accommodations, each with its own perks and amenities, to make it easier to pick based on your specific needs. So, without further ado, let's book a hotel in Gatlinburg!

Part of the appeal of staying in Gatlinburg is that there are so many attractions within the city. If you're looking to be in the heart of it all, one of the better options is the Margaritaville Resort in downtown. This place is close to awesome activities like the Speedwerkz Exotic Car Experience, Ripley's Mountain Coaster, and one of the best attractions in the Smoky Mountains, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.

Margaritaville is also one of the best-reviewed resorts in the area, with over 2,800 reviews on Google and an average 4.7-star rating. According to reviewers, the resort is clean, well-maintained, and the staff offer exceptional customer service. One reviewer noted: "From a solo traveler's perspective, this place is a total vibe in all the best ways." They also rave about its central location, on-site amenities like the pool and hot tub, as well as the spacious sizes of the rooms. The pool even comes with a water slide, making it ideal for families with young children. Or, if you're just trying to relax, you can book a session at the St. Somewhere Spa.

Although there are some incredible restaurants close to Margaritaville, such as Ole Red, Gatlinburg Brewing Company, and Chesapeake's Seafood and Raw Bar, you don't have to leave the resort to get a great meal. On-site dining options include the Daiquiri Shack and Grill, the License to Chill Bar, and in-room food service. If you're visiting during the winter, Gatlinburg can get pretty cold and snowy, so being able to get food delivered to your suite is a game-changer.

If you've never been to Gatlinburg before, most of the attractions and activities are centered along Parkway Road, which cuts through the center of town and runs parallel to the river. Here is where you'll find the Gatlinburg Inn, a rustic lodge-style resort that has been in the heart of the city since 1937. So, if you want to stay in a piece of Tennessee history and be within walking distance to a wide array of dining, shopping, and fun, the Gatlinburg Inn is the perfect option. Best of all, it has an average 4.5-star rating with over 1,000 reviews on Google.

But what exactly is nearby? Well, if you're in the mood for family fun, there's Gatlin's Mini Golf and Rugged Ropes Adventure Course across the street. However, the Inn is also next door to the top lookout in Tennessee, the thrilling Smoky Mountain adventure destination known as Sky Park. You can take a tram across the river and get spectacular views of the city and the Great Smoky Mountains. Or, if you're not the outdoorsy type, you can head over to Ripley's Believe It or Not! As for food, there's a steakhouse, a burrito joint, a sports bar, and a barbecue restaurant within a block radius.

Because of its historic charm, the Gatlinburg Inn feels like a quaint slice of the past, which can be a nice change of pace compared to the modern, bustling city surrounding it. Or, as one reviewer put it: "This place has a special feel to it. Now, the rooms aren't 2025 decor, and floors aren't level but we didn't care." When booking your stay, you can choose between standard rooms, corner rooms with a wraparound balcony, family suites that are perfect for traveling with kids, or Presidential suites if you want added luxury. But, no matter what kind of room you get, the Inn provides a spectacular breakfast buffet, which is served until 10 a.m. every day. 

Although Gatlinburg has a lot of attractions and amenities to keep you and your travel companions busy, it's also an excellent base camp for exploring the Great Smoky Mountains. After all, Gatlinburg is one of the best gateway towns that offers adventure in and out of the national park, so you might as well take advantage during your stay. To that end, Bearskin Lodge on the River is near the edge of town, right by the Gatlinburg Trail trailhead. If you follow Parkway south, you'll run into the north entrance of the park.

As far as ratings go, Bearskin has an average of 4.5 stars on Google with over 1,200 reviews. According to reviewers, the rooms are on the older side, but they're clean and spacious, and the ones overlooking the river offer the best views. Guests also remark that the staff are courteous, professional, and very accommodating, making every stay memorable and enjoyable. To top it all off, the resort includes an outdoor pool with a lazy river, a fire pit, and a fitness center. When picking your room, you can choose between city and stream view. Either way, you get a balcony where you can watch the world go by as you sit back and relax.

Depending on what you're looking to do during your vacation, the Bearskin Lodge's location may be ideal or somewhat inconvenient. On this side of town, there aren't any attractions or shopping centers. So, you can avoid the crowds of tourists on the street, but you have to travel further if you want to do anything in downtown Gatlinburg. If you're just trying to explore the Great Smoky Mountains, it's probably better that you're not in the heart of the action, allowing you to come and go more freely.

One of the potential downsides of staying at a top-rated hotel in a tourist-heavy city like Gatlinburg is that the price can sometimes be relatively high. Fortunately, Marshall's Creek Rest Motel is a budget-friendly option that is also well-reviewed. Right now, it has 4.7 stars, based on over 400 reviews. Although the name suggests Marshall's is a roadside motel, it's actually designed to be like a rustic cabin, with wooden walls and stone accents. Best of all, depending on when you travel, rooms are often well below $100 per night. For example, if you travel in mid-January (considered the "off season"), you can get a family suite for $78.

According to reviewers, the rooms are exceptionally clean, and they often smell of oranges as soon as you walk in. Many guests remark that the location is ideal because it's off the beaten path but still within walking distance to attractions like The Village, Tennessee's open-air mall with Smoky Mountain views. It also helps that the motel overlooks Baskins Creek, giving it the air of a luxury resort but without the exorbitant prices. As one reviewer noted: "Rocking chairs in front of the room, a stream flowing by and occasional bears walking by."

The only significant downside of staying at Marshall's Creek Rest is that there are no restaurants surrounding it. Instead, you have to walk or drive to Parkway to find something to eat. Otherwise, it's a small slice of paradise that can give the illusion of staying in a remote cabin in the woods while you're still in downtown Gatlinburg.

Sometimes, when visiting a new city, it's fun to explore the local accommodations to get a sense of the regional vibes. In other cases, especially if you're part of a rewards program, it's better to book with a chain hotel. This way, you know what to expect, and you can potentially earn points to use for future travel. In this case, the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty rewards program reaches farther than ever, so why not use it in Gatlinburg?

Interestingly enough, the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites is located across the street from an affordable hotel right by the city's food and fun, the Sidney James Mountain Lodge. However, Fairfield is higher rated, with an average of 4.5 stars with over 750 reviews on Google. According to guests, the highlights of this hotel are its relative convenience to all of the attractions of downtown Gatlinburg and its spectacular hot breakfast. Since most hotels only serve cold continental breakfasts, having a rotating menu of hot items is a fantastic way to start each day of your vacation.

The Fairfield is another hotel that makes it super easy to get into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From its location, you can either head toward the Gatlinburg Trail or the Grassy Branch Trail. Either option allows you to explore various waterfalls and historical sites, including Cataract Falls and the John Ownby Cabin on the Gatlinburg Trail side, or Baskins Creek Falls and the Noah Ogle Cabin on the Grassy Branch side.

The first step to picking the five best hotels in downtown Gatlinburg is to look at reviews. We restricted ourselves to places that were at least 4.5 stars and had several hundred reviews. Although there are a few spots that are rated higher than the ones we picked, they only had a few dozen reviews, so the sample size wasn't large enough to warrant going on our list.

Next, we wanted to offer a variety of different types of hotel experiences. For example, Margaritaville is perfect if you want a luxury resort, while Marshall's Creek Rest Motel is ideal if you're on a tight budget. Similarly, the Gatlinburg Inn offers a historic perspective, and Bearskin Lodge provides scenic views. Finally, the Fairfield is our pick for the best national chain hotel in the city.