East Side Motel

The good parts were the complimentary breakfast and the central Gatlinburg location, which made nearby attractions easy to reach. Of the staff, the man at the front desk was friendly and helpful. The woman was rude and not much help. Our room smelled like cheap cleaner when we arrived, so we opened the patio doors for fresh air. The bathroom looked clean, but the shower and sink drains were clogged and slow. We reported it, and were told to request room service before 9 AM. They fixed the drains the next day. The sheets looked clean but had stains and a hole that seemed burnt. There was no microwave in the shared dining area, so heating food or milk at breakfast meant going back to the room. After 11 AM there was no drinking water, and no dispenser on the floors. When we asked the woman at the desk to turn on the kitchen water so we could refill bottles, she said no, it was only available until 11. Be prepared to buy water if you stay here.

The best part was an affordable stay about a 10 minute walk from the strip. The pools were heated, fun to swim in, and seemed to be cleaned regularly. They were unusual for a hotel like this, warm and kind of cool, though the bottoms felt like they were covered in sand. We were there for a week, our first vacation in a long time. The beds were comfortable, the shower was hot, and breakfast was good. But one bed had dirty sheets, and a leaking pipe under the sink soaked our clothes. The sink drained so slowly we could only run water for a few seconds. There was black mold in the shower corner, and no bathroom fan. The elevator was very slow, sometimes taking up to five minutes. Most staff were friendly, though a couple seemed unhappy at work and hard to approach. An interesting stay for sure.

The room's whirlpool was fantastic after a day of sightseeing, and I plan to stay here again. We had a generous breakfast with waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage, cereal, yogurt, bananas, muffins, and more. The desk attendant was friendly and really helpful. It's a great base for walking all around downtown Gatlinburg. There's a good-sized pool, a lazy river pool, and a hot tub.

We used to enjoy staying here and this was our usual hotel when visiting, but we won't come back. We were charged for an extra night, and have been given the runaround while trying to get a refund. The kids' feet turned black just from walking on the room carpet, and room service was practically nonexistent. The whole hotel smelled unpleasant, and the pool area's chlorine was overwhelming. Breakfast was awful and nowhere near what we expected. Such a disappointing change.