Days Inn by Wyndham Jellico - Tennessee State Line

The employees are great, but the manager is horrible and apparently can’t keep them. The rooms were said to be newly remodeled, yet nearly every room has a problem. Many outlets don’t work, so you can’t use the hair dryer or coffee maker. Towels aren’t replaced half the time, and they won’t give you a fresh one even if you bring a dirty towel to exchange. The rooms are full of mold, and hot water is often unavailable. I had to call corporate to get hot water at all. This is the only hotel at the exit, but you’d get much more for your money by driving up or down the interstate to the next exit. I’d go there instead. I’ll post pictures of the moldy ceiling if possible, or put them on another site.

The room was much cleaner than I expected from a motel, and it smelled nice, cleaner than some name-brand hotels we’ve stayed at. We made this last-minute stop during a long road trip, and the gentleman at the desk was kind and helpful when we walked in to ask about a room. We didn’t stay for breakfast, though I know it starts at 6 a.m. The pool was closed for the season, but there’s a decent-sized outdoor pool. Days Inn did a great job exceeding my expectations.

The bed was the deal breaker. After dinner, we pulled the covers all the way back and found a large wet spot in the middle, stains on the top sheet in the same area, and long black hairs. It looked as if housekeeping had made the bed without changing it after someone had used it. Disgusting. We went straight to the desk, and they apologized and moved us to another room. That one had clean sheets, which I checked, and we used our own pillows. At nearly midnight, in the rain, there weren’t many other choices up on the mountain. We’d picked the place after seeing mixed reviews, hoping for one of the supposedly remodeled rooms. We often use cheaper hotels for a quick night on the road, and manage low-income rental properties ourselves, so we’re not easily fazed. We just need to feel safe, have clean bedding, no roaches or bed bugs, and a room that’s had a basic housekeeping once-over. The room was fairly clean aside from a dirty microwave we didn’t plan to use, and at first it seemed it would do for one night. The so-called remodel was awful. Paint was all over the outlets, doorknobs, and floor, and the patched holes had more plaster outside them than in them. They needed to be cut out and redrywalled. There was no proper drywall tape, screen, or sanding. Duct tape over the holes would have looked better. A smoke detector that had been glued to the upper wall had fallen and was glued to the floor by the bathroom sink. I manage over 200 rental properties, and this was some of the worst work I’ve seen. I hope the contractor wasn’t paid. The second room was cleaner, but the repairs were still terrible, with a huge ceiling crack and a badly patched punched hole in the wall. The touch vanity light barely worked. A smoke detector was screwed in above the spot where the previous room had a light, and that room’s switch did nothing, which was concerning. We wanted to support owners who seemed to be trying to remodel, but unclean bedding is a hard no for me. I know you can’t always control what employees do, but there were so many issues here I could write a book. The other reviews aren’t just people complaining that a budget hotel isn’t five stars. They need to do better with basic housekeeping and repairs. It’s a shame, because with proper care and management, this place could be nice and profitable. I wouldn’t recommend staying unless it’s the only option. There are nicer, more expensive hotels at the next exit heading north.

Keep driving. Some rooms are full of mold, and many have no hot water because they turn it off in the evening. You can’t get a towel, even if you exchange one. The front desk clerks are nice, except for the manager. Management is horrible. Don’t waste your money.