Holiday Inn Express Pigeon Forge/Near Dollywood by IHG

The breakfast was great, and the workers kept checking if we needed anything. They made it feel happy and welcoming. We also loved the pool and the outdoor fire pits. Our stay was extremely good, even though the TV didn’t work. Dominic did everything he could to fix it and handle the situation, and he was professional, welcoming, and friendly the whole time. We’d absolutely stay again. Thank you!

I booked a room with a Jacuzzi tub, Room 104, and wish I’d paid more attention to the earlier reviews. The location is pretty good for attractions, and breakfast looked fine, though we skipped it because there were more interesting options nearby. Maybe the standard rooms are okay, but I would not book a Jacuzzi room here. The bathroom problems were a huge letdown, especially because the tub wasn’t clean and working properly. The layout felt strange: a narrow room, a small living room with a very uncomfortable couch, and almost no spare outlets. You had to walk through the bathroom to get to the bedroom. The bedroom itself was fine, and the bed was acceptable, though not very comfortable. Outside lights came through the blinds all night. The bathroom looked like a terrible contractor had thrown it together. Part of the ceiling was a drop ceiling, in poor shape, and an odd choice for a bathroom since cameras could be hidden there easily. There were two sinks, one with barely a trickle and the other with a slow flow. The toilet had weak flushing pressure, though at least it was in a separate enclosed area. The shower pressure was low too, and the sharply sloped floor made it feel like showering in a fun house. The worst part was the whirlpool tub: it filled quickly with great water pressure, but black clumps came out of the jets as soon as I turned it on. It seemed improperly cleaned. I’ve never run into that at any hotel, even similar budget chains.

The facilities were about standard for an IHG, though a bit more updated than usual, which was a plus. I normally don’t write reviews unless a hotel is really bad, even as an IHG member, but Dominick’s service deserves recognition. He was outgoing, energetic, friendly, and attentive, and kept trying to make sure my stay was pleasant. He said hi and checked that everything was okay whenever I passed by, and helped me with a couple of shower issues and other situations. I rarely see service like that in this industry, especially with my status. I hope management recognizes how hard he works and how he goes beyond what guests expect, always with a smile. Without him I probably wouldn’t have written at all. Good job, Dominick, and thanks for making my stay awesome.

This hotel was not family friendly in our experience. When we arrived on Thursday, November 20th, the brunette front desk employee was immediately rude and smug to my husband. After a long, rainy day at Dollywood, my husband went to get food while our hungry kids were ready for bed. Our young son started crying because he was tired and in an unfamiliar place. As I tried to comfort him, a man came to the door and knocked. My husband wasn’t there and had told me not to open the door to a stranger. The man yelled through it for us to be quiet. The crying lasted no more than 5 minutes, and my husband came back soon after; our son was happy again. The walls shouldn’t be so thin that people can hear all that. Later we got a threatening call from the brunette woman at the desk. We tried to explain that kids act this way and that he was okay by then, but she kept talking over us and threatening us. She accused us of abandoning our son, which wasn’t true, I was with him the whole time. She exaggerated it and said she’d heard “screaming.” My husband finally hung up, and we went to bed. There was no reason to call and speak rudely to us over a young child after he’d been consoled. Some time later there was another knock, and this time my husband answered. It was the police. The officer said the front desk woman had reported “consistent arguing,” which was a blatant lie, and had mentioned threatening to “kick us out.” Calling police and lying to them is criminal harassment. We’d paid to stay there and instead felt scared and harassed, completely unwelcome. It felt like a power trip by the receptionist, not an effort to keep anyone safe. The next day we learned that the neighbors had been drinking liquor and were heavily drunk. They supported those guests while choosing to harass an innocent family. My extended family was there too, and none of us will stay there again or at any hotel in the same group.