Fairfield Inn & Suites Sevierville Kodak

We were locked out of our room for the whole night, and that’s what finally made me write this. We returned around 9 p.m. to find that our key wouldn’t work because the lock had died. I first assumed someone could change the batteries and let us in, since this kind of thing happens at hotels. But nobody in the building could open the door, and they told us we’d have to wait until the next day to get our belongings. I’ve dealt with this at my own hotel, and know a manager could get into the room. I can’t imagine telling a guest they must go without their things overnight. Having no backup plan for this seems crazy. I work in hotels, so I rarely leave a bad review because I know things happen. Still, there were other concerns. Nobody checked my ID or asked for a card or explorer form, even when I came to the desk for another keycard. It seemed anyone could ask for a key to my room and get one. The room was noisy too. We heard hallway doors slamming frequently from about 6 a.m. onward.

We’ve stayed here many times, but this visit was a disaster and we probably won’t return. The room was filthy overall: the shower looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in months, and there was urine around the toilet. Breakfast was disgusting too. The pool and breakfast area were the only clean spots in the hotel. The staff were very accommodating and helped address some of the problems, which was the best part of the stay. Maybe things will be better next time, but I’m not counting on it.

As a longtime Marriott Gold Elite member, I usually have good stays at Marriott properties, so this was disappointing. There were upgraded rooms available, but no one offered me one. That was frustrating because elite benefits are part of why I stay loyal to the brand. The room made it hard to sleep. Whenever the very loud air conditioner turned on, it gave off a musty, unpleasant smell. The mini-fridge rattled and hummed through the night as well. This fell short of the usual Marriott standard, and I hope management takes care of the maintenance and service issues for future guests.

We chose this location because we loved another one of theirs, and room 203 looked promising at first. It seemed clean, the TV had lots of channels, and the AC worked well. But there was visible dirt left in the tub, along with a towel from a previous guest. Then at 11 p.m. I spotted two bed bugs beside me in the bed. At the desk, Celeste was lovely and accommodating. She immediately offered a refund and moved us to a Queen Suite, which was much cleaner and had far fewer bugs. Three stars for the service, Celeste was wonderful.