Coppertop Cabin

The cabin itself was spacious and nice, and we had a great experience overall. Getting there was scary, though. The road is very narrow, steep, and has no guard rails, so please don't take a car or motorcycle up. Also, the pool isn't in the cabin. It's a community pool inside a building up the hill.

The pavilion was a real highlight for us. It has lovely views, lights, and outlets, and was a nice spot to spend time together. We rented both coppertop and million dollar view. The houses were roomy, clean, and had comfortable beds, though both could use a deeper clean. The toilets weren't very clean, and they needed dusting. One had a four-person hot tub and the other a six-person one. Kitchens were very bare bones, with only a few pots and pans for cabins meant for eight. We also got just one trash bag for a week. With the thousands of dollars we spent, I expected more supplies. The driveway is the biggest thing to know before booking. My parents' minivan lost traction on a gravel section and slid off the side. Fortunately, a truck was already at the top and pulled them back onto the road. The owner said another van had needed a tow truck. I wouldn't bring a minivan, and my Toyota Camry might not have made it either. There are major potholes, and it could have bottomed out. We left both vehicles at the parking spot at the bottom and used SUVs and a truck to shuttle everyone. I wouldn't book this place without an SUV. The pool listing said it was heated, but didn't say it wouldn't be heated in summer. We were told it isn't heated then, and it was freezing. It's indoors under a pavilion with no sunlight, so it would need heat to be comfortable. Kids might not mind, but it wasn't somewhere to relax with a beer. The stay was nice, but for what we paid, I expected more.

The view is nice, and watch out for bears. You'll want a good vehicle for that steep road. The pool wasn't heated when we arrived or when we left after three nights. It would have earned more stars if the water had been warm.

We paid $2,000 for three nights because we wanted a private pool for our kids during Spring Break in Gatlinburg. On VRBO, I used the private pool filter, whose info button says, “Find a place with a pool all to yourself.” That seemed clear. After Haven Vacation Rentals sent the confirmation, I followed its link and saw that the pool wasn't listed as a highlight. Further down, it said the pool was shared with a neighbor. I wasn't comfortable having my kids swim with strangers out in the boonies, and I felt the listing was extremely misleading. I called Haven Vacation right away, but for three hours the message said no one was available. I left a message and got no call back. When I emailed, the representative was rude, curt, and lacking basic customer service skills. I've never been treated so poorly over what I see as deceptive advertising. They said VRBO considers a private pool to include other people in the same compound area, but I can't find that policy, and that's not what the filter definition says. This company pretty much ruined our vacation. I've contacted an attorney because I believe this is a UDAP violation that harms consumers. Anyone who's rented a cabin with a shared pool after reading this could take part in a class action.