Dollywood Cabins

This was our third cabin booking, and we’ve been happy each time. We stayed in Heart 2 Heart this visit. It was clean, everything worked, and we had a great time, with an amazing view too. A couple of things to know: they provide pans, bowls, and utensils, but if you plan to cook you’ll need to bring almost everything else, including coffee and filters. You only get two trash bags. If you’re just staying a night or two and won’t use the kitchen, that’s not an issue. There are no refunds if you leave early, for any reason. Dollywood manages and books the cabins but doesn’t own them. They handle cleaning, while each owner is responsible for upkeep and maintenance, so some units may have problems. That might explain some of the reviews, especially with the no-refund early checkout policy.

The booking center staff were very pleasant, and the cabin was cute and cozy. But the hot tub was very dirty and didn’t work when we arrived, and the overall cleanliness wasn’t great. There was no hairdryer either. Each of the three nights, a terrible sewage smell came around in the evening. I don’t know if that’s typical for the area, but it was so bad my kids didn’t even want to go outside to grill. We loved Dollywood and visited the hotel property, which was really well kept. We plan to return to the area.

Turkey Creek Lodge in Alpine Mountain Village was even better than the online pictures. It was very clean, nicely decorated, and had enough kitchen supplies for our needs. It had also been updated in response to earlier reviews. The three-floor layout worked perfectly for us, with plenty of room to gather and separate spaces for privacy. This was our first stay with Dollywood Cabins. The staff member who helped us on arrival was courteous and answered all our questions, giving us the information we needed. I’d highly recommend this management company.

The cabin was a very disappointing experience, and we only used it to sleep. The balcony was dangerously loose, with screws that didn’t fit the wood. The maintenance person on call said they couldn’t fix it and only rigged it temporarily until someone more qualified could come. We were especially worried about the children. The hot tub barely had water, so the jets sprayed us in the eyes. It was filthy, with dirt, webs, spiders, and bottle caps left by previous guests. We paid to use it every night but could only use it one night, and even then we didn’t stay long because of the balcony. There were so many webs inside that we got bitten seven or eight times within hours. I have photos and videos, including spiders walking on the stairs. The TV kept shutting itself off too. They charged a hidden cleaning fee, even though we were told to wash the dishes and take all the garbage out before leaving, which we did and photographed. We were also charged an accidental damage fee, though nothing was damaged, and I took pictures of that too. When I asked for a manager, they wouldn’t get on the phone. They offered a third of my money back, then emailed me two different prices I’d been charged, so I’ll be looking into that. I’ve stayed at hotels for under $100 a night that were much better. I thought more highly of Dollywood before this and will make sure people hear about it.