Gatlinburg Hotels and Accommodation

(Gatlinburg, Tennessee - TN, USA)

Gatlinburg, in eastern Tennessee, is packed with hotels, motels and restaurants. Many hotels in the Gatlinburg area offer spectacular views of the nearby Appalachian Mountains and Smokies, which feature a myriad of popular mountain trails. Full of all the major accommodation chains, such as Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Holiday Inn and Fairfield, most lodging is never far from the area's attractions and shops.

Accommodation in Gatlinburg is situated throughout the city and most features balconies and large windows, often overlooking the Little Pigeon River and coming with free breakfasts. Due to the city's close proximity to the Ober Gatlinburg theme park and ski resort, hotels can be relatively expensive, although cheaper accommodation with basic facilities is available. Filled with German charm and character, lodging is particularly clustered in the center and around the Parkway area, where many friendly inns and pubs reside.

Where to Stay

Further hotels can be found around Gatlinburg's outskirts and in nearby towns and villages, such as Newport (34 miles / 55 km), Sevierville (14 miles / 23 km), Seymour (28 miles / 45 km) and Townsend (22 miles / 35 km). Accommodation is also plentiful in Pigeon Forge (7 miles / 11 km), home of the world-famous Dollywood amusement park.

Camping is an increasingly popular alternative to more conventional accommodation in the Gatlinburg area, with a number of appealing camping grounds available. These include several exceptional camp sites located within the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which offer a range of outdoor activities. Of note, hikers intending to camp in the countryside surrounding Gatlinburg need to obtain a free backcountry permit, which is available from visitor centers around the city.

Lodges and hostels in Gatlinburg provide particularly good value for money and include a Christian Youth Hostel off East Parkway. Budget hotels are concentrated along Airport Road, the Historic Nature Trail, the Reagan Drive and Ski Mountain Road. This cheap accommodation includes the Best Western Twin Islands, the Econo Lodge, the Hampton Inn, the Holiday Inn Sunspree, the Super 8 Motel and also the Travelodge Pigeon Forge.

Mid-range hotels in Gatlinburg are based around the East Parkway, Garden Road, River Road and Weber Road, where lodging includes the likes of the Clarion Inn and Suites, the Howard Johnson Inn, and the River Terrace Resort Convention Center. Standing on River Road, the Hilton Garden Inn is especially close to the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and just a stroll from the main drag, while nearby is the Edgewater Hotel and Conference Center, which is within walking distance of attractions such as the Ripley's Aquarium, Fannie Farkle's Amusement, the Gatlinburg Skylift, the Guinness World of Records Museum and the Mysterious Mansion.

Similarly priced, four-star hotels in Gatlinburg include the Laurel Point Resort on Ski Mountain Road, which is well-placed for winter skiers heading to the Ober Gatlinburg area. On Garden Road, the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort is known for its very own Wild Bear Falls water park, upmarket accommodation and award-winning restaurant, named the Westgate Smokehouse Grill. The Deer Ridge Mountain Resort on Weber Road is also noteworthy and lies to the far east, near to the small community of Pittman Center.