RESORT
1. Gatlinburg Falls Resort (Editor's Choice—family resort): www.gatlinburgfalls.com or 1-800-836-8600
• Highlights: Best game rooms around with arcade games, pool
tables, extra space, and a few private movie theaters. Attentive
service, great perks, top-notch cleanliness. (We spied housekeepers
cleaning behind the fridge.) Small community pool with waterfall. Some
units are pet friendly.
• Resort: 116 cabins, ranging from 1 to 9 bedrooms (sleeps up to
32), built closely. Spacious floor plans, modern décor, ample balcony
space. Nice hillside views. Easy roads. On-site maintenance and front
desk.
• Location: Just off stoplight #1 as you enter Gatlinburg from
Pigeon Forge. Only five minutes from town.
• Price of one-bedroom cabin: $115-$350, plus $25-$75 cleaning
fee (varies by cabin size) and $25 hot tub fee; no reservations fee
2. The Preserve: www.thepreserveresort.com or 1-866-361-8439
• Highlights: Phenomenal views from the crest of a hill. Luxury
décor and amenities. Floor plans that maximize the view with plenteous
windows. No cabins blocking your view of the park. Pavilion, wedding
chapel, sauna/workout room, community pool, and high-speed Internet
access.
• Resort community: 77 cabins built on a cleared ridgeline facing
the national park. Units are built closely with similar floor plans, but
they're designed so that you're not looking into your neighbor's
window.
• Location: Pigeon Forge (in the general vicinity of
Dollywood)
• Price of one-bedroom cabin: $164-$299, plus $45 reservation fee
and $20 hot tub fee
3. Black Bear Ridge Resort: www.blackbearridgeresort.com or 1-888-889-7865
• Highlights: Super luxury cabins with leather couches, designer
furniture, flat-screen TVs, and well-stocked game rooms. Some units
feature indoor pools and/or saunas. Resort features wedding chapel,
salon, limo service, community pool, in-room massage, gift baskets upon
request. Unobstructed views of Bluff Mountain. Can book groups of up to
200. Great off-season discounts of up to 50%.
• Resort community: 140 cabins ranging from one to eight bedrooms
(sleeps up to 22), closely situated on clear-cut hillside. Wide roads.
Similar floorplans.
• Location: Wears Valley, about 10 minutes from Pigeon Forge.
• Price of one-bedroom cabin: $99-$289, plus $50-$200 cleaning
fee (varies by size)
INDIVIDUAL
1. Big Cabins: www.bigcabins.com or 1-866-305-8739
• Highlights: Caters to big groups—family reunions, church
groups, corporate retreats, and weddings. Supersized cabins sleep up to
58, and this company can accommodate groups of up to 300 by booking
adjacent cabins. They'll cater meals, arrange group excursions, and book
side-trips and tickets for the group.
• Cabins: More than 40 extra-large luxury properties (plus more
than 100 smaller properties available through sister companies Majestic
Mountain Vacations, Legacy Mountain Resort, and Sherwood Forest). Big
Cabins offer up to 12 bedrooms, and properties are fully loaded with
amenities and open spaces for gathering. Some feature TVs, DVD players,
and satellite TV in every bedroom. Some units are pet friendly.
• Location: scattered throughout Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
• Price of one-bedroom cabin: $138-$275, plus $45 reservation fee
and $20 hot tub fee
2. Jackson Mountain Homes (Editor's Choice—romantic retreat):
www.jacksonmountain.com or 1-800-473-3163
• Highlights: Wide range of attractive, well-appointed cabins
with one to eight bedrooms (sleeps up to 30) that appeals to both
couples and big groups. Professional service from a respected company.
Emphasis on cleanliness. High decor standards. Some homes with free long
distance calling and high-speed internet.
• Individual cabins: Around 167 scattered throughout Gatlinburg
and outside the city limits. Tip: Ask about cabins in Pinnacle Vista, a
secluded area off U.S. 321 with spectacular views and spacious lots. In
Gatlinburg, Appalachian Lodge is a stunner.
• Location: Gatlinburg, Cobbly Nob, Pittman Center, Pinnacle
Vista, Arts & Crafts Community.
• Price of one-bedroom cabin: $100-$180, plus $55 reservation fee
and $150 credit card hold; no cleaning or hot tub fees
3. Tanasi Lodge (Editor's Choice—Best Views): www.summitcabins.com or (865) 207-4961
• Highlights: One-of-a-kind lodge on the summit of Hatcher
Mountain, with sunrise or sunset views from 10 of its 11 bedrooms. Ample
decks and lots of windows maximize the 360-degree vistas. Leather
sectionals, granite countertops, contemporary decor. Pet friendly ($50
fee per pet, with prior approval).
• Cabins: Just two cabins built and owned by a Knoxville couple.
Tanasi sleeps 26 to 28. Dreamcatcher, next door, sleeps 12 to 14. Road
to summit has sketchy, steep gravel section for last a quarter mile.
• Location: Wears Valley, halfway between Pigeon Forge and
Townsend. Close to a less-traveled entrance to the national park.
• Price: Tanasi Lodge rents for $750-$1,200 per night.
Dreamcatcher rents for $225-$325 per night (depending on occupancy and
season), plus $100-$150 cleaning/supply fee
