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We’ve visited or stayed at all of these, and they’re all great options.
Visiting for the first time? We recommend staying near the main road, Highway 441 (or the Parkway). Traffic slows to a crawl in the summer, and it’s easier to stay somewhere where you can leave your car and walk around town.
#1
Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg
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Pool at the Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg. Photo by Ashley @ TheSmokyMountains.com
Our top choice is Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg, a 4-star resort located on the main parkway (Hwy 441) in Gatlinburg.
We have stayed at this resort several times, and you can read our review here. While it’s not the cheapest resort in Gatlinburg, it’s our favorite, especially if you’re visiting for the first time.
The location makes it a perfect base for exploring the best of Gatlinburg.
Front Entrance at Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg. Photo by Ashley @ TheSmokyMountains.com
This new resort has spacious rooms, an outdoor swimming pool with a slide, an indoor pool, and even real parrots in the lobby.
A Margaritaville restaurant is just outside the resort, and a smaller bar serves drinks and food by the pool.
The resort’s location makes it a perfect base for exploring the best of Gatlinburg.
Lazy River at Embassy Suites Gatlinburg. Photo by Ashley @ TheSmokyMountains.com
Our next choice is the new Embassy Suites Gatlinburg. It sits on a huge resort property, which is our favorite of all the hotels. The property includes two pools and a lazy river.
Why is it in second place? Its location isn’t as good as Margaritaville.
Instead of being right on the main road, it’s a half-mile walk uphill back to the property.
Indoor Pool at Embassy Suites Gatlinburg. Photo by Ashley @ TheSmokyMountains.com
If you’re visiting for the first time and would like to explore all of downtown Gatlinburg, it’s not an ideal location.
But if that isn’t a problem, this may be the best hotel in town. The 2 room suites, huge pool area, and complimentary breakfast and evening reception make it one of our favorites
Greystone Lodge Gatlinburg. Photo by Ashley @ TheSmokyMountains.com
The Greystone Lodge is a great option if you’re not interested in paying the higher prices of somewhere like Margaritaville Gatlinburg, but still want a great location.
Greystone is next door to Margaritaville and also sits on the banks of the Little Pigeon River.
It’s an older building, but clean and well-maintained.
There’s an outdoor pool, though it’s more like regular hotel pools than the giant resort pools of the top two choices.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations & Holiday Inn Express Gatlinburg Downtown
Holiday Inn Express Gatlinburg. Photo by Ashley @ TheSmokyMountains.com
These two properties are next to each other, and joined together by a small indoor water park.
Holiday Inn Express Gatlinburg Downtown is a great option for families, especially if you’re not visiting in summer. Its indoor water park makes it a great off-season choice.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Gatlinburg. Photo by Ashley @ TheSmokyMountains.com
Holiday Inn Club Vacations is on the other side of the water park, and offers larger apartment-style suites that are great for larger families and longer stays.
Like Embassy Suites, it’s south of the parkway (not quite as far), so it involves a bit more walking.
We’ve stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn several times, and before the new Embassy Suites opened up it was our preferred Hilton-brand resort in Gatlinburg.
Since then, it’s been moved down our list—not because it’s gotten any worse, but because the Embassy Suites is such a great choice. However, the Garden Inn is still a good option if you’re looking for something lower priced than Embassy Suites but still in the Hilton brand.
There’s an indoor pool and a large outdoor jacuzzi. Plus, it’s just a block away from the Parkway.
