Holiday Inn Express Gatlinburg Downtown, an IHG Hotel

The good and the bad. Either way, a totally honest review. The location is amazing. The front desk staff has completely lost the concept of customer service. Explanation provided: I asked for extra pillows in the room and after the third request, I was told the hotel did not have any extra pillows. No big deal on the extra pillows. The A/C wall unit had mold spores in the unit (428) and smelled like it too. I then called multiple times from the room by pressing “0” on the phone, no answer. I then went downstairs to request a late check out and I was ignored multiple times while the front desk guy acted busier than he was to not have to see what I would like to request. A half an hour later an and a text from my wife, asking where I was, I wrote a note on a sheet of paper requesting a late checkout. Customer service is declining at an amazing location. Add more front desk staff to keep your loyal IHG customers. Without customer service you will not have any customers. The water slides/ pool did not look clean enough to actually enjoy and we did not get in the pool once during a week stay. The biggest kicker is they charge 15.00 a day for the location. (Non-refundable/ small print) the manager was very unhelpful and could care less.

Had a really great time and the hotel is centrally located to everything we wanted to do. Saving money by not going out for breakfast always feels better and the food was good. And we didn't have to pay to park along the crowded main strip. Everyone was super nice as well. Kudos to the staff.

Completely honest review. I originally booked through a 3rd party. When I got to the hotel they didn't have my reservation. However, the night manager and clerk worked on it and got me the same room at the same rate, which was great. Both of them were very very friendly. The room was phenomenal. It was super clean and the beds and pillows were great! Breakfast was also very good! Pancakes, sausage, eggs, cereal, yogurt... there was a great variety to choose from. The ONLY complaint I have is the $15 a day charge that IHG charges that isn't discussed on check in. I had to go ask the front desk clerk what that charge was for because I had 3 different charges from Holiday Inn on my bank statement. I was told the $15 a day is to pay for maintenance, sharing the parking lot with the hotel next door, using the pool, etc. I've never seen a hotel charge separately for those things. They are always included in the price. That is the only complaint that I have. Other than that I had a great experience. *Edit: Again, my stay at this hotel was great. However, they have a hold on my account for almost $60 that has still not been taken off of my card and shouldn't be. I've already spoken to the manager regarding the situation and he informed me that he voided the charge but it is still being held. This is a week after my stay and my bank told me they placed a hold on my account for a month (until Feb. 22nd, 2025). Why they would need to place a hold on my account for a month is beyond me. **2nd Edit: It has now been 19 days since my card was charged $60 for a "hold" that was placed on my account. I have left multiple messages for management to get back in touch with me regarding this issue and have yet to receive a call back. I'm going to give it til Wednesday of this upcoming week (3 more days) and if I haven't heard back from management I will dispute the charge of the stay with my bank for the amount of the hold still placed on my account. I was a VERY good guest at this hotel even when faced with the dilemma I had checking in. I even cleaned up my own room before I left. This is completely unacceptable as I have NEVER stayed at a hotel that kept a hold on my account for this long; especially when I was told by the manager almost 20 days ago that the charge would clear off my account within 72 hours.

Great hotel. I can't say enough how accommodating the people are here. They're always extremely friendly and eager to please. They bend over backwards to give you the best stay possible. The rooms are kept very clean. The lobby and breakfast area are beautiful. The hotel was well stocked in all areas. Definitely the place to stay in Gatlinburg

This was such a wonderful stay! Highly recommend staying here when visiting Gatlinburg. We were able to check in a little early and received the requested floor. The room was clean, spacious, has a microwave and fridge and plenty of space for a family of 4. The beds were so comfy and the bathroom is nice and spacious. The hotel is literally located near everything. Food and activities. The staff was helpful. I will definitely stay here again.