Motel 6 Gatlinburg, TN - Smoky Mountains

Disappointing Experience at Motel 6 I recently stayed at a Motel 6, and while there were some positives, overall, the experience left a lot to be desired. To start, the room appeared clean at first glance, but upon closer inspection, there was hair everywhere—on the walls, beds, bathtub, sink, toilet paper—long black hair that made it feel unclean. While I understand that shedding hair happens, this level of neglect stood out. There were also several maintenance issues. One of the outlets had no faceplate, which was concerning since I was traveling with my two young children. Several light fixtures didn’t work, making the room dim. The back balcony was another safety concern; the railing was poorly constructed and felt dangerously unstable. Outside, there was an overwhelming smell that was hard to ignore. Investigating further, I noticed the balcony next to ours was piled high with dog feces—not just scattered but clearly accumulated over time. It was disgusting and made spending time outside unpleasant. The housekeeping service was unusual. On the second day, someone came in and took all of our dirty towels but didn’t replace them with clean ones, nor did they take out the trash or tidy up. This felt incomplete and unprofessional. On the positive side, the front desk staff were friendly, helpful, and welcoming, which I really appreciated. However, the surrounding neighborhood didn’t feel very safe, so I recommend locking your doors and avoiding going out alone after dark.

I really like this Motel 6 and plan on returning! I have stayed in Motel 6s my whole life all across the country and I'm 38 years old. They are in the midst of remodeling this hotel, and my room was one of the nicest Motel 6s I've ever stayed in. The people running this hotel are very friendly! The hotel was secure. The location is wonderful. It's in the trees and they have a wonderful pool that they keep very clean even in off-season, completely nestled in the trees. I can't wait to bring the kids back to swim and enjoy the scenery. It was very charming and most of all for our family affordable. The price for our room was the most affordable thing of our whole trip and it is most definitely worth it. We could have stayed at the motel the entire time and enjoyed our whole vacation. I can't wait to go back in the summer.

The parking lot is small and makes you think it’s a slightly sketchy ish area BUT the rooms and the river make up for it. The room was super clean, the shower water pressure was top tier, and the room we stayed in actually had the river as our view. This was by far the best Motel 6 stay I’ve ever had.

Left the room 2 days before our scheduled checkout time. Couldn’t take it any longer! The construction crews with full banging starting at 8am we could handle. The smells everywhere we could not. Smells like pot being smoked all the time and other strong bad smells throughout the night. We were coughing, eyes burning and skin itching. When they cleaned the rooms the strong bleach smell would choke you. The door to our room could have been opened when locked with very little effort. The area around the hotel looks deserted with condemned (or should be condemned) buildings everywhere. Oh and then our AC stopped working and of course no one ever showed up to repair it which just made the odors and smoke 10x worse. Dogs barking through the night. We moved one block away to Econo Lodge at same price! Much better!!

Close to all attractions. No ice machine. No coffee maker In the room. Had to switch remote for TV several times. Hardwood floors. It needs carpet. Cold floors in the mountains in the fall and winter. No breakfast. My advice is spend a little more and get better accommodations..