Comfort Inn at Royal Blue — Hotel in Caryville

Based on location to trails alone, I'd give 5 stars. It is conveniently located right off a trailhead, there are multiple gas stations and food options. The parking for trucks with trailers is large and easy to maneuver in. If you are staying here ONLY for the proximity to ride great trails and don't care about the room, this is the best place to stay. HOWEVER, if you aren't here for the trails and/or like a clean room to relax in, get a restful sleep and feel comfortable in, you will not like this hotel. I picked this hotel location based on the location for riding trails, we live several hours away. My husband and are accustomed to clean rooms, even if we are getting muddy on the trails, we are careful not to dirty up the room or hotel hallways. The entire room smelled so strongly of urine that it was gagging, this didn't go away at all. The AC unit was so loud and clunky that it woke me up every cycle it ran. The vent fan in the bathroom didn't work, the toilet seat was a disgusting grimy mess, very low water pressure in the shower and there was a dead cockroach in the corner of the bathroom floor. The window blinds let in a ton of light because they didn't close all the way and with so many people sitting outside with their rides, I felt like they could probably see in (I was on the first floor). There was just so much that I found too unpleasant to be worth here staying again, especially at the rate they charge. Yes, I was there to ride trails, not stay in the room all day, but I expect it to NOT smell like urine (or anything really!) and feel comfortable when I am in the room. Based on all this, I would give the room itself a 1 star, but combining the easy access to the trails that I was really there for with the repulsiveness of the room, I give a happy...

We have been staying at this hotel 2 times per year since 1997 - we loved this hotel & recommended it to others. Staying here WAS a highlight of our trips to Disney World from our home in Ontario, Canada.

With the recent renovation to standardize this hotel /change in ownership, we have noticed the following disappointments over our last 3 stays Aug 2014 & Feb 2015 (twice):

1. Now Allowing Pets - we have people in our family that have allergies & we recently noticed a sign stating this hotel allows pets - previously this hotel had a strict NO PET policy which made this hotel an obvious choice -those with allergies were having reactions this past stay

2. Breakfast quality is not as good - this was ALWAYS a highlight of our stay - changes include: watered down OJ, no longer providing cold milk via a machine (now in a jug), waffle mix was watered down - could not make a waffle that was edible - change of yogurt brand - glad you still have the biscuits! Please don't take them away.

3. Overall Charm of the hallway memorabilia and the outdoor displays - this was a piece of American History & we loved it - now it is gone during renovations but hoping some of it comes back but from what we have seen, much of it will be gone.

We feel that the change/renovations to make this Comfort Inn a 'standard Comfort Inn' has hurt the charm and overall quality and experience of what was a PREMIER hotel choice - sorry to say that we will probably not be staying at this...

This Comfort Inn has the amenities and location we expected, but more important is the people that work there. During the first evening of our stay the hotel, and all the surrounding businesses suffered a complete power outage. It lasted 10 or so minutes, but when it came back on, the TV's and computers did not. A young lady, KD, who may have still been in school, was working the front desk and was very helpful in calming the guests. A few of us brought in flashlights from our cars.

The power went out for the entire area again KD took it in stride and was in the lobby to answer any questions and to reassure people, again. When the power came on again, the computers would not reboot. She said she needed an extension cord to try to get it working, I happened to have one in my suitcase, so I gave it to her to try to make it work. (It did not)

We spent a good night sleeping, as there was no TV (some times that is a blessing) and in the morning the problem was still there. KD had gone home at 11:00pm. The manager mad the necessary calls and the problem was solved that morning.

I want to commend the entire staff for doing everything they could to keep us informed and as happy as we could be under the circumstances. Sometimes it is how a problem is handled that makes the biggest difference. This was one of...