Econo Lodge Inn & Suites on the River — Hotel in Gatlinburg

Room is definitely in need of a remodel. Not terrible. Just a little janky. Door trim under the door is peeling off so lots of light from the parking lot is coming in. Hair on the bathroom wall. Patio chairs are dirty. The bed seems hard and the pillowcases have stains on them. We always bring our own pillows and sheets so no worries there. Also it looks like we got somebody's leftover partially used shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom. We bring our own of that too so no big deal. Just kinda sketch I guess. One good part is they have a no smoking on the balcony policy. We came to sit outside and immediately the people next door were outside smoking. We never call to complain no matter what happens in or around our rooms but we did call about this one. They immediately sent somebody out to check out the complaint. I know some people will say we're being a "Karen" because we complained. I'm just so tired of being forced to smell smoke in no smoking areas. Anyway, this hotel is very conveniently located at the ober mountain end of town but off the main street. It is very quiet outside when the neighbors aren't yelling at the small child who apparently has a hard time understanding what no means... The walls are THIN... THIN THIN THIN. We ended up with a room with an adjoining door to the non-listening, non-minding toddlers room soooo, it's gonna be a long 3 nights if they stay the whole time we stay. All in all we would possibly stay here again but hope for a better neighbor. We have geese right outside the room. Super polite little fellas just hoping for a snack. Air seems to work well. Also the light switches are in weird places. Bathroom light switch is on the wall outside the door. As for the front desk clerk. She was nice. It was a bit annoying that she didn't even ask if I wanted to charge the room to the card I had used to reserve the room. I had intended to charge it to a different card to get reward points but wasn't given the option. That was kind of annoying but not...

I have mixed feelings here. I think all the hotels in town are priced about the same, and are about the same quality, which is to say more expensive than the room quality would lead you to believe. The room we got (#129) was a river view room and the view was suburb. We had a balcony and chairs even - but you are facing another wall of windows from the hotel directly across the river. Being on the river with the balcony and chairs is what made it worth the price. The main area of the room was also very nicely done. The room was actually quite spacious. The bathroom was a train wreck - not updated, old and a bit gross. We did stay on a Saturday night which I bet is the most expensive day you can stay so our room was I think about $180 without tax.

The room itself had ample outlets by the bed. The desk area had one outlet but it was not directly by the desk, but my laptop cord did reach. There is a fridge and a microwave. Wifi was awful. Could not connect, went to the office and they told me to connect there, and it did - but then once back to the room - would not connect anymore.

Location is great. Off the main strip by a couple blocks, you can't hear the chaos there, all you hear is the river... but close enough to walk to wear everything is.

They offer a meager breakfast from 7-10. They have a small pool area. No laundry, but I was told I could use a sister properties facilities which was nearby. I didn't end up doing that, but it was nice they had the option. They have ice and vending machines. Exterior doors, this is like a older style motel but seems to be the norm in this area, many of the hotels I saw in town were set up like this.

Staff...

This is a dated facility that has had a few updates along the way. There was a gap under our entry door that you could stick a finger through. We had an adjoining room with unknown guests on the other side. The guests were not an issue, but the locks are old and seem very inefficient had their been an issue. If you look at the surfaces in the room such as the dresser, side tables and bathroom, everything appears clean. However, don't look at the dirt on the air/heating unit or baseboards because they have not been cleaned in a very long time. |- The breakfast options are somewhat anemic, however the girl that took care of the desk and breakfast area did a really nice job keeping things stocked and cleaned up. (Most appreciated.) |- Upon check out - No one got a receipt....we were all told it would be emailed to us. Hence, if there was a discrepancy in our bill we could could not address it at the time. It felt evasive and shady.|- If you have a river view, it is very nice. It is restful to listen to the river flow. The chairs are hard and have no cushions, so your sitting time becomes limited. There is a pathway down to the side of the river, so check it out. |- The parking is tight, but definitely saves you the $10-$20 that others charge you to park in the Gatlinburg area. This facility is within walking distance of downtown and makes for easier traversing since you don't have to figure out where to park. |- Overall, the stay was okay. I feel like they are working on making things better, they just have a...