Hotels near Gamers Link, Gatlinburg

So first off let me say that this hotel is still an ok place to stay. I would however also say that by charging 300+ a night for a room you have certain expectations, and those were not met this trip. From the outside, the hotel was lovely as always. The lobby seemed clean but had a few minor issues, and the furniture seemed like it could use a refresh. So my initial impression was favorable. We got to the room and at first glance, things seemed ok, but when you started looking around that's when the issues started. First, the chair had a fabric piping that was half torn off. The carpet seemed to be really worn in spots and could have used a cleaning. The shower had a patch job that looked like someone with no experience slapped calk around the edge of the shower and the drain; it was seriously an eyesore. Then when my daughter went to take a bath she told us it looked like something black was on the walls. Sure enough, there was something black on the wall. I am no mold expert, but it appeared to be black mold although I have no way of confirming that. Then we went to look at the beds before we got in and one bed had a blood spot on the mattress cover that lined up perfectly with the mattress itself so I know that no one even attempted to clean it; all they did was slap a clean fitted sheet on the bed. The mattresses on the beds are so bad that my wife and I woke up with sore backs every morning; I never used to have a problem with their beds in the past so I can only assume that the mattresses are in need of replacing. Also on the balcony when the HVAC unit is running it sounds like you are sitting next to a jet engine. I have stayed at this hotel at least 5 times in the past and do not remember the HVAC being so loud on the balcony. Also, they claim to be short-staffed on housekeeping so they only offer room cleanings once every 3 days during your stay. That means if you need towels, toilet paper, or the trash taken out you have to call them which is not great for what you are paying for this room; I can see every other day, but seriously every 3 days is ridiculous! The hot tub had tiles missing and water was leaking through the opening of the backer board which I cannot imagine is good for the hot tub. Also on all 4 nights of our stay, it looked like the hot tub got cleaned 1 time. When you are charging 300-500 a night for a ”standard room” depending on the time of year you have expectations that things will be taken care of, and that your room will be clean and well-kept. I used to pay 150-200 a night for this hotel and the hotel was immaculate, so clearly someone is taking the money and not reinvesting in the property. I stay here to escape the bad experiences that I've had at other Gatlinburg hotels, and that used to work until this trip. I really hope they reinvest in this property and gut all the rooms to do a complete makeover because otherwise there is no way this hotel is worth the price they are charging current

Next stay.

We checked in late about 11pm into room 121. Check in was fine, the gentleman who checked us in wasn't super friendly but he was quick and sufficient. I didn't realize that this hotel does not have an elevator. So if you have mobility issues request a ground floor or the super 8 in Pigeon Forge has an elevator. Luckily we were able to get a ground floor room because both my husband and I have mobility issues, him more so than I. The room was smaller than I liked, it was a two double bed room. The room was clean but the floor felt off. I think a simple swiffer mop would fix that. The room came with a working fridge, microwave, and one cup coffee maker. There were plenty of towels and wash clothes and toiletries. The bathroom is very tiny, not much bigger than a closet. So if you're grossly obese you're gonna have a hard time getting in and out. We didn't receive full house keeping because we travel with our cat but house keeping did check to see if we needed anything and brought us towels. This is the first time this has happened. I appreciate the time to check on us. The major down falls with the room could easily be fixed and only coat a few hundred dollars, the drop down ceiling in the vanity area had water damage and they were sagging, there were gouges in the bathroom and the wall opposite of the beds. Fix these small issues and the owners could easily charge almost as much as Pigeon Forge properties that are similar quality. Would I stay here again? Yes but I would need to make sure the bed is at least a queen and on the ground floor.

This is a very old hotel so don't expect luxury. The Rooms were large with great large glass windows and doors that open to a balcony to sit outside. The rooms were clean and the A/C was ICE COLD the way I like it. The hot water for the shower was was great and hot. Our room was 210 and the best in my opinion we had lots of trees off our balcony so the birds ate bread right in front of us. The pool was a very fun pool that was two levels opened until 11PM. The putt putt was free. The Breakfast buffet was $8.95 and was abundant in choice and delicious, The location was great and convenient to walk everywhere. Grocery Store was across the way. I booked this 4 hours before I showed up and got the room for $51.00 Taxes are high state and resort taxes so beware. Oh and one last thing Parking was FREE great deal in itself because parking in this town is expensive. This hotel is located two buildings down from the Gatlinburg Covention Center.

I really wanted to love this place. The location is perfect to quickly get to the attractions in Gatlinburg without fighting traffic and the views are incredible. The food from vista grille is surprisingly delicious for hotel food and the welcome cookie was so good. The front desk staff and restaurant staff are the best. So polite and friendly each and every time. But this place is busy. It is a convention center and there was an event every day during our stay. There is not ample parking to accommodate a packed hotel during peak season and daily events. Allowing guests to park in the fire lane seems like a major safety issue. The rooms are a decent size however, the beds are not great unless you like sleeping on a worn out extra firm mattress. The rooms also need a deep cleaning. I understand that there is a quick turnover between guests but these rooms haven’t had a good cleaning in years. There was hair left behind from a previous guest in the bathroom and years of dust behind the couch. For almost $300/night, I expected more.

Excellent

We love staying at this hotel ! It has the friendliest staff and so clean and well kept .they have an indoor ,hot tub and pool and outside pool with fireplace..It's so close to stores ,restaurants that you can just walk most places ..We met the friendliest families staying and this trip was amazing..Will stay again every time

We have stayed here several times in the past. As you can see by my previous reviews. Unfortunately the renovations must have been cosmetic. The place again is looking very tired. I actually watched a cleaning lady use a lint roller type of contraption on the end of a broom handle to “vacuum “ the floor. Not one vacuum cleaner was seen anywhere on premises with any cleaning lady. One lady foot mopped the bathroom floor with a dirty guest towel. It’s like a restaurant, once you see the bad things no matter if they improve, you can’t unsee it. So I’m done with this hotel. I’m sure it happens everywhere but when you see it. 🤔🤔 you start questioning everything . The breakfast was like it was cooked way earlier. We got there at 7:30 and the biscuits were rock hard. We asked for fresh and she said that’s it. The eggs were room temp and everything else is mediocre. The waffles were good. Very low grade syrup. It’s Best just use butter and fruit. I get it times are changing and food prices are rising, but if it’s sub par just stop offering it. The room prices were on par with others around the area but the amenities were definitely lacking here. The whole place smelled like my grandparents basement from the 70’s. Not too terrible but a definite musty damp smell no matter where you were in the hotel. Beds were comfortable, room was adequate once you stopped noticing the musty smell. BOTTOM LINE: This used to be my go to place for price and convenience and quality in pigeon forge. Maybe it’s a combination of factors, staff, environment, inflation etc why they have let it get into a motel 6 category but I’m done with this place for good or until some SERIOUS changes are made. We had a family weekend and we had three rooms here. All members felt the same as I do. Unfortunately it was me that made the reservations for the family so I had to endure the complaints. I WOULD NOT STAY HERE AGAIN OR RECOMMEND ANYONE ELSE TO UNLESS SOME LARGE CHANGES ARE MADE. **side note. Front desk staff were very friendly and professional