National Parks Resort Lodge in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee: Review

My wife and I managed to get a 4-day weekend together, and decided to do what we always do when we get precious little time off together: LEAVE TOWN! In the usual manner of our frugal habits, we looked online and drove down Pigeon Forge Parkway (US 441) in search of the best room for the best (but not necessarily CHEAPEST) rates offered. Since we got our little sabbatical near the end of the winter holiday season, and well before the beginning of Tourist Season in April, we knew we could find great rooms at rock-bottom prices.

Eventually, we pulled under the canopy of the National Parks Resort Lodge. When I entered the lobby to inquire about rates and vacancies, I was impressed with the way the lobby was decorated. Keeping with the theme of U.S. National Parks, the lobby is dominated by a huge, concrete (but very natural-looking) oak tree in the center. The front desk was constructed from flagstone and split logs; very charming and rustic. The border strip along the top of the walls is forest green and white, accented with postcard-like shots of various U.S. National Parks, such as Acadia, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and, of course, the Great Smoky Mountains.

The glass elevators added a touch of uptown class to this impressive 5-floor hotel, giving us a magnificent view of the still-snow-covered mountains. We took our bags up to our second-floor suite. The interior hallways are clean, wide, and carpeted, and have 3 fire extinguishers on each floor, along with snack machines and an ice maker. The guest rooms and suites' security have been updated with very strong, hi-tech electronic door locks, the kind which require a card to be swiped to open rather than the usual key. Additionally, each door has a security hasp and deadbolt for added security.

Our suite was very nice and clean, containing two full size beds (although they were listed as "queen" beds), a heat/air conditioning unit, a fold-out love seat with a single bed, very nice bathrooms with shower and tub with electric ceiling heat, a private balcony with two forest green, plastic Adirondac chairs, a micro fridge and freezer, microwave oven, 27" color TV with 27 channels of Direct TV (with remote control), and a coffee maker.

The furniture was very rustic and charming, constructed from the same logs that frame the lobby. The pine dresser has a distressed finish, with 2 very deep, well-made drawers that roll out effortlessly on heavy roller tracks. There is a little dining table with two chairs, made from the same woodsy pine logs as the dresser and both headboards, but with a durabubble, urethane finish.

After we unpacked and went exploring, we enjoyed some of the many amenities of the hotel. They have a huge outdoor pool (closed in January - DUH!), and a smaller heated indoor pool and a Jacuzzi enclosed in a glass patio. There are also bathrooms and showers in the pool area, along with tables and chairs. The only discrepancies I have noted was that the steel ceiling joists were badly rusted and in need of paint, some of the sliding doors in the patio enclosure were very drafty, and the pool and Jacuzzi were losing a few tiles. Otherwise, we had an enjoyable time at their indoor pool (open 9 A.M.- 1 A.M.).

We spent some time in their small but well-equipped family gameroom. They have an older, but still nice 75-cent pool table, as well as several current and classic video arcade games, snack and soda machines, and skill games. By the front desk is a small sundries shop (open 24 hours), that sells snacks, maps, a few emergency items, and several kinds of individual-dose medicines (which can be rather expensive, so the wise traveler brings whatever medicine he/she may need from home!).

National Parks Resort Lodge offers pet-friendly rooms for an additional $10.00 or so, but due to recent smoking laws passed by the Tennessee Tobacco Gestapo which ban smoking in any place of business, all rooms and suites are non-smoking (as well as pool and recreation areas, but they MIGHT let you smoke on the balcony!) Pet owners must sign a document agreeing to pay the full cost of any damage their pet does to hotel property upon registering.

National Parks Resort Lodge also offers Conference and Meeting Rooms for business conventions, parties, church groups, and other group activities. As an added bonus, they offer discounts to various shows and attractions in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, plus a free continental breakfast from 8 - 11 A.M., Monday through Friday, with weekend discounts for breakfast at the Great American Steak & Buffet right next door.

The nightly rates include 2 adults and up to three children. We got our suite for $49.99 each night (rooms for $34.99), but in peak tourist season and UT football season, the suites can cost as much as $150.00 a night. I definitely would recommend a stay at this hotel for even as much as $75.00 an evening, but would not spend over a hundred for a night there. Maybe it's because I am that cheap (or poor), but even if I were a millionaire, I still would want to get my money's worth just the same. All in all, my wife and I had a wonderful time, and were treated like royalty by their very attentive, professional staff, and will definitely return in the future (when the rates are lowest, of course!)

National Parks Resort Lodge
2385 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863
1 (865) 453-4106