Best Gatlinburg hotels near Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
When you stay at Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg in Gatlinburg, you'll be in the mountains, within a 5-minute walk of Anakeesta and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. Featured amenities include a business center, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage. Free self parking is available onsite.

Overall 9.5 Excellent
Based on 1,436 reviews
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Excellent
10.0
Pros: Atmosphere
"Located in the heart of Gatlinburg, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area & Amusement Park, Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum and Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery are also within 10 minutes. "




Overall 8.9 Excellent
Based on 434 reviews
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Excellent
10.0
Pros: Breakfast was done well especially during COVID-19 and the staff was extremely helpful and friendly. A+
Good
7.7
Pros: Cozy beds, nice shower, clean room
Excellent
9.6
Pros: Great location and great service . Great access to pRk.
"Situated in Gatlinburg, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Cooter's Place and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Gatlinburg Convention Center are also within 1 mile (2 km). "
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Overall 8.4 Excellent
Based on 948 reviews
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Excellent
9.4
Pros: Room was nicely furnished and clean. Bed was SUPER comfortable ! Free breakfast was good. Staff was courteous.
Excellent
9.7
Pros: Super clean. Close to everything. Friendly staff.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: location every thing was great we will be back soon family and friends will be coming there soon as well were telling every one how great every thing is.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: The rooms are large and you don't feel like a sardine once everyone/everything is brought inside. They are really clean and nicely located. Everyone is really nice and helpful. The breakfast wasn't the greatest, but the Atrium next door is delicious and cheap! We will definitely stay again!
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Very close to everything in Gatlinburg.
Excellent
9.4
Pros: We were a young family with two small children and this was our first vacation. The room was clean and neat when we arrived. Staff was courteous and welcoming. Breakfast was a huge hit with our 3 year old:waffles, juice, eggs and sausage.
"This family-friendly Gatlinburg hotel is located in a national park, within a 15-minute walk of Traffic Light #6, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Gatlinburg Convention Center. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Gatlinburg Space Needle are also within 1 mile (2 km). "




Overall 8.3 Excellent
Based on 2,006 reviews
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Excellent
9.7
Pros: The view and bed linens
Excellent
10.0
Pros: The outdoor area around the hotel and the pool. Of course the cookies were fantastic!
Good
6.0
Pros: The breakfast was the highlight of this hotel. Rooms are over priced for their age and size.
Excellent
9.7
Pros: Everything we expected and then some. Staff was courteous, and rooms were quiet. Can't wait to come back again.
Excellent
9.1
Pros: The overall stay was great
Excellent
10.0
Pros: I loved how safe and welcoming The Park Vista is. The family pool area was outstanding! Enjoyed!
Excellent
10.0
Pros: The location was fabulous along with the Mountain View!
Excellent
10.0
Pros: Great view of Mount Le Conte. Above, and away from all the activity in Gatlinburg. Very friendly, and helpful staff. Clean, comfortable rooms.The restaurant was very nice; good service, good food. We would stay here again in a heartbeat. And the cookies at the front desk!
Excellent
10.0
Pros: Everything was wonderful and the price was also great
Excellent
8.5
Pros: It was very clean and staff was very helpful and nice
Excellent
10.0
Pros: Pool
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Pool and lounge facilities were top notch. Beautiful building. Amazing view. Because of the view though, you end up quite a ways outside of Gatlinburg proper. Also the bed was akin to a hammock, which my back objected to
Good
7.7
Pros: The location of the Hotel was great. It was very scenic up on the hill. The food was good. The stay was very pleasant
Excellent
8.0
Pros: i felt like i was in a beautiful resort set in the mountains...i would defininetly stay there again.
Okay
4.3
Pros: Very convienient for the Smokey Mountains and Gatlinburg. A short drive also takes you to the start of the trail that leads to the Rainbow Falls.
Welcome to Howard Johnson Downtown Gatlinburg, a comfortable hotel located off US-441 just steps from the exciting downtown area. Check out the Gatlinburg Strip, where you will find attractions like the Gatlinburg SkyLift and Ole Smoky Moonshine distillery. We are less than a mile from the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a popular spot for hiking, fishing, and more outdoor adventure. You can also take a short drive to Dollywood, the famous theme park owned by country music legend Dolly Parton.




Overall 8.1 Excellent
Based on 2,335 reviews
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Excellent
10.0
Pros: cleanliness, price, distance from the strip
Excellent
8.0
Pros: I like the closeness to downtown Gatlinburg and the beds were very comfortable and great rate
Good
6.0
Pros: convenient to shops, the place was two blocks away (behind subway lite 6). a clean place not up scale by any means. would stay there again. met my request of not being on main road.
"Situated in Gatlinburg, this hotel is within a 15-minute walk of Traffic Light #1 and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum are also within 1 mile (2 km). "




Overall 8.0 Excellent
Based on 3,240 reviews
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Excellent
10.0
Pros: We enjoyed every aspect of our stay. The room was great. Staff was very pleasant. We couldn't have asked for a better location. I would definitely recommend this hotel to my friends and family.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: I cannot say enough good things about this hotel. Its literally by the water front, the room has an incredible view of the mountains and the local hotels are neat and the town is very tourist friendly, there are local trolleys to help you get around. It's beautiful and full of cute shops, definately worth exploring.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: Clean and cozy hotel. Staff was attentive and went above and beyond my expectations to ensure a pleased visit. The balcony and view was awesome! The pool was open 24 hours, and was very very clean. Conveniently located to multiple shopping/restaurants areas. Breakfast bar had a variety of options and was pretty good. :)
Excellent
10.0
Pros: It's got a beautiful view of the water
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Balcony on the river, comfortable beds, indoor pool, fire pit
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Breakfast was a really nice feature of the hotel. Great views right on the river.
Excellent
9.1
Pros: Staff was super friendly, breakfast every morning in the lobby was more than expected, and river views from room are amazing.
About two blocks from town, shops and dining. There is a trolly right outside hotel if you don't/can't walk a lot.
The stream sounds were fantastic!
Good
6.2
Pros: Baymont Inn is a decent location just off the main drag which was nice as it was away from the majority of the noise and nightlife. The room was clean and had a fireplace and a patio. Everything in the room was spacious except for the bathroom. Breakfast was good and they kept it stocked throughout.
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Very nice place and convenient to Gatlinburg and all attractions. Free breakfast was good. Kids enjoyed the indoor pool. We will stay here again.
With a stay at River Terrace Resort & Convention Center in Gatlinburg, you'll be a 3-minute walk from Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and 7 minutes by foot from Gatlinburg SkyLift Park. Featured amenities include a business center, express check-out, and a 24-hour front desk. Free self parking is available onsite.




Overall 7.9 Good
Based on 2,339 reviews
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Good
6.5
Pros: We needed extra linen for my mother-in-law. She caked to the front desk for some and am employee arrived with some within 5 minutes of her hanging up.
Okay
4.2
Pros: Location was good ,priced ok,
Excellent
8.8
Pros: location was great
Mediocre
2.0
Excellent
9.4
Pros: We liked the location. It was within walking distance to almost everything. Loved to restaurant and the outdoor eating by the river. Service was poor but the atmosphere was worth it. Room was clean and spacious. Great view of the mountains.
I would return again even though the pool was a disappointment.
Mediocre
2.0
Pros: The balcony
Excellent
9.1
Pros: Staff was friendly and fantastic. I liked the location.
Excellent
8.0
Pros: This place is right next to the aquarium and right in town in Gatlinburg so it's an easy walk to everything.
You do get a fairly good view either of the water or an overview of the city.
Okay
4.2
Pros: Location is great, just a block away from the strip. Walking distance to everything. Sheets and towels were clean.
Excellent
8.2
Pros: Nice Location
Quiet
Pretty view
Value for the money
Good
7.1
Pros: Good location, nice views
Excellent
8.0
Pros: We liked that it was so close to everything because we liked to walk. we really loved the ducks but couldn't figure out what happened to the baby ducks disappearing everyday
Okay
4.3
Pros: Honestly the only thing I did like was the lounge area, and Lyold was great. With the problems we had during our stay the staff was excellent in taking care of them.
Good
6.3
Pros: My family & I have stayed there many times & have never had any problems
Good
6.0
Pros: It was relatively quite in our room. The view was great. The closeness to the main strip was great.
Good
6.8
Pros: Being off the main street, able to park and walk to shops.
Excellent
8.0
Pros: It was within walking distance of shopping & other activities.
Good
6.0
Pros: It was within walking distance to restaurants and easy access to the Smokies.
"This family-friendly Gatlinburg hotel is located on the riverfront, within 1 mi (2 km) of Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. Gatlinburg Space Needle and Gatlinburg Convention Center are also within 2 mi (3 km). "




Overall 7.8 Good
Based on 1,948 reviews
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Excellent
10.0
Pros: Crystal at the front desk was so nice. The room was so spacious and was much nicer than anything we could have expected. This place definitely deserves a higher rating than is shown here.
Excellent
9.3
Pros: The room was nice, the bed comfortable, clean room, quiet. Trolley stop in front of motel, had good breakfast room and nice amenities.
Excellent
8.0
Pros: The room was clean and service was good.
Mediocre
3.4
Pros: Brookside Resort has a good location but that is about the extent of what I consider a recommendation. The room was very dated....the sheets were dirty and the bathroom is dark. Requested clean sheets which were delivered promptly. The stream behind the hotel was awesome. This could be a really nice place but it will take a large sum of money for this to happen.
Excellent
8.0
Pros: The creek behind our room was wonderful! The room was quaint, very comfortable, and had everything we needed. Check in was quick and hassle free.
Good
7.4
Pros: decor, being next to brook, availability of hot breakfast
Okay
5.4
Pros: hat I liked about brookside was the location. It was right across the street from flapjacks and walking distance from the strip! Great location without being too congested. I liked the rolling creek right outside of back door it was very nice. I liked that they had free breakfast although it was very basic and minimal, the oatmeal was very dry. Staff was nice, not too friendly at times. I walked in to check out and the front desk guy just ignored me and sat on his phone until I was helped by someone else. They also charged my credit card twice but did refund it immediately.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: The Staff was excellent. The rooms were very clean and accommodating. It was peaceful to walk out the back door of our room to the balcony to listen to the stream. The complimentary breakfast was wonderful, the variety of items will fill even the hungriest of appetites. They have lots of amenities at their resort. I would recommend this resort to everyone..
Excellent
8.2
Pros: I really like that the fact the room had a fire place, room was clean, and it's mins drive from gatlenburg.
Excellent
9.1
Pros: Loved how rustic and quiet the resort was but still so close to everything in Gatlinburg. The pool was an amazing feature and if we were there during the winter definitely would have used the wood burning fireplace. Loved that the back patio faced the big creek too.
"Located in the heart of Gatlinburg, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Gatlinburg Convention Center, Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Gatlinburg Space Needle. Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery and Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum are also within 10 minutes. "




Overall 7.6 Good
Based on 1,745 reviews
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Good
6.0
Pros: Great location to downtown Gatlinburg, the staff were friendly and helpful
Good
6.2
Pros: The room was comfortable and felt roomy, the location was close to the strip and a lot of parking.
Good
7.4
Pros: The rooms were sizeable, the water was hot, the location is great whether you're checking out Gatlinburg's tourist district or catching the trolley to Dollywood. Although we didn't go for a swim, the indoor pool looks amazing and I'm sure it's fun regardless of the season. I did note plenty of young families enjoying it while we were there and the air doesn't overwhelm with chlorine.
Okay
4.8
Pros: Pool was very nice
Mediocre
2.2
Pros: The location was the center of downtown Gatlinburg. Would have been a great proximity if we had stayed.
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Location was good, just a short walk down the road and you were in downtown Gatlinburg and close to any activity you wanted to do. Staff was nice. Hotel is a little dated but overall is a nice place to stay.
Okay
5.7
Excellent
9.1
Pros: Upgraded room for no extra charge and the suite was quiet, comfortable and clean
Good
6.2
Pros: The website says the hotel is 2 blocks from the strip but that is still .4 miles. It's a lot further than the website made it seem. We received an earlier morning wake up call both days that we DID NOT request. But the worst was the water temperature in the shower. It would get scalding hot with no notice. I let management know when we checked out but he didn't seem very concerned. Wouldn't stay there again.
With a stay at Sidney James Mountain Lodge, you'll be centrally located in Gatlinburg, a 10-minute walk from Gatlinburg Space Needle and 11 minutes by foot from Gatlinburg SkyLift Park. Featured amenities include a 24-hour front desk, multilingual staff, and luggage storage. Planning an event in Gatlinburg? This motel has facilities measuring 1600 square feet (149 square meters), including conference space. Free self parking is available onsite.




Overall 7.5 Good
Based on 2,935 reviews
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Good
7.1
Pros: Great staff, very friendly. The staff were the highlight of this experience. The rooms were average with the standard motel options. Location was close enough that you could walk to the main attractions. For the price it was worth it.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: Rate and location
Excellent
8.8
Pros: We enjoyed the following...
Big, warm indoor pool
Creek directly under room balcony
Comfortable beds
Friendly staff
Location
On-site breakfast
Quiet rooms
Excellent
10.0
Pros: Our stay was great. We would definitely stay again. Rooms were very nice and clean. Staff was friendly. Pool area was great as well. Best thing was it's location to downtown we were able to walk every where just about. Only complaint would be that their towels were to small.
Okay
4.0
Excellent
9.4
Pros: After reading some reviews after booking our stay I was worried... we arrived & the staff was very friendly, rooms were clean, a/c worked great, ice machines worked. I found no merit to some concerns addressed in others reviews. Yes this is a older motel but not rundown & I would stay again. We were courtside (across the street) & it was very peaceful.
Good
7.7
Pros: The cleaning staff was very nice and the riverfront was a plus.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: Ask for the creek side rooms with balconys! Hearing the creek from your room was great. Their indoor pool is what sells this place for me and my family. It's a fun pool, with waterfall and hot tub. You can't beat the value for the location and amenities.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: The pools
Good
7.7
Pros: Very affordable, close to the shopping strip & attractions but a little more of a walk than I expected especially with small kids! I think our kids liked the pool more than they liked the actual vacation itself! I was happy to stay there though!
Excellent
10.0
Pros: it reminded me of Gatlinburg when I was growing up. Simple, clean motel. Off the parkway so it was nice and quiet, but still just a short walk to the main drag. AMAZING pool!!! Unbeatable price, and super friendly staff. We will be back!
Okay
4.8
Pros: The location and the indoor pool were great.
Good
7.0
Pros: The staff was extremely friendly and the pool was great. The location was perfect with a trolley stop right out the front door. Creek right under our balcony was amazing. Very nice flat screen and lots of channels.
"Situated in Gatlinburg, this hotel is steps away from Traffic Light #8, Gatlinburg Space Needle and Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Gatlinburg Convention Center are also within 5 minutes. "




Overall 7.4 Good
Based on 1,729 reviews
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Okay
5.4
Pros: Close to everything
Price for location
Mostly very clean
Good
7.7
Pros: Location
Excellent
9.7
Pros: Location!!!! Right off the main drag in gatlinburg. Close to many shops and restaurants. Room was very clean, hotel was fine. Staff friendly. Price was great, room was small but accommodated just fine. Highly recommend.
Good
7.6
Pros: The price was great! The staff was courteous and prompt.
Excellent
9.1
Pros: Staff was friendly and very helpful. Facility was clean. Located within <5 minute walk of downtown. Probably deserves 5 stars but I need a lasting impression for that.
Good
7.0
Pros: I liked the location, it was nice to be able to park the car and walk to where we wanted to go.
Excellent
8.3
Pros: we liked it for the value
Okay
4.0
Pros: Location close to city
Excellent
8.5
Pros: Very good location.
Great value for this time of the year.
Room was nice and comfortable.
Mediocre
3.6
Pros: Location
Excellent
8.2
Pros: So the hotel itself was basically on the main Gatlinburg strip so this made EVERYTHING super convenient. The workers were also very polite & made sure to give us all the information that we would have needed, plus without even asking told us about the free breakfast (Due to covid 19 they only had a few things, not there fault by any means) & give us a extra room card.
Good
6.5
Pros: Great location for the price
"Located in the heart of Gatlinburg, this hotel is steps away from Ripley's Haunted Adventure, Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery and Gatlinburg Space Needle. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum are also within 5 minutes. "




Overall 7.0 Good
Based on 1,712 reviews
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Excellent
8.0
Pros: It was clean and comfortable. Will get again for the location didn't spend much time there on the strip most of the time
Mediocre
2.0
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Location and convenience
Excellent
8.5
Pros: Location
Good
6.0
Pros: I liked the location. Easy access to downtown activities,car travel is not easy in Gatlinburg during tourist season, so it's easier to walk.
Good
6.2
Pros: No breakfast
Okay
4.8
Pros: Location was the ONLY this good about this hotel.
Excellent
8.8
Pros: The stay was good. The other reviews I read about the walls being thin are true. You can here people in the other rooms and especially in the halls. I enjoyed the stay and the location is awesome. I am sure during the busy season it would be very noise inside the building. I would stay during the off season
"Situated in the mountains, this hotel is steps away from Smoky Mountain Brewery and Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area & Amusement Park. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are also within 10 minutes. "




Overall 6.7 Good
Based on 1,937 reviews
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Mediocre
3.7
Pros: The location was great
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Decent options for breakfast. Friendly front desk. Location allows you to walk down the main strip.
Excellent
8.0
Pros: staff very nice, professional, helpful, n friendly. good housekeepers. nice continental breakfast. hotel is clean. nice mattresses and pillows. have been here before and will definitely come again.
Okay
4.2
Pros: The location was good, right in town and close to all the action.
Mediocre
2.0
Pros: It was in Gatlinburg.
"Situated in Gatlinburg, this motel is within a 10-minute walk of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area & Amusement Park. Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery are also within 15 minutes. "




Overall 6.3 Good
Based on 1,391 reviews
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Okay
4.5
Pros: Right by the main strip, but it is Gatlinburg. Small town, so everything is in walking distance.
Excellent
8.5
Pros: Love the listening to the creek when I open the door.
Excellent
8.2
Pros: Clerk at front desk was very friendly and suggested some good restraunts in the area. Room was nice, and clean.
Okay
5.7
Pros: We only had a very short stay when arriving we had a good ways to walk to the room with luggage opened the door and the smell of mold was so bad I started choking. When I told the clerk she was like ok, so she didn't care anyway.
Excellent
8.2
Pros: The staff was friendly, room was clean and well kept. Would have been nice to have breakfast but there are a lot of places nearby to eat. Overall a good value for the money.
Okay
4.2
Excellent
9.1
Pros: Clean, very nice personel, great pool, good coffee, close to everything.
Excellent
10.0
Pros: This is the second time my wife and I have stayed here. The room was clean spacious and up to date.
Good
7.1
Pros: Location was great. Quiet area.
Mediocre
3.4
Pros: The bed was comfortable; but it was supposed to be a king-size, yet it was shorter than my full-size bed at home.
The hot tub was nice.
Excellent
9.4
Pros: This hotel is the right around the corner from the entrance to the park, so it is a great option for those who plan to do some hiking. It is very affordable and provides all necessities.
Mediocre
3.3
Pros: Nothing! This was the worst motel management I have ever seen. Understaffed, dirty rooms, and above all, non-caring owners.
Mediocre
3.7
Pros: was not much to like,
Good
7.3
Pros: rooms were very clean and the man who checked us in was very friendly
Mediocre
3.0
Pros: close to town
Okay
5.0
Pros: staff was professional, rooms clean
Good
7.0
Pros: The hotel was conveniently located near downtown Gatlinburg. The room was very clean. The shower water pressure was excellent. Great price!
Good
7.6
Pros: It was a good value. It didn't have many amenities, but was very clean.
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Cons: $self.cons
"Situated in Gatlinburg, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Gatlinburg Convention Center, Gatlinburg SkyLift Park and Gatlinburg Space Needle. Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery and Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum are also within 10 minutes. "




Overall 6.2 Good
Based on 634 reviews
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Mediocre
3.1
Pros: The only room left on Kayak under $200/night. I now know why.
Okay
4.2
Pros: the location is great, too bad the property is in such badly needed repair.
Mediocre
2.0
Pros: When we complained about waking up in bugs and the water leak in the bathroom, the GM was kind and started a full refund process.
Excellent
8.0
Pros: Clean rooms. Efficient check-in. Ample parking. Good location. Good staff.
Where to stay in Gatlinburg?
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Landmarks in Gatlinburg
- Ober Gatlinburg
- Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
- Gatlinburg Convention Center
- Hillbilly Golf
- Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre
- Star Cars Museum
- Gatlinburg Ziplines
- Ripley's Haunted Adventure
- Gatlinburg Sky Lift
- Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum
- Amazing Mirror Maze
- Mysterious Mansion
- Gatlinburg Space Needle and Family Fun Center
- Guinness World Records Museum
- Cooter's Place