Hampton Inn Gatlinburg

This Hampton Inn is primarily a tourist hotel for couples and families, but its downtown location near the convention center attracts a few business travelers as well. It’s an older property with exterior corridors, but it’s well-maintained. The cheerful lobby has handsome wood laminate floors and a cozy living room area with a stone fireplace, TV, and comfortable seating in bright colors. The lobby opens up into the breakfast room, where large windows provide glimpses of the back patio. There are tables for outdoor dining and rocking chairs to take in views of LeConte Creek below. This hotel stays busy, and the lobby and breakfast room can get quite crowded at times, but the lovely setting helps create a generally quiet and peaceful atmosphere. 

The Hampton Inn is located on the southern end of downtown Gatlinburg’s main drag, removed from the center of the action though there is some pedestrian traffic. The hotel is next to Ober Gatlinburg and its aerial tramway, and plenty of restaurants and shops are a very short walk away. The Gatlinburg Convention Center and Gatlinburg Sky Lift are seven-minute walks, and the Hollywood Star Cars Museum and Ripley’s Moving Theater-Gatlinburg are four minutes away on foot. It’s a five-minute drive to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park headquarters. The Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge is about a 25-minute drive, and a trolley that provides service to Dollywood stops in front of the hotel. The nearest major airport is in Knoxville, which is about one hour away.

Guest rooms are comfortable and warmly decorated with muted earth tones, but overall, spaces are dark and a touch dated. Golden yellow accent walls highlight traditional dark-wood headboards, which match nightstands, armoires, and desks. Black-and-white photos of vintage Gatlinburg are a tasteful and appropriate addition, but they do nothing to add much needed color and life. While clean and comfortable, these rooms are a bit small by Hampton standards. Standard Kings and Double Queens do include armchairs, however. Some upgraded rooms feature whirlpool tubs as part of shower/tub combos and gas fireplaces framed by natural stone. All units have either patios or balconies with seating, many with views of LeConte Creek while others overlook various areas of the property. Amenities are a plus, with microwaves, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms also are rather small, with black granite vanities and shower/tub combos. The rooms are relatively quiet, but some ambient noise can be heard, especially in those facing the busy road that fronts the property. 

The hotel offers several freebies, including a free hot breakfast buffet with eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits and gravy as staples. Outdoor dining overlooking LeConte Creek also is available on the back patio. There's free coffee available all day in the lobby, plus free on-site parking, Wi-Fi throughout, and weekday newspapers. The heated outdoor pool in a wooded setting is another highlight, though it's a bit small, with comfy loungers and an adjacent whirlpool. The fitness center also is small and sparsely equipped, with only two treadmills, stationary bicycle, and a strength-training machine. There's a business center with two computers and a printer, and while the hotel doesn't have a guest laundry room, valet dry cleaning and laundry service is available.