Black Bear Inn & Suites

Hotels
8.1 (1280 reviews)
1100 Parkway , Gatlinburg , US
+1 (865) 436-5656

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

Free breakfast
Free WiFi
Free Parking
Air conditioning
24-hour front desk
Heating
Lift / Elevator
Safety deposit box
Fax/photocopying
Facilities for disabled guests
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Excellent location — walking distance to attractions
Friendly and helpful staff (noted repeatedly)
Rooms and common areas often very clean
Free/available breakfast (many positive comments)
Good parking and convenient for getting out of town
Economical / good value for the price
Cons:
Inconsistent breakfast quality (some found it poor)
Room quality issues: broken mattresses and dated areas
Missing or non-working amenities (iron, hairdryer, soap, safe)
Occasional facility issues (pool closure, TV/maintenance needed)
Some rooms/floors reported as dirty (floor staining)

Categories

Cleanliness
8
Generally praised as very clean in many reviews, though a few guests reported dirty floors (socks turned black) and dated hallway areas.
Service
8.9
Staff repeatedly described as friendly, helpful and outstanding (multiple mentions of an attentive elderly breakfast attendant); a few guests noted some staff felt less welcoming.
Location
9.3
Consistently highlighted as a major positive — central, walking distance to attractions and convenient for getting out of town.
Room Quality
7
Mixed reports: some renovated, cozy rooms and comfortable beds, but several guests described very dated rooms, a broken-down king mattress, and 'dungeon'-like windows overlooking hallways.
Amenities
7.2
Basic amenities present (parking, elevators), but recurring issues: no iron/hairdryer in some rooms, occasional pool closure, missing soap, and a reported non-working safe.
Value for Money
8.8
Seen as economical and a good deal by many guests; several called it worth the price and a best-deal stay.
Food and Beverage
7.6
Breakfast experiences varied — many called the buffet/good breakfast great or reasonably good, while others found it poor or only adequate.
Overall Experience
8
Overall positive stays with notable strengths in location and staff, tempered by room quality and some amenity/food inconsistencies.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-10-15 03:06

Property Description

Black Bear Inn & Suites, formerly the Clarion Inn & Suites, is a recently renovated downtown Gatlinburg hotel on the Parkway, 200 yards from the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rooms and suites offer panoramic views of the Smokies from private balconies.

Important information:

Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
Managed by a private host
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: TYS

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed. Cots are not available.

  • Age restriction

    Guests must be at least 21 years old to check in.

  • Parking

    Free parking is available on site.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available and is free of charge.

See all policies

Location

Guest Reviews

8.1
Based on 1280 reviews
Cleanliness: 8
Service: 8.9
Location: 9.3
Room Quality: 7
Amenities: 7.2
Value for Money: 8.8
Food and Beverage: 7.6
Overall Experience: 8
J
James • family_with_children • us
8
2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
G
Gary • family_with_children • us
8
Pros:

Very clean and updated.

Cons:

Bed was not comfortable.

2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
J
James • couple • us
10
It was great and we will be back
Pros:

Clean and conveniently located to all the action. Easy walking distance to everything

Cons:

Nothing really

2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
M
Michelle • couple • us
9
Perfect location.We will definitely stay there again in the future.
Pros:

Hotel was in the perfect location for where we wanted to be. Staff were very pleasant.. and our room was very clean and comfortable…

2026-10-16 • via Nuitee
B
Bobby • family_with_children • us
10
2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
H
Harout • couple • us
10
2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
D
Dewey • extended_group • us
10
Pros:

Everything

2026-10-14 • via Nuitee
A
Amanda • solo_traveller • us
10
Pros:

Beautiful and clean

2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
K
Kelly • solo_traveller • us
6
Pros:

Location. Convenient. Economical.

Cons:

Breakfast wasn't very good.

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
A
Alan • couple • us
9
2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
S
Sally • family_with_children • us
7
Good older hotel; wonderful staff; needs new beds and updating.
Pros:

The staff were amazing!! All of them - didn't come across a single staff member that wasn't friendly and helpful. The hotel for the most part was very clean, though dated. Our room was quiet and the AC worked very well. I enjoyed the location at the top of the strip.

Cons:

Our room was quiet, which was great, but it was in an older portion of the hotel and almost seemed like we were in a dungeon. Window looked out into the hallway; hallway had old missing drywall, missing trim and was very, very narrow. The King sized mattress was extremely broken down and by the end of our stay, we left at 4-5am because none of us could sleep.

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
C
Connie • couple • us
10
2026-10-10 • via Nuitee
E
Ethan • couple • us
10
2026-10-09 • via Nuitee
C
Charles • solo_traveller • us
10
Pros:

Location

2026-10-09 • via Nuitee
M
Marcela • couple • us
10
2026-10-08 • via Nuitee
J
Jackie • couple • us
9
Pros:

Friendly Staff, Free Breakfast, Close to Mountain Road and several top Restaurants

2026-09-19 • via Nuitee
P
Patricia • solo_traveller • us
9
2026-09-18 • via Nuitee
C
Christine • solo_traveller • us
9
2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
D
Drema • couple • us
10
Pros:

Great location. Very clean

2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
L
Lauren • extended_group • us
7
It was nice but little things kept coming up throughout our stay.
Pros:

Location is great!

Cons:

The pool was closed one full day. They didn’t have an iron in the room which is fine one wasn’t available even at the front desk. The breakfast was not very good. We also had to wait for our tv to be reset by maintenance for it to work.

2026-09-12 • via Nuitee