Gatlinburg River Inn

Hotels
7.8 (2651 reviews)
324 Hemlock Street , Gatlinburg , US
+1 (800) 824-1111
[email protected]

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Free
Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Free WiFi
Free Parking
Air conditioning
24-hour front desk
Heating
Pets allowed
Hiking
Lift / Elevator
Laundry
Fishing
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Excellent location with river views and balconies
Friendly, helpful staff (strong service)
Pet-friendly policy and private parking
Good value/affordable pricing
Comfortable beds in many rooms
Relaxing, less-crowded setting close to attractions
Cons:
Frequent cleanliness problems: stains, dirty floors/walls, gross pet yard
Rooms and bathrooms feel dated; paint/peeling floors/needed remodel
Small bathrooms and some very small rooms (including handicap room complaints)
Breakfast area too small/chaotic and some found food bland
Limited parking on some nights
Noise from adjoining rooms/doors reported
Walk-in shower requests treated as requests rather than guaranteed
No heated pool (mentioned as a downside by some guests)

Categories

Cleanliness
4.5
Multiple reviews report dirty rooms, stained bedding and walls, peeling floors, gross grout, stink bugs and a very poorly maintained pet yard — consistent negative cleanliness sentiment.
Service
9
Several guests praised staff and night staff as wonderful, friendly and providing superb customer service; staff went out of their way to help with requests.
Location
8.9
Strong positive mentions: great river view, balcony, convenient parking and a calm location just outside the busy area — repeatedly cited as the hotel's best feature.
Room Quality
7.8
Mixed reports: some guests found beds comfortable and rooms updated, but many noted small bathrooms, dated interiors, peeling paint/flooring, stains and rooms needing remodeling.
Amenities
8
Positives include private parking, balconies and pet-friendly policy; negatives include a small/chaotic breakfast area and an unheated pool that some guests noted.
Value for Money
8.6
Multiple guests explicitly called the hotel good value for the price — reasonable rates, modernised rooms in places and useful location made it economical for activities.
Food and Beverage
7.6
Breakfast received mixed feedback: described as decent hot and cold offerings by some but bland and limited/chaotic by others.
Overall Experience
8
Overall impressions are positive due to excellent location and staff, comfortable beds and good value, but the experience is notably marred for many by cleanliness and aging room issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-11-05 14:18

Property Description

Downtown Gatlinburg's riverfront retreat on the trolley line, within walking distance of the Parkway attractions, shops and dining. River-facing balconies in every room, with views of the river and the Great Smoky Mountains, and cozy fireplaces in select rooms.

Important information:

Guests residing within a 20 mile radius of the property are not permitted at this motel.

When travelling with pets, please note that an extra charge of USD 60 per pet applies. The maximum number of pets allowed is 2 with the maximum weight of 27.2 Kg.

Pet fee is 75 USD per pet. 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.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
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 allowed. Charges may be applicable.

  • 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

Property Accessibility

Total Disability Score: 35.71
Public Area
  • Ramp: No
  • Entrance Leveled: No
  • Pet Friendly: No
Reception And Restaurant
  • Reception Hearing Accessible: No
  • Reception Wheelchair Accessible: No
  • Restaurant Wheelchair Accessible: No
Elevator
  • Elevator Audio Signals: No
  • Elevator Braille Numbers: No
  • Elevator Contrasting Buttons: No
  • Elevator Visual Signs: No
Show all accessibility features

Guest Reviews

7.8
Based on 2651 reviews
Cleanliness: 4.5
Service: 9
Location: 8.9
Room Quality: 7.8
Amenities: 8
Value for Money: 8.6
Food and Beverage: 7.6
Overall Experience: 8
H
Hugh • couple • us
10
Enjoyable and relaxing.
Pros:

Very good, enjoyed the view. The parking was convenient. No

Cons:

No complaints!

2026-10-31 • via Nuitee
W
William • couple • us
10
Pros:

Location and view

2026-10-30 • via Nuitee
S
stephen • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-10-28 • via Nuitee
J
Jerry • couple • us
6
Didn't expect taj ma hall but did expect clean and spacious. Didn't happen!
Pros:

The night staff 4-9 pm was wonderful and friendly. Went out of her way to help find an ironing board.

Cons:

The room was dirty, small, bedding had stains, parking was tight and not enough parking some nights, breakfast area to small...Chaos! The floors in room were peeling. The grout was gross in bathroom. Stains of red on wall by balcony and in bathroom, drink stains on walls and floors. House keeping did bare minimal. Was put in handicap room and it was to small. We could not unpack , no where to hang clothes, could not unpack my toiletries.
The pet yard was GROSS!! Poop was everywhere, we couldn't walk in the yard it was so bad. We took pup somewhere else to potty and picked up after him. TV to small and way to expensive for what we experienced

2026-10-28 • via Nuitee
🚗 • family_with_children • us
10
2026-10-27 • via Nuitee
J
JOHN • extended_group • us
8
Great, the beds was comfortable. I’ve been staying there since 2018, so it’s getting a little age.
Pros:

I have been staying there since 2018.

Cons:

I booked the room back in June, checked in October 20 through the 23rd. I contacted the motel, asked for a walk-in shower, confirmed it twice before arrival. Upon getting there, I found that it was a request. and not a guaranteed room, with a walk-in shower. It was on a first come, first serve basis, they should have told me that upon booking the room. I booked two rooms, one with a walk-in shower. I did not understand that.

2026-10-24 • via Nuitee
T
Tiffany • couple • us
10
Pros:

The customer service was superb and being pet friendly made it much more attractive

Cons:

Nothing

2026-10-21 • via Nuitee
E
Eric • couple • us
8
Pros:

Staff was friendly and the area was nice it was very relaxing to sit and watch the river

Cons:

The room did t have a closet so we could hang our clothes.

2026-10-21 • via Nuitee
K
Kara Tanner • couple • us
9
2026-10-20 • via Nuitee
P
Patrick • extended_group • us
10
Beautiful place, picture perfect
Pros:

Pet friendly , great location

Cons:

No heated pool, but we knew that already.
If they would install heat in the pool a lot more people would probably stay there .
But still 5- star hotel !!!

2026-10-19 • via Nuitee
C
Curtis • couple • us
7
2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
N
Nancy • solo_traveller • us
10
Room was clean
Pros:

Everyone was just so nice

2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
T
Traveldreamers • couple • nl
8
Value for money
Pros:

Price and location. Away from the madnes but everything is within walking distance. Price is reasonabel compared to other overpriced hotels .Rooms have been modernised, beds and sheets are great. They serve a decent hot and cold breakfast. Privat parking and balcony

Cons:

Noice from adjoining room/door

2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
C
Courtney • couple • us
6
Good enough to sleep in for one night.
Pros:

Location

Cons:

Rooms need updating, stink bugs in the room, paint peeling in rooms, bathroom was dirty, this place needs to be remodeled on the inside.

2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
C
Carl • solo_traveller • us
7
Pros:

I liked the view of the river from the balcony. Beds were clean and comfortable.

Cons:

The bathroom was very small there was no vanity to put your toiletries on. The bathroom sink was very small and I didn't like the TV being analog.

2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
M
Mary • couple • us
9
Great and loved the balcony!
Pros:

Location

2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
C
chelsi • couple • us
5
The only really nice thing about it was location.
Pros:

The location was nice and they had parking which was nice.

Cons:

The room was not very clean. The walls were dirty with stains on them, the floor was dirty, the bathroom had some water damage from the tub, bedding had some stains. Just in general everything was dirty looking. The breakfast had no flavor, so we ended up only eating it once on our 4 day stay. The place was cheap, so we were able to do all the activities we wanted since we didnt spend an arm and leg on hotel! Loved the area but will definitely stay somewhere else next time.

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
P
Philip Gulde • solo_traveller • us
7
The staff is the best. The location is great. The room was super clean and comfortable. Could use an update.
Pros:

The location is great, right out of the crowded part of town, by a calming river.

Cons:

This is an older building. Don’t expect modern facilities. There is a carpet on the third floor hall that smells very bad needs to be replaced.

2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
J
Joshua • couple • us
10
Fantastic mountain and river views with updated rooms and free daily breakfast.
Pros:

Beautiful property next to the river with Mountain View’s. We saw bears in the river daily which was incredible. The free breakfast was great and the location was right by the trolley stop to take you into town. Well maintained and the room was updated and very comfortable. The staff was great and very friendly. We enjoyed our stay and will be back again.

Cons:

We loved everything about the property. No complaints.

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
R
Rondon • solo_traveller • us
8
2026-09-19 • via Nuitee