Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented the “A Cozy Den” cabin from Cabins of the Smoky Mountains for 08/24/2024 -08/29/2024. They advertise “luxury cabins”. This cabin is absolutely NOT luxury! The carpeting on the stairs and in the lower level is absolutely disgusting. The carpet is dirty, stained and wrinkled (I took photos) - Definitely not what you want to put your feet down on when getting out of bed in the morning!! I’m sure that’s why the lower level smelled stale. The lower level bathroom shower is moldy and the shower doors have no handle to open or close on the inside. The shower doors also have no track holding them in place. We never used the hot tub…There was sand in the bottom, so we didn’t even bother. The area is beautiful but we most definitely will never rent a cabin from this company when we return. The fact that they think it’s acceptable to rent a cabin in this condition and call it “luxury” is absolutely ridiculous. Definitely false advertising!

  

  Business response

  09/16/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains thank the guests for taking the time to share their feedback regarding their recent stay at “A Cozy Den.” We sincerely apologize for not meeting their expectations of luxury. We strive to provide all our guests with a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
  
  We understand how disappointing it can be to encounter issues such as stained carpeting and bathroom maintenance, which detracted from the guests stay. It’s important to note that, from time to time, certain appliances, amenities, and furniture may experience wear and tear, just as they would in any home. Unfortunately, we were not made aware of these concerns during the guests five-night stay, and had we been informed, we would have been more than happy to address them promptly for the guests. 
  
  We take the guests comments seriously and will review our housekeeping and maintenance procedures to ensure we uphold the high standards that we promise. Guest satisfaction is important to us, and we appreciate the guests feedback which helps us improve.
  
  We hope the guests might consider giving us another chance to provide them with the experience they deserve, should they choose to visit the area again.
  
  We thank the guests for their understanding, and we wish them all the best

  Customer response

  09/16/2024

  
  Complaint: 22222131
  
  I am rejecting this response because: That cabin was filthy and nothing short of replacing the carpet and shower doors would have made any difference. Clearly, that wasn’t going to happen during our stay.

  The simple fact is that we paid for a “luxury” cabin and it was awful. That is false advertising!

  A check of your website shows that nothing has changed…You’re still advertising “luxury”; Still misleading unsuspecting guests.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* **********

• Initial Complaint

  08/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Our family rented the Landmark Lodge, 621 Dollywood ln, Pigeon Forge, Tn. 7-28 to 8-3-24. Our family expectations were simple. A clean, safe, family friendly environment. Only to be meet with an EXTREME Water intrusion/flooding on bottom floor. Reported Monday, never adequately repaired. For the entire week, water continued to seep through every seam in the floor with every step. A 6-8" hole in floor in dining area when we arrived, a large rusty nail and giant staple were loose inside. Kitchen floor has a messy taped patch on the floor that has become loose and also poses a SAFTEY RISK. Hot tubs do not heat. Reported Monday morning and never adequately repaired. No air conditioning on half of the third floor. Took 48 hours to repair. Room 12 - no hot water. Reported Monday morning, never repaired. Listing shows 6 video games, There were in fact only 3 video games and one of them doesn’t function properly. Very dirty bottom floor, As we worked to wipe up the water, every towel was black. Pool door not adequately secured. There’s an alarm but it was not in the pool when we arrived and we were never able to secure the door. DROWING HAZARD. TVs not secured. Several problematic doorknobs, MAJOR FIRE HAZARD for exit if it won’t open easily. Broken bed in room 14, several bedframes loose, no mattress proctors, several urine stained. Water leak in ceiling Room 1 bathroom. Common toilets on main and second floor loose. Pool maintenance closet is not secured properly and is full of CHEMICALS and MOLD. Clothes Dryer vent and duct appears completely clogged for as far as we can see. FIRE HAZARD. Downstairs breakers trip. Our entire stay trash overflowed the "bear Proof" container. Frequent failure to show up, lack of response after calls to maintenance. We made no less than 17 calls to service, more than one of those calls required us to hold for 31 minutes, at which point a recording comes on saying “this mailbox is full” and it disconnects. Renter Beware!

  

  Business response

  09/16/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains want to extend our sincerest apologies for the numerous issues the guests encountered during their stay at Landmark Lodge. We understand that expectations for a clean, safe, and family-friendly environment were felt to not be met, and we are truly sorry for the inconvenience and discomfort this may have caused your family.
  
  Occasionally, as with any home, appliances and facilities in rental properties can break down due to their life expectancy and overall wear and tear, and it appears that several issues arose during your stay. We continuously strive to maintain high standards, but the guests experience indicates that we fell short. For that, we sincerely apologize.
  
  We would like to note that we reached out after the stay to discuss potential reimbursement. However, it has come to our attention that a dispute has been filed with the credit card company, which means we are currently unable to discuss any refunds or resolutions at this time.
  
  Please know that the guests feedback is invaluable to us, and we take these matters seriously as we work to improve our services and accommodations for all our guests.

  
  We thank the guests for bringing these issues to our attention. We hope to have the opportunity to make things right for them in the future.

• Initial Complaint

  08/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On July 20th, 2024 my husband and I checked into Modern Mountain Serenity. Upon check in there was no internet or wifi therefore no TV or way for me to submit my college final exams. We contacted the office first thing and was told someone would come look at it. The next morning we had to call again as no one came. We went out for the day and when we returned late afternoon we called again for an ETA. Someone got there around 4:30 pm and looked at the internet and the indoor pool because it was too cold to swim in. He said pool water was low put a hose in it and said internet was Xfinity issue that he didn’t know when they would get there. He contacted office and they later contacted us to move to different cabin. At that time we were told that if the price was different we would be compensated for that difference. We paid $5273 total for our original cabin and the cabin we moved to was $2754.12 for the same amount of nights as the cabin we originally booked. We were there for 7 days. The email I received from them showed I was due a refund of $2077.06. I had to reach out to them a couple of times after I was told someone would be in contact with me and I never heard anything. After reaching out again I got the email (attached) they did not approve that refund. When we arrived at the new cabin the hot tub was not working had to call on that and it was dirty, the cover was broke, we did not swim in the indoor pool because it had not been cleaned. Deflated rafts in the pool and was freezing as well. Garbage was still in the pool room from previous people. We go to Tennessee every year and have booked with them in the past however we will refrain from booking with them again.

  

  Business response

  08/26/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains apologize sincerely for the guest's dissatisfaction during their stay. It is in our hopes that all of our guests enjoy their stay, and we do whatever we can in order to ensure that happens. We are not perfect, but always try to make it right with the guest.

  
  The guests checked in 7/20/24 and we were made aware of the issues with the internet and the pool. We did attempt to resolve these issues, but after realizing the internet would not be able to be fixed during their stay, we did offer a cabin move which the guests decided to take. At this property we were made aware of cleaning needed for the pool as well as issues with the hot tub.  Upon review of the reservation, we did realize that the guest was owed the difference of the amount paid versus the amount owed due to the cabin change. After realizing this, we have spoken to the guests and refunded the overpayment as well as an additional amount for the issues they endured throughout their stay in order to make it right. 
  
  We value the guests' feedback and time spent allowing us the opportunity to come to an agreement. We look forward to serving them on their next stay. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  July 27-july 30th "tucked inn" cabin. Let me state I have used this company a few times before and we was pretty happy with our stay. This time was horrendous. We got checked in the 27th around 6pm or so. We did our inspection and noticed a few things. The porch had not been cleaned in ages. There was tons of webs, layers of dust. We had to clean just to sit down outside. The grill was unable to be used as you can see in the picture. Rusted completely out the bottom. Lights on the staircase wouldn't work which is a safety hazard with a 7 year old. Lights upstairs at my kids bunkbed didn't work. Another hazard . 2 tvs wouldn't work. Hottub was only half full and no way to fill it and a light out on the tub. There was potato chips in the floor of the living room. Broken shelf. So I called the 27th around 7 or so. The lady said someone would be out in a couple of hours. No one showed. I called the morning of the 28th and the super nice then put in work orders to take care of everything. Said they would be there by noon to take care of it. No one showed. I called back the the evening of the 28th and the lady told me someone would come out later in the evening or call. Neither happened. She did however put in a request for a refund for all the issues. Monday the 29th nothing happened so I called that evening and they said the work orders was still there. I told them not to worry about it and close it since we are leaving the next morning. I was done trying to get help. So I paid 866.60 foe 3 nights. Unable to use the hottub and all the other issues. I get an email that all they can do is offer 65$ refund. The breakdown on fees was: Rent 612 Cleaning fee 167 Hottub fee 47 Premium service fee 65 So I'm quite offended by the small amount with the safety concerns, and not being to enjoy so many of the things we are supposed to have. Quite irritating and disappointing.

  

  Business response

  08/02/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains apologize sincerely for the guests dissatisfaction during their stay. It is in our hopes that all of our guests enjoy their stay and we do whatever we can in order to ensure that happens. We are not perfect, but always try to make it right with the guest.
  
  On the day of arrival 7/27/2024 we were made aware of several issues at the property booked, namely the unusable hot tub, and multiple cleaning issues. We did place maintenance requests for the issues reported, but unfortunately the requests were unable to be addressed within the time frame of the guest's stay. We greatly apologize for this as well as the poor service experienced. We did process a refund of $65, however after reviewing this feedback, we realize that was not satisfactory for the issues experienced. We spoke with the guest on 8/2/24 and were able to come to a fair conclusion that was satisfactory to the guest. 

  
  With the feedback they provided we will be able to fix these issues moving forward and do everything in our power to ensure our service is only better and better moving forward. We value the guests' feedback and time spent allowing us the opportunity to come to an agreement. We look forward to serving them on their next stay. 

  Customer response

  08/02/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22078123, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We reserved a cabin for the week of 7/28 thru 8/3 to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday. When we arrived and unpacked my wife went to use the restroom and the toilet seat was broken and there was no toilet paper anywhere in the cabin. A few hours later after a long day of driving we were boing to sit in the hot tub however, there was no water in the tub. We have a hot tub at home that I get into almost every evening to help with my severe back disability and my wife's arthritis. I called the main office to complain and they stated that they would send someone out of ix the issues. On second day we went out to enjoy the sights and when we returned to the cabin nothing had been fixed. The 3rd day of trip we went to main office and talked to ****, one of the managers. **** stated that tech would bring the part and fix the hot tub, On the second day we visited some local friends and invited them over to cook dinner on the grill. We then realized we could not use the gas grill because the propane bottle was empty. y the middle of the week we still had no hot tub and were informed that part is on back order. We notified **** that we were leaving a day early due to the issues with the cabin and were informed they would not refund that night. We paid $300 a night for a cabin that was not ready for guest. Venture offered a move but the offered cabins were not within the area or elevation we paid for. To date they are not going to offer any type of discount or refund for leaving early.

  

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains are sorry for the guests dissatisfaction.

  We have spoken with the guests during the stay and tried to resolve their complaints and agree that unfortunately the hot tub part is on order. We did get the guests the propane as requested but apologize for any delay to that service. While we understand the guest is upset due to the issues, as stated by the guest we did offer the guest alternative properties as we would if issues arise that we could not resolve. With the amenities in the property from time to time things break down as they would with any such appliance in a home and therefore we do not offer refunds based on broken down amenities. We did try to make quick repair and when told we could not we were transparent with the guests to offer them another location so they could have the hot tub they needed.

  The guests declined being moved and told us they would be leaving early and wanted a refund. We did tell the guests that we could possibly do a partial reimbursement but that the days left early would not be included in that refund as the guest is responsible for the full balance within 7 days of arrival even if they did not show up. The guest was not happy with this and demanded reimbursement for the days not stayed in the property.

  The guests told us that they would be disputing this with their Discover card as they have done this before and Discover always gave their money back. So due to this we will not offer any refunds if the guest is also disputing with his financial institution. 

  We again Apologize for the issues upon check in and the issue with the hot tub and propane. We appreciate your feedback on this matter and will improve our services. 

  Customer response

  07/31/2024

  
  Complaint: 22070398
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Response offers nothing. I stared that I would file a dispute with discover if there was no compensation. We have stayed at multiple cabins in several states over the past 30 years and have never had an issue. This cabin was not ready for rental and is still not ready. I would bet they have another guest right behind us and have not advised them of the problems. We will leave them our toilet paper.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  cabins of the smoky mountains was website where we booked but money went to Venture Resorts. 
  And...receipt from Gatlinburg Falls Resort

  We rented the Landmark Lodge for 4 nights from 7/14/24 to 7/18/24. 60 people for our family reunion. We used all 25 rooms. Here is what we encountered: 1. AC unit flooded and leaked 2. Water rose up through the floor, so we walked on wet floors throughout our stay 3. Beds were made using only one sheet, no top sheet on several beds 4. Sink and dishwasher and ice maker leaked, adding to the wet floor 5. Two beds were broken 6. All outlets in kitchen are missing GFI although they are near water 7. Pool room could not be locked 8. The breakers were tripped and we spent several hours without lights in the main room 9. Garage door to the pool is broken with sharp edges exposed 10. Two of the three video games were broken 11. Cushions in the movie room were torn and stuffing exposed 12. The lodge is supposed to come with silverware for 60, we had three forks. 13. Rooms were cleaned, but some were lacking the required towels and linen and toilet paper The “bones” of this 25 room lodge are fine, but the owners have let the maintenance fall in utter disrepair. My family was very disappointed with the condition of this property. These issues will not come as a surprise to the mgt company as the repair/maintenance guy shared that he was “very familiar” with the issues.

  

  Business response

  08/27/2024

  Company states this is not their customer or their property. 

  

  Business response

  10/11/2024

  We have spoke with the reservation holder on 10/10 and processed a partial reimbursement for the inconveniences faced. While we realize this in no way changes the issues they had we do hope the guests see that we are a company that does want to make things right with our guests if issues arise during a stay.  

• Initial Complaint

  07/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Below is the email I sent the rental management company which outlines our complaint. *** *********************************** Our family stayed in one of your cabins last week and found numerous problems which greatly affected our enjoyment during the week. We had reservations from June 15-22, 2024 in the Majestic View cabin and made several phone calls during our stay to complain about the sanitation, supplies, and safety of many of these items. My two sisters also talked with a representative of your management company trying to address the issues while we were at the rental house. We were unable to get any service the first 3 days we were there and on day 4 one of your employees showed up to leave some kitchen items which should have been there when we arrived. A complete inventory of necessary items needs to be taken and your cabins should be inspected before guests arrive so paying customers are not disappointed when they arrive. Cabin sanitation was poor. Some of the bathrooms had mold growing in the tub/shower. Floors were swept but not cleaned or mopped. We had a shower that was leaking from the second floor into the kitchen. One toilet was leaking on the floor in one of the bedrooms. One of the two hot tubs did not work. Several electrical outlets did not have covers and were a hazard to our young children in the house. The main power supply box attached to the outside of the house was open and could electrocute anyone who would touch the live wires. Other repair or safety issues can be found in the attached pictures. No customer should have to worry about the cleanliness or safety of a rental home. Especially one which is used for large families on a vacation. I look forward to your review of this complaint and any remediation you feel is fair to our family. The reservation was in my father's name, *** *******. I received a email on July 12, 2024 indicating that a refund of $1200.00 was processed. Only approximately 10% of the cost.

  

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains apologize for the issues experienced during their stay with us. 

  We did attempt to reach the guest today in order to resolve this and apologize for the delay in getting back with them. We did leave a voicemail with the guest and look forward to speaking with them further. 

  We appreciate the guests feedback here and will improve the service provided to our guests overall based on this. 

  

  Business response

  08/15/2024

  We thank the guests for their time on this matter. 

  We strive to provide the finest luxury cabins in the Smokies with maximum amenities; they are not hotel rooms and from time to time, appliances, hot tubs, satellite TV, water, electricity, etc. will break down or
  malfunction. While normally we do not refund any monies due to these issues that arise as they would in
  any property due to the life expectancy of any and all such appliances etc, we respond as quickly as we can to make repairs and restore amenities. 

  We understand that there were issues during they stay and have acknowledged the complaint and put a plan together to take care of these things. While we do not typically refund any money when the guests stay the full duration of the stay, we have refunded them a fair amount due to those issues as well as resolved what we would while they were in the property. 

  We apologize that the guests are still not happy with the refunded amount but we will not be able to offer any additional reimbursement for their past stay.

  Customer response

  08/15/2024

  
  Complaint: 21993470
  
  I am rejecting this response because: A fair reimbursement will never be given by this management company.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date booked 6/27/24-Amount paid $1283.81 Arrival 7/03 departure 7/7-Requesting a full refund I sent an email to the company. As requested to. They refused a full refund and gave me $100 unacceptable! Prior to renting we looked online. Nothing like what we got. The deck covered in wasp nests- the code door, above the swing and several other places making it impossible to even enjoy the deck. We are allergic to wasps and use epipens if stung. The carpets are all covered in stains of food and drink. The TV would not connect to any service so we couldn’t use them. The pool table felt is worn out and ripped, along with the entire table being not level and owner or who ever put pop can cases under the legs to try and correct it rather than fixing the problem. Rocking chair on the upper deck is broken. The bathtub in the upstairs bathroom jets were clogged in black sludge and black sand after filling the tub it covered the tub in filth. The tub was unable to be used. All vents in the cabin were covered in filthy dirt and dust so using them was blowing chunks of dust through the air. There are roaches in every room dead and alive. Upstairs bathroom light burnt out. Blood stains on both bed sheets. The kitchen sink light is broken. Not just a light bulb, fixture is broken. The stove light is also broken. Cooking in the kitchen is impossible to see. Had to use a flashlight to see the stove top, kitchen sprayer is broken. The white mini blind in both bedrooms upstairs and down are broken. Floors were covered in dirt and food. The corners of the rooms were black. Not able to use The Jacuzzi hot tub, bathtub with jets, beds with sheets on them, kitchen for cooking, entire wrap around deck, pool table, upper deck, the TV’s We are extremely dissatisfied with the entire stay. We requested a full refund and were told no. There is no excuse for the condition of the cabin. We paid for the cabin to be cleaned. It was not. We paid for the jacuzzi to be serviced it also was not.

  Customer response

  07/14/2024

  I have more pictures but I can not get them to load. I am more than willing to share them with anyone who would like to see the condition of the cabin. 

  

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains apologize for the issues during the guests stay. 

  
  We did reach out to the guests today in order to let them know that we would not be able to process a full refund to them as they did stay the duration of the stay within the property. We did refund a partial amount to the guests for the issues. 

  
  We did leave our number and an extension number for the guests to reach out to further discuss this with us. We appreciate the guests feedback as well as any feedback on the stay with us is very important. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I spent well over $900 to stay 4 days in a cabin WITH a hot tub. I am a disabled veteran so I was really looking forward to that. It was the whole reason I chose the cabin that I did. Good location, trees blocked anyone else’s line of sight etc. I was not informed prior to placing the reservation, OR, prior to arrival that the hot tub was broken.. I had reached out to the office and they said they’d send someone out the next day to fix it (I have proof of this) and no one did. They never spoke a word about it again. Customer Care was atrocious in my opinion. I waited on hold for 30+ minutes only to be hung up on afterwards, and Customer Service texts that went ignored and unanswered. I do not feel as if though $50 is good enough compensation for the lack of amenities, doors that don’t close, abysmal customer care, and an overall negative experience.

  

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains apologize for any lack of response on our end and also for the issues during the stay with the hot tub. 

  Unfortunately the hot tub was not able to be resolved and we were in the process of scheduling a new hot tub to be delivered to the cabin and had issues with the Crane company. So we agree that this was an impact that could have been communicated better to the guests. When we spoke today we as a company acknowledged that to the guest. 

  We also offered an additional reimbursement due to this. 

  We hope the guests are able to come back in the future if they so choose and have provided a contact to them in management in order to make sure it goes off without a hitch. We would be more than happy to host them. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Gatlinburg Movie Mansion Rental June 22, 2024. Reserved the Movie Mansion Rental for June 22-29, 2024. Upon arrival and inspection of the property we found what appeared to be black mold in several of the rooms on the second floor. I called the guest care number provided to report the findings. Was told that they could not move us until there was an inspection of the property by Maintenace and someone would be at the property by 10:00pm on June 22, 2024. When no one showed by by 9:45pm I made another call to only get an answering service which was told the situation, and we were promised a call back. We (family of 10) left the property to seek a cleaner place to stay that night which was the Quality Inn Creekside. On Sunday, June 23, 2024, I went to the office of Cabins of the Smoky Mountains to file another complaint, provided pictures of the property and asked to speak to a manager. Thursday of that week while at Dollywood I finally got a phone call back from a manager stating that the panel will review the complaint and determine if they would provide a refund. I asked for a complete refund however they only refunded $3,532.31 which is short of the full payment by $580.81. I also ask for reimbursement of the hotel stay for June 22, 2024 totaling $464.69. To settle this matter I need to be made whole and be refunded the remainder of the amount of $1,045.50. We did find other accommodations however due to the short notice could only find a place that was available through June 28 which made our vacation be cut by one day. Attached are just a few of the pictures we provide in our complaint to customer care of Cabin Rentals of the Smoky Mountains.

  

  Business response

  08/14/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains apologize for the guests frustrations on their stay with us. While we are not perfect and issues sometimes arise we do try to make things right with the guests. 

  The guests checked into the property Gatlinburg Movie Mansion and upon arrival they let us know about some concerns they were having with cleanliness and overall upkeep including the mold/mildew. We did place a work order in our system to go out and look into this situation to which our inspector said it was not black mold. We did also tell the guests we could not relocate them to another property upon the first complaint due to each property being individually owned and us needing to come out and try to resolve the issues prior to offering any relocation. We did not say we would not move them all together but guests chose to leave the property before we had the chance to rectify it. 
  

  We are sorry for the guests continued frustration due to this but we will not be able to meet the request for a full refund and felt we did what was fair by refunding all but the deposit, when we don't offer refunds for leaving early to begin with and the guest would have been responsible for the balance even if they never showed up to the property per the agreement that agreed to upon booking. 

  

  Business response

  08/26/2024

  We at Cabins of the Smoky Mountains apologize sincerely for the issues experienced during the stay with us. 

  We did call the guests today 8/26 to speak with them but got voicemail. Guest did call back and we went ahead and processed a check for the remaining amount retained. As per policy this would not be typical for us to do, but we do understand the guests frustration and ultimately want to satisfy them. We sincerely care for our guests. 

  We thank the guests for their time and would love to be able to host them again if they come into the area to have an experience that would exceed their expectations if they so choose. 

   

   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩