Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have deposit left in amount of 510.08. I was told per email I could use the deposit on another cabin rental. I have not been able to get this done, no responses to emails and live chat. I have called and get will get told will have to check on the status of deposit with no responses back.

  

  Business response

  12/03/2024

  Below is the email that we sent to the guest on September 18th 2024:

  Dear Guest,
  Thank you for reaching out to us, and I sincerely apologize for the delay in our response. We understand how important your reservation is, and we appreciate your patience as we work to address your concerns.
  We are happy to honor your discount of $510.08 once you proceed with booking your reservation with us. Please rest assured that we are committed to making this process as smooth as possible for you.
  We look forward to hosting you and ensuring that your stay is enjoyable. If you have any further questions or if you would like to finalize your reservation, please don't hesitate to reach out.
  Thank you for your understanding, and we hope to hear from you soon.

  We are sorry for any lack of communication but as stated to the guest in this email we have already offered it to the guests on their booking and just stated they will need to book and then we will be able to apply it. 

  Customer response

  12/23/2024

  I put on last message I was going to book cabin and then when my money was credited I would give response. I spoke to representative last week about this and he said after I boooked cabin, I would call and they would credit the difference. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented a cabin (Lil Smokey) in October from Gatlinburg Falls Resort based on their website which states "our modern cabins are luxury log homes, complete with deluxe features you expect to find in a high-end resort". When we arrived on Friday evening the access code did not work; multiple calls before someone answered the phone and provided a new code after standing on the front porch for 30+ minutes. The cabin was filthy dirty and run down/poorly maintained. Blinds were missing and/or broken. No batteries in the remote. Phone on nightstand looked like someone had puked on it. Blue scum on the shower curtain and tub. Cobwebs in the corners and lamps. Bugs on the floor and windowsill. Ice maker in fridge did not work. Pillows with no pillow cases. No bowls in the kitchen; only one spoon. Curtain valances hung backwards. Trash on the back deck; hot tub dirty, jets didn't work and the hot tub cover was not secured. Whirlpool tub in room dirty. Steps hazardous/unsafe. Trash in the yard and food scraps attracting animals. There was nothing luxurious about this cabin. We called Friday to file complaints and advise of the issues and expressed our desire to speak to a manager immediately to seek alternative lodging that was clean and safe. Texts were sent with photos of complaints. Promised phone call was NOT received and no attempt was made to rectify any issues. We were forced to endure the filthy, poorly maintained cabin - we had no other options short of sleeping in our vehicle and no where for our groceries - because no one called us. Perhaps that was on purpose so they can claim that we 'utilized the property' and then deny an appropriate refund. After returning home, we were finally contacted and offered an unacceptable refund. Business practices and false advertising is disgraceful as well as the customer service. We paid for a luxurious, clean cabin based on website and posted photos - IT WAS NOT! Company is deceitful and is misleading unsuspecting guests.

  

  Business response

  10/31/2024

  We thank the guests for their recent communication regarding their stay at Lil Smokey. We appreciate their detailed feedback and the time they took to express their concerns to us.
  
  We sincerely apologize for the issues they experienced during their stay and understand how frustrating this must have been. It is our standard to provide clean and well-maintained cabins, and we are sorry we fell short in this instance.
  
  After reviewing the guests' case, we have issued a refund that we believe is reasonable under the circumstances. We do regret that we are unable to accommodate your request for additional reimbursement. The guests did stay for the duration of their reservation, and as such, we feel our response aligns with our policies.
  
  Regarding the guests' request to change the wording on our website about our standard for clean cabins, we must respectfully decline. While we understand the guests' sentiments, we have a commitment to maintaining high standards for cleanliness, and the issues they experienced are not reflective of our typical service. We apologize once again for their unfortunate experience and assure them that it is not the standard we strive to uphold.
  
  We thank them for bringing these matters to our attention. We will use this feedback to improve our services and enhance future guest experiences.

  

  Business response

  11/06/2024

  We appreciate the guest's response. We truly value her feedback and appreciate her perspective.
  
  While we recognize that there were certain aspects of her stay that did not meet expectations, we also want to note that they completed the full reservation with us. We issued a refund of $125, which we believe is a fair resolution given the circumstances.
  
  We cannot provide any additional reimbursement as we feel that our refund policy has been appropriately applied. We understand the guest's dissatisfaction, and while we regret that her experience did not meet her standards, we believe that our position remains reasonable.
  
  Should the guest choose to pursue other avenues, we respect that decision, but we will continue to stand by the resolution we have provided thus far. 
  
  We thank the guest again for her response and we truly apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused

  Customer response

  11/07/2024

  We are not satisfied with the resolution of this complaint.  

• Initial Complaint

  10/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On October 18, 2024 i reserved a room at Comfort Inn & Suites Gatlinburg, Tn. The room was booked wheelchair accessible with a roll in shower. I arrived at the hotel about an hour after making the reservation. Upon my arrival the room was Hearing Accessible but not handicap accessible. The room had a tub, no safety rails at the toilet, and the door would not accommodate a wheelchair. The front desk clerk informed me she gave my room away and if she had a wheelchair accessible room she would assign me one. The room was booked via Expedia so I called Expedia to request a refund. Expedia states that the Hotel will not verify that the room was handicap accessible. I made photographs of the room as well as video recorded the conversation with the hotel front desk clerk. The hotel refuses to verify the room is not wheelchair accessible.

  

  Business response

  10/29/2024

  We are sorry for any dissatisfaction with the guests. We do not have a stay with this name and I think this was to be addressed to The Comfort Inn and Suites In Gatlinburg TN

  Customer response

  10/29/2024

  The business is Comfort Inn and Suites Gatlinburg,Tn

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This was our 4th stay with GFR and we have never had an issue until June of 2024. First off we pulled up and saw a strange metal garage in amongst very long grass and a basketball hoop that was broken. Not a great first impression. The screen door was broken, the cabinet fronts in the kitchen were dirty (looked like spilled pancake batter on them), multiple lights needed new lightbulbs, horrible looking grills, some of the games in the game room were not working, no mattress protector on the bed, then we went to the pool area. There were dead bugs EVERYWHERE in the indoor pool area, cobwebs all over, and there were 3 millipedes in the pool. Our daughter-in-law saw a live cockroach come out of the kitchen sink and that was the last straw! We have pictures of all this. We spent over 1,500 on this cabin just for 2 days and we expected much better than that. We can get over some things, but not lots of dead bugs and roaches. My husband called GFR and he was on the phone with a man named Lewis for like 50 minutes. My husband told him that we will not stay in a place with dead bugs and roaches and we would be leaving. He told them we will get a hotel for the night and Lewis told him they would call the next morning to put us in a different place for the next night. We NEVER received a phone call from them at all. Super disappointing that they never even acknowledged it! Therefore we spent all that money on the cabin and spent more money on 2 more days of lodging someplace else. It took multiple e-mails to them asking if we would get any refunds. They said they were behind and hoping to get to it soon. After 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, we noticed a refund on our credit card for $200. I'm sorry, that's not near enough when we spent $1,500. Our last e-mail from Lewis stated that $200 refund was fair and that there is no appeal & the matter is closed. He then told us we could get 10% off in the future! NO WAY! I just think this was handled terribly!

  

  Business response

  08/23/2024

  Today we spoke with the guest in regards to the stay and some of the shortcomings of this stay compared to the other experiences the guests have had with us. We apologize immensely and it is regrettable that we were not able to offer another property as explained the day before. 

  Due to this we have spoke with the guest *** ********** ** *** ****** ** ********. In addition to this we have offered the guests their deposit to go towards the next stay without an expiration on it as they did not have plans on coming back in the near future. 

  We again sincerely apologize for the lack of cleaning and services provided and will take this and improve not only for these guests but all future guests as to not have this happen again. We appreciate the guests patience and understanding while speaking with us and look forward to providing them with a better experience as they have been accustomed to in the past with us. 

  Customer response

  08/23/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22025747, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *** ******** ******

• Initial Complaint

  07/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve uploaded pictures of my review which clearly reflects my complaints.

  

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  We at Gatlinburg Falls Resort sincerely apologize for the guests dissatisfaction with the service provided and overall upkeep of the cabin. 

  We spoke with the guest today to review the stay with them and agreed they had some issues during the stay that went unresolved. In attempt to make this right with the guests we have offered a partial reimbursement to them and they accepted. We have also resolved the issues in question with water pressure and overall upkeep and will continue to improve based on the guests feedback to us. 

  We realize this does not make up for the things that happened during the stay, but we hope that it shows the guest we truly do care about their stay and want them to enjoy the stay so they can become returning lifetime guests with us. Knowing that they love and visit this area pretty regularly, we are confident we can provide better service and change their mind upon a next stay with us if they so choose.  

  Customer response

  08/09/2024

  I accepted the amount the resort was willing to refund to us. i am not happy about it, but i accepted it. so the matter is resolved 

• Initial Complaint

  07/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We rented a cabin for 10 on 5/24 - 5/27. We had multiple children so we booked a family oriented cabin. The cabin advertised air hockey, multiple tvs, a gaming system, free pool access, free fishing access. Check in was at 4pm. Called the morning of to ask about early check in, was told a request for an earlier inspection was put into place so we could receive the door code for entry. We drive 4 hrs, arrive shortly before 4pm and still no code. I call the company and they cannot help me because the place "hasn't been inspected yet." The owner of the cabin saw us on the security feed, gave me his phone number and had me call. He provided his code to enter and informed me that the tv in the living room was broken. We never received a text from the company for Check in. The trundle bed was broken and held by electrical tape so the bed was concaved and sloped so no one could lay on it and it made the bottom mattress unable to be fully pulled out (Photo attached). There was no air hockey table as advertised, the gaming system had no power cord, there was no seating for the tv that worked other than the broken trundle bed. The brochure advertised free youtube tv but we couldn't access it due to it being used at another location. We went to go swimming and fishing and were told the fees were not paid for us to access the location and it would be $5 per activity per day. 10 people over 4 days would have been $400 out of pocket to do something that was advertised for free in the listing and in the welcome brochure. I have contacted the company multiple times a week via phone and email. A month of the back and forth they offered a pitiful refund and a discount on a future stay at the same cabin. I've been promised phone calls back that never get received. I've gotten the brush off by multiple agents. I finally had someone say they would refund me partially a week ago and I have not received anything. Their business practice and amount of false advertisting is a disgrace.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  We at Gatlinburg Falls Resort are very sorry for the guests issues and complaints during the stay. 

  Since the stay we have spoken with the guests and reimbursed them partially for the service issues. We have also extended a future stay discount to the guests, so if they choose to stay with us again they can do so at a discounted rate. 

  We appreciate the guests feedback and will use this to further improve our services to our guests. We do hope the guests are able to come back for a much better experience in the future and again are very sorry for any negative impact that was to be had by them. 

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 21928534, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* ******

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Also known as Venture Resorts Dean Veverka Dates 6/17/24 to 6/22/24 Cabin: Lumber Jack Lodge 1) check in process is atrocious and took for ever, was told the cabin was clean and inspected, plus everything ready for our stay. LIE 2) got to cabin no information on wifi password and then the code for game room door was wrong. Took three days to get correct number from maintenance. 3) hot tub spa pack burned out, checked out hot tub before using and found jet pump not operational. Found manual and preformed checks during GFCI test was shocked 240 volts. Called again and maintenance came out had parts in truck to fix, couldn't fix until cabin owner authorized fix. No hot tub until 3rd night. Fixed With out owners authorization. Got county tourism involved and they contacted office. 4) place very dirty and disgusting, paid cleaning fees and they do horrible job. Cock roaches in the place. The carpet was filthy. 5) pool sticks junk, said they would get more, never happened. 6) while at office complaining they told us that the hot tub was inprogress of being fixed day two. They did not fix, but entered the cabin without out our permission. 7) hot water tank was bad ran out of hot water after one shower. 8) Offered to make up for two days lost on amenities, of extending cabin stay. Thought that was fair. Called back and stated that the cabin was booked and we could goto another cabin but had to pay for cleaning fees, and had to pay for second night. When asked for supervisor to call us back never got return call. Our vacation at the cabin was a nightmare. We did goto a hotel for two nights and relax from the BS from this con artist company.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  We at Gatlinburg Falls Resort are very sorry for the issues during they stay that negatively impacted them. We want all guests to become returning guests and do whatever we can in order to try and make things rate. 

  We did speak with the guests today and offered a partial reimbursement as of today July 16th, 2024. The guests were happy with this and we hope that they will give us another opportunity in the future to have them stay with us and have a much better experience. 

  We will take this feedback and use it to further improve upon the service to our guests. 

  Customer response

  07/25/2024

  They refunded us for the issues we had in the cabin rental. 

  Thanks 

  For your help

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We stayed June 15th to the 22nd. Upon arrival we noticed the trashcans were already full. No comforters on the beds, dust coming from a vent on the wall, pool dirty and not running, hot tub had a terrible smell and water was semi green. No frying pan to cook with and no broom to clean with. We rented this cabin for the pool and hot tub because we had four children with us. I called and was told someone would come out. Nobody ever showed up. Called Sunday told the same thing. Nobody ever came. Called Monday left several messages, called Tuesday and had to leave messages. Found their Facebook page and left messages on Wednesday to which someone finally called me back. But not before they removed my messages and blocked me. I was told on the phone I would receive some sort of refund due to all the issues. Not one call or anything since. Only being told someone will call me. Lack of communication is an understatement. When I was contacted last Wednesday I was told that the company had been bought out and the new owners had downsized and that they were the issue.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  We at Gatlinburg Falls Resort apologize for the negative experience the guests had in one of our properties. Its in our every intention to have them enjoy there stay with us and for us to make them returning guests for life. While we are not perfect by any means we do our hardest to make things right with our guests. 

  Since the stay we have spoken with the guests and offered them a reimbursement in partial. We do acknowledge our shortcomings and appreciate the guests for making us aware of some of the issues and allowing us the opportunity to make things right with them. We do apologize for any delay in response. 

  If the guests so chooses in the future we would love to be able to host them again to show them the experience they had is not the guest experience that we want for our guests. We thank the guests for their time in speaking with us during and after their stay. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We recently stayed in Glades Getaway cabin. My husband and I were the first to arrive Friday afternoon. The cabin was STIFLING, we're talking 88 degrees with 80% humidity per the (non-working) dehumidifier. We called the main number and had a tech come out. Guy stated that the A/C was blowing cold air but that nearly every register in the house was closed leading to the high temp. He also checked the air filter for the unit and it was FILTHY. Said he didn't have the filter with him so he would be back shortly to replace. Fast forward to Saturday morning. A family member mentioned a concern about the lack of towels in the cabin. There were 7 towels. In a cabin listed to sleep 18 people. I spent over 2 hours Saturday trying to get through to request more towels. Note, the automated service you dial into as a guest-it repeats your place in the "queue" for 30 minutes until you're forwarded to a vm and disconnected. Woke up Sunday morning to have the same process repeated for another hour. 3rd phone call, rep said they would have more towels delivered within 2-4 hours. They also verified that a work order was still showing "in progress" for the HVAC unit and a dishwasher work order. I called again at the four hour mark and was told 2 more hours. We're talking 24+ hours from the first call to the delivery of additional towels. Upon inspection walking into the unit mold was in multiple bedrooms, the bathrooms, and what had clearly been a leaking roof at one time or another. Water stains on the ceiling. The gaming table that was advertised had clearly been damaged by a previous guest and was a hazard as it was a broken barrel while the rest of the game just leaned at an awful angle. A rug on the lower level was curling and had previously been taped down to the floor. All tape exposed and is a fall risk. The filthy air filter wasn't replaced until Tuesday afternoon, with no notice. No text, no call, no knock. My sister-in-law walked out of her room to a stranger in the hall.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  We at Gatlinburg Falls Resort apologize greatly for the guests concerns during their stay. 

  Its in our sincerest hopes that we can make a positive impact to the guests stay and unfortunately there were some areas where we fell short and caused some frustrations for the guests overall with service requests and issues. 

  While this is not typical, we do try to amend the issues as quickly as possible for the guests and to make it right if for some reason we cannot resolve their complaints. We spoke to the guests today 7/16/2024 and came to a resolution of a partial refund to the guests. 

  We again apologize greatly and if given the opportunity again to make the guests stay a good one we would love that. We thank the guests for their time in speaking with us. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented this cabin for our large family of 19. Upon arrival we had no towels or washrags. No pots to cook. Our hot tub was broken. The lights on the balcony didn’t work on 2&3 floor. We didn’t have an iron. What is was most concerning is the lack of care and communication from this business. It took two days to get pots and pans. Our towels were delivered after 9pm the night of arrival, but no rags were with it. We ended up buying our own towels, rags, and kitchen pans to cook with. Our hot tub was looked at several days after arriving, but never fixed. Management was never able to be contacted. At the very least we believe a partial refund should be issued for the lack of BASIC amenities listed on their booking website.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  We at Gatlinburg Falls Resort apologize for any issues to the guests stay. 

  Upon review of this complaint we cannot locate the guests reservation under the complainant's name and unfortunatley that have not provided a phone number that is able to reach them. 

  If the guests can give us a call at 1-865- 277-1160 ext. 229 and we will be happy to assist with this. 

  We thank the guests for their time and apologize for any delays in response. 

*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. ↩