TN Gatlinburg Deer Ridge Mountain Resort

[smootchick]

I won this hotel through Hotwire a couple weeks before my trip date of 10/8 - 10/10 to Gatlinburg, TN. I had plenty of time to peruse their website and get familiar with the accommodations before my stay. You can find it at http://www.deerridge.com.

Basically, Deer Ridge is a condominium resort on top of a tall hill that makes for breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains. On a clear evening you can even catch glimpses of Gatlinburg's city lights. Deer Ridge is located about 20 minutes outside of Gatlinburg on Hwy. 321 heading toward Cosby, TN. If you are familiar with the area, it is several miles past Greenbriar from Gatlinburg. The best part is, you don't have to drive through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg traffic to get to it! Instead, you can continue past those exits on I-40 and while it might be a longer distance, I guarantee you'll get there faster than if you had gone the Pigeon Forge route!

Deer Ridge is reached by passing through an 18-hole golf course at the base of the hill and up a narrow paved mountain road straight to the top. The resort entrance is well-marked by big signs on the left, although if you aren't watching you may miss it because it turns up suddenly. Once on the resort property, you'll come to an overlook with beautiful mountain views and a sign that boasts, "The Best Views of the Smokies!" I can't dispute it. :) Truly the most wonderful scenery you will find from any chalet, cabin, or condo- trust me, I've looked.

The Office/Check-in is located toward the back end of the property. It's nothing fancy; a reservation desk, couch with television, and bookcase/video library. To the left is a game room with air hockey, more videos, pinball, and a few arcade games. Straight ahead is a small indoor pool and hot tub/jacuzzi surrounded by glass so guests can enjoy the mountains while swimming. If you go beyond the pool area you'll exit onto a large wooden deck with more mountain views.

Check-in was quick and easy. The clerk did mention Hotwire, but was not rude at all. In fact, he was more than happy to answer all the questions I had about the area and point out places of interest, detailing routes on maps. He assigned us to a room on the first level of one of the units. The resort is laid out with seven seperate buildings of three floors each. Bottom and top units are accessible by outside stairs and 2nd floor units may be accessed by ramp, making the resort somewhat handicap-friendly. All rooms have a superb view no matter what floor you're on, and all rooms have an attached private balcony, none of which are on the ground. There are four room styles: one bedroom, one bedroom with loft, two bedroom, and two bedroom with loft. The loft rooms are usually on the top floors. Our room was the one bedroom. I would recommend trying to get a room in the E building and beyond- they seem to have the best views despite being near the back of the property.

Upon first impression the condo was immaculately clean, but not fancy by any means. The flooring was berber carpet and vinyl "tiling" in the kitchen and bathroom. There is a dining area to the left of the entrance, a living room with sleeper sofa and armchair, television, fireplace, and sliding glass door out to the balcony. A counter seperates the dining area from the kitchen equipped with a fridge/freezer, range/oven, microwave, dishwasher, and all the cooking equipment you'll need. There is a phone above the counter. Down a small hallway is the bathroom with tub/shower, vanity and sink, and toilet. Across the hall is the bedroom with a queen bed, alarm clock, dresser, and closet. Everything was in working order, very VERY clean, and quite nice despite them not being "luxury" accommodations. My only complaints were the soundproofing, which was not very good. If you're a light sleeper, bring earplugs! At one point we heard people in the room next to us talking or screaming and the people above us seemed to be stomping, although I doubt they were. The only other thing I didn't like was the quality of the linens- the towels were a little rough, but I didn't expect them to be spa quality.

The grounds are very nice and mostly surrounded by trees. There is a short walking trail, tennis courts, a half basketball court, picnic pavilion, and playground.

On the Saturday of our stay, the resort had planned a sunset festival on the large deck behind the office. They offered a free catered dinner from Best Italian in Gatlinburg of baked ziti, salad and ranch dressing, garlic rolls, soda, and wine as well as bluegrass music performers to entertain the guests. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves; I'd say more than half the resort was there. The food was delicious. Where else can you go to stay, have awesome views AND get a free dinner in Gatlinburg? If you find a place, let me know.

I would recommend Deer Ridge to anyone. The small flaws were easy to get over with the fabulous views, friendly staff, and convenience. For the price, you really can't do any better. I will definitely be back to this wonderful place!