Dip in the Smokies

Stayed with our 3 adult children, their spouses and 3 young grandchildren (ages 4 months, 2 and 11). Cabin was beautiful and located in a quiet, gaited area with spectacular views. Management was very responsive. We noticed our cabin was missing drinking pitchers. Our family wanted to make iced tea and orange juice. They brought some to us quickly. Pool temperature was too cool to enjoy by our family. They also came out to assessthe pool quickly. They validated it was on their targeted setting, but the water just wasn’t warm enough for the kids or adults to enjoy, so that was a big disappointment. I did see others providing similar feedback in the reviews. The indoor heated pool is the highlight of the property for families with young kids, so this really needs to be addressed and a consideration given to increasing the “target” temperature of the pool so that it can be enjoyed. The cabin comes with a big price tag, so families expect the property to deliver. The hot tub wasn’t warm enough first night to enjoy. Had to be turned about a lot to get to a comfortable temperature. When guests are expected, might proactively turn it up before they arrive so it too can be immediately enjoyed. The weather was very windy and temp in the upper 20’s to 30’s during our visit. The upstairs bedroom on the balcony side was very cold. Without leaving the bedroom door open, the heating system couldn’t keep up. Same in the downstairs theater room, which is where we set up an extra queen size air mattress to accommodate the 4th set of adults for privacy (the living room sleeper sofa doesn’t provide privacy and sleep is dependent on when everyone else goes to bed.) A few portable heaters might help with comfort. We actually purchased one at Walmart to use in downstairs theater room to keep the couple warm at night, but really needed another one in the upstairs balcony room where it was too cold for our 4 month old to sleep in a port a crib. The beds were comfy, but the fitted sheets on all the beds would not stay in place and was a complaint by all our family members. Need larger size to fit better. The kitchen also needs a griddle or electric skillet. We had pancake mix with us but no large skillet to make pancakes. A large electric skillet would be a nice addition to the kitchen amenities. Some recliners and/or footstools would make the living room more comfy. Think the extra fees could be reconsidered. Not a fan of all of the add on fees. Wish all of the properties would just be more up front with total per night pricing rather than tacking on all the additional fees at time of booking. Despite the opportunities mentioned in the review, the cabin, location and management responsiveness still earns a “thumbs up” from our family. We had a great time are looking at making this an annual trip.