Looking for a clean hotel downtown near shops and restuarants.
The teens will want to go out on their own. I read so much about dirty run down hotels I am a little nervous. Thanks for your help!

I'd suggest Riverhouse At the Park. Fairly new, local owned, and very close to resturants.

If you are going in off season, you can go without a reservation and any hotel there will let you go to the rooms and check them out before you check in. They don't mind at all. However, if you are going in season, better have a reservation or you can pay way to much for a dump. Bearskin Lodge on the river looks pretty neat to me..their website is www.oaktennlodging.com
There is also a new Clarion right on the parkway..their address is www.clariongatlinburg.com....the Hampton also right on the parkway. You can also go to gatlinburg.com and click on their accommodations link for some great ideas.

Both the Fairfield Inn and Best Western Zoders get high marks from travel guides.

Just got back from there. We saw lots of vacancy signs so if you are going soon, you could look around first and take your pick.

I didn't see anything that looked like a "dirty, run down hotel". Some were just older and more rustic than others but I would have stayed in any of them.

The town isn't all that big. Your teens could (and will) walk all over town from just about any hotel. There were a few up in the mountains so find out if they are IN town or not.

Bennett BBQ had a great deal on lunch--buy one/get one free! Food was good.

I have stayed in many of the hotels in Gatlinburg. The Park Vista is isolated - on top of a hill - and not conducive to teens walking the main drag. The Ramada Inn was run down - the indoor swimming facility was fun, though. The Bearskin was nice - view of creek, fireplace in room, jacuzzi in room. I prefer the Clarion - fairly new - excellent staff, excellent rooms - each has microfridge.

How far is Bearskin from downtown? I was also thinking of Midtown Lodge. Anyone stay there?

Bearskin is downtown. What is nice is that the backside of the hotel is the national park so it has nice surroundings.

The downtown isn't all that large so it is okay not to be right in the middle of it all.

It appealed more to me than any other hotel I saw.

I'm sorry to contradict Connie, but the Bearskin does not back up to the National Park. It does look over the creek, but it is a block off downtown, with development behind it.

From the Bearskin website--

..."just a block away from the entrance to Great SmokyMountains National Park."

Didn't mean for you to take it literally as next door to the park but that you were on the edge of town without being surrounded by other hotels.

I did say you were not right in the middle of down town. And as I said before, it is a small downtown and it will be easy for you to walk all over town from your hotel.

Map 840 River Rd, Gatlinburg, TN and you'll see what I mean.

The Bearskin sounds good.What about the Midtown Lodge?