Sidney James Mountain Lodge Hotel

, Gatlinburg, United States
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Sidney James Mountain Lodge Hotel

, Gatlinburg

Rooms: 136

610 Historic Nature Trl. - Gatlinburg - Tennessee - 37738 - United States Hotel Website | | 865 436 7851
264 Traveller

Reviews - Sidney James Mountain Lodge Hotel

1/10
Deceiving
Submitted by: Barbara in 18/05/10
  • Age Group: 5160
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Special Interest/Event
We came to Gatlinburg on May 13th for the first time. We had looked on computer and found Sidney James Hotel. Pictures was pretty and sounded like what we'd like to stay. First site we knew this wasn't what we wanted. We didn't get the first room that we was told we would have with the creek side. But they did put us up in the penthouse room 501. We get to the 4th floor, doors open there was 501 in front of us. We opened the door, first thing to hit us was the smell. Smelled of mildew. I have asthma and I could see this wasn't going to work. But we was check it out anyway. Had to go up 4 steps then 3 more. Fireplace was there, kitchen but it was run down big time. So we went back and complained, so they gave us 408. Went to the 4th floor again. Again it smelled, so we went back saying we was leaving going to another hotel. They wouldn't refund us any money for one night and was told to call a Danny Wilson. I was so upset. We came for the Highland Games and it was at a bad start. The games had a couple places to go to. So we called and went to another place. I told them what had happened and they had rooms for us and they wanted to help a little with rate since we already had trouble. So the price they charge on weekdays is what they gave us for the weekend too. So nice and a great place. Loved the owners. The place did not smell at all. A very great place to go to. I called Danny Wilson a couple days later. He told me he wasn't going to refund any money that no one ever had trouble with any of his rooms. He didn't care that it would affect my health. Said they have someone that comes and inspects for Mildew. Due to the other hotel in Gatlinburg, TN., we had a great vacation after all being I was in tears when leaving Sidney James. We ended up staying from May 13th to May 17th. Enjoyed the Highland Games except for the rain of course.
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2/10
Bad Experience! No response from mgmt
Submitted by: Karen in 09/06/09
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Special Interest/Event
We had a great time, except for the Sidney James!! Our room was AWFUL!! A/C did not work, they came 2x during our whole stay and still did not fix it. Bathroom sink had NO hot water and would not drain. Exhaust fan did not work either. Toilet didn't flush right either. We complained for 3 days and FINALLY, at MIDNIGHT Saturday, they finally decided to pack us up and move us to an upstairs room! Too little, too late. I left word for Sid Maples, the manager, to call me the day we left, Sunday. It has now been more than a week and he has still not called me! I doubt if we will stay there again. They got our room wrong in the first place, then all this on top of that. Left a very bad taste in my mouth for Sidney James Lodge!!
1/10
Horrible Place to Stay!!!!
Submitted by: Pamela in 17/07/06
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Family Traveller
My family and I had reservations for Thanksgiving weekend, 2005. We only stayed 2 of our 3-night reservation. Those 2 days were spent WITHOUT hot water in the room. When we approached the manager about cancelling our last night's reservation and a partial refund, he was very rude and insisted that we were the only ones without hot water. (Although the couples in the rooms next to ours had also reported that they did not have hot water either.) We ended up leaving without any explanation, apology, or refund on our last evening. I have attempted to contact the motel several times since my stay; however, they have neither acknowledged nor responded to my attempts. Therefore, I filed a complaint with the Knoxville Better Business Bureau office. Their attempts to contact the Sidney James Mtn. Lodge were not acknowledged either. Therefore, the BBB has noted that the motel refused to respond to complaints filed against them. This is certainly not a motel that I recommend to anyone. Customer service is of no importance or priority to the management.

Historical Traveller Reviews of Sidney James Mountain Lodge Hotel

Cool pad!

from jengw
I freaked out when I read the reviews on here for this hotel, because it was the hotel that my boyfriend's company had chosen for us to stay in. When I got there I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, we did have one of the jacuzzi suites.(Room #141) It had a fridge, a mirrored area w/ jacuzzi, a gas log fireplace, a large bed, and a couch. The bathroom was small and the water pressure was not great.The window overlooked a pretty stream.This hotel is a little outdated, and there could be some improvements, but overall, we had a fabulous time. The jacuzzi got a lot of use. I did not want to leave!

Penthouse Suite was the PITS!!

from A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed at the Sidney James Mountain Lodge from 12/26/03 to 12/28/03 and were less than impressed. We booked the penthouse suite for 4 people. There is only 1 bed in this room. There is a loveseat that is made of cheap foam and it does not fold out into a bed. The room has not been redecorated since it was built in the early 1970 s. The gas fireplace would go out by itself and have to be relighted. The creek view balcony was really a view of the roof of the hotel through iron bars that made you feel like you were in a prison cell. There was a youth convention in town our last night there and the hotel allowed the children to run around like animals. I called the front desk to complain at midnight and got no response after 5 minuets. If I ever go back to Gatlinburg I will not stay here at any price.

Pass on this one

from A TripAdvisor Member
Using an on-line reservation service apparently puts you in the rooms that no one else would stay in. Ours was the size of a shoebox, right next to the laundry (or HVAC ?) room so we had to listen to the noise of something loud running all night. The bathtub was so old and stained that the bottom was dark grey. Staff was curteous and friendly but considering the number of hotels in Gatlinburg.....pass this one on by.

What a dump, we found chicken bones and beer bottles!!

from A TripAdvisor Member
After a long day of driving we finally arrived at the Sidney James Mountain Lodge on 10 October 2003. My wife and I unloaded the car and went to the Jacuzzi Suite room 509, which they market as one of their top rooms. Upon entering the room we found chicken bones, beer bottles and towels all over the room. They gave us another room but found out is was a smoking room. I finally had to suggest that they clean the room we originally got since it was the only other room available for the time we were there. They "cleaned" it and we went to the room. I have to tell you this was the worst room I've ever been in. Here are some of the things I found to be wrong: front door was bent and the lock broken, both bathroom door jams were torn apart and one was held together by paper wedges, light bulbs out, the walls were peeling and the banister by the bed was ripped from the wall (I found this out by leaning on it and almost going over, would have been a nice lawsuit), trash under the couches, and the floors were horrible (for health sake, if you stay, where your shoes inside), walls had something nasty all over them. Due to there being a limit to words typed here, feel free to email me for more gross findings.

old and worn

from flyrod3d
I stayed for three nights in July 2003 with my husband and two kids.
When we first entered the room I wanted to turn around and leave, but could not afford to forfeit a one nights charge. While we were checking in, there was a guy at the front desk complaining and wanting his money back. I believe the folks who wrote the good reviews stayed in the suites and they were probably better accomadations than the regular rooms. The wallpaper was badly stained, the bathroom door did not close all the way because it was broken, the beige toilet had a white lid which was loose, and there was mildew on the shower curtain. The room did not have a clock radio, alarm, or iron. The mattresses were saggy and the T.V cabinet had seen better days. On the positive, the outdoor and indoor pools were nice. There was no continenental breakfast. Also, you are not on the main drag like many of the other hotels, so it's a further walk to get to the downtown area.

Quiet and friendly

from A TripAdvisor Member
The Sidney James is located near the top of the historic nature trail (stoplight #8) just up from the space needle. I loved the location because it is the last hotel on the road with the exception of Park Vista. It's a short, pleasant walk (downhill) to the main strip. The trolley stops directly in front of the hotel if you don't feel like walking. It is very private and because it's near the top you don't hear all the foot traffic and car noise you would get on the strip. You can listen to water flowing instead. I walked in and got a suite (jacuzzi) for $69 a night. Great pools. Staff extremely friendly. Rooms were very clean and the hotel was in as good condition as 98% in gatlinburg, so don't believe the negative posts. Howard's Steakhouse(walk down to the strip and turn left, about a 1/4 mile on the left) is absolutely one of the best places to eat. The Old Mill restaurant in Pigeon Forge is fantastic also. You'll see people lined up for the Pancake Pantry on the strip. There are several other pancake places a whole lot better with a lot less wait. You need to take at least one day and drive through the Smoky Mountains. It's about 35 miles to Cherokee, NC. The road goes up...then down into Cherokee. It's about a 45 minute drive if you drove straight through but you'll want to stop in a ton of places for the BEST pictures you can imagine. You can get pics with the clouds covering the mountains behind you because you're so high. And in Cherokee the shopping is great and considerably cheaper than gatlinburg or pigeon forge. There is also a Harrah's Casino there if you like to gamble. It's all on one road so there's no getting lost.

Best Vacation Ever

from A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed at Sidney James just this past Labor Day weekend, and had the best vacation me & my family have ever had together. We rented the 2 bedroom Suite. It was all we were hoping for and more. It is within walking distance to downtown and it also has a trolley that will pick you up and drop you off right out front. The housekeeping was great and like elves that you never see. They would come in while we were off sight seeing and when we returned from our long day the room was clean and ready for us. The pools were also nice especially after a day of walking. The Kitchen in our Suite was fully equiped which allowed us to cook suppers in the room. This gave us more money to spend on all the souveniors. I am already planning on going back again next year. And I highly recommend this hotel to all who have a family and need just a little extra space than a normal hotel room offers.

The Only Place For Us

from A TripAdvisor Member
We've been staying at the Sidney James for several years. It's the only place my husband wants to stay. He loves the fact that's it's away from the downtown noise and crowds but still within walking distance of the shops and restaurants. The rooms on the fourth floor are spacious with vaulted ceilings and a small balcony over the river. I'll take the sound of a river any day over the sound of traffic. The rooms aren't new, but they've always been clean and the staff has been nice every time we've stayed.

Perfect second honeymoon!

from A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and I visited the Gatlinburg area to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. We were on a tight budget, but I wanted to rent a nice room for our trip. After looking at lodging on the internet I found the Sidney James Mountain Lodge. I called for reservations and reserved a deluxe jacuzzi suite, creekside for $99 per night (I also found an on-line coupon for 15% off which we presented during check-in). We were very pleased with the room-it was very clean, and the employees were pleasant and helpful. The room had a large two person jacuzzi tub surrounded by mirrors in a separate room, and the bedroom/living area was spacious and comfortable. Right off of the jacuzzi room was the balcony (accessible through patio doors). It was a nice size balcony and had a nice view of trees and creek below. We didn't have a chance to eat at the cafe', although the posted menu had a variety of items at reasonable prices. I would highly recommend to anyone, but I would definitely spend the extra money for the jacuzzi suite. We had a lovely time!

Deluxe suite was nice

from blickcd
We stayed here for four days in March, 2002. Paid extra for a deluxe suite with a whirlpool tub, extra mirrors, and nice sized balcony.

Not a bad room compared to other reviews I've read here. This particular room was located in a small building off to the side which only contained two identical suites. The room had some visible wear and tear but I've come to expect that from hotels in Gatlinburg.

The indoor pool was nice, although full of kids, but much smaller than it looks in the photos. The outdoor pool was heated, clean, and we had it almost all to ourselves.

The cafe served a fair and slightly overpriced breakfast.

We won't be back here for a while, simply because there are too many other hotels to choose from in the area.

Top Local Tips for Gatlinburg

parking if possible I would stay right on the paryway because there is no where to park in town so you have to pay on the average 8.00 each time you go to eat or to a attraction.

Watchout for timeshares Don't even look at them because they are very annoying. Gatlinburg is becoming full of them and they are on every corner. They are worse than any used car salesman you will ever meet!!!!!!

Ripley's Theater The Ripley's Moving Theater is such a rip off. It cost US 28.00 to watch 3 moving movies that lasted 15 mins at the most. Felt really taken.

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Other names for Sidney James Mountain Lodge Hotel

  • sidney james mountain lodge
  • sidney james mountain hotel
  • sidney james mountain gatlinburg
  • sidney james lodge
  • Address: 610 Historic Nature Trl. - Gatlinburg - Tennessee - 37738 - United States
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5.9/10

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