Reviews

This profile includes reviews for Elk Springs Resort's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Elk Springs Resort

  125 Silverbell Ln Gatlinburg, TN 37738-4713

  
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  Elk Springs Resort

  1088 Powdermill Rd Gatlinburg, TN 37738-5502

  

Review Details

• Review fromTrent K

  Date: 03/31/2025

  1 star
  I have never seen a more dishonest and deceitful rental company. We were locked out of our cabin during check in for over 3 hours with a 8 and 10 year old. The company has no local office or employees and everyone you talk to is remote work from home people. The maintenance guy finally shows up to drill the lock and is mad and is beyond rude to us because he has 19 pending calls and is the only person working. The guy cuts his hand while drilling the lock and bleeds all over the handle. Our kids are scared at this point asking us to please just go back home. One other couple had a cabin with no hot water and they refused to move them to another cabin. Once inside the carpet was stained brown and smelled like mildew from all the foot traffic coming inside wet from the hot tub. After all these problems we asked for a refund so we could go book somewhere else and they told us to file a dispute with our credit card company and get them to refund the money because they couldn't. They told us they would refund the first nights rent. I never saw the refund so I emailed on March 25th asking about it. I was told their accountant would get back with me. I finally got a text message from the customer service number on March 28th that said they spoke to management and there was never a mention of any compensation so nothing would be approved. They apologized for the miscommunication and refuse to refund me the money. I have asked over and over to be contacted by a manager. I was told by the customer service text message representative that management prefers they handle the problems and no one from management will be contacting me. I guess the only way they get by with treating customers like this is no one is willing to hire an attorney to sue them and hold them accountable.

• Review fromCarol B

  Date: 03/18/2025

  1 star
  Extremely Disappointing Experience – Deceptive Business Practices
  I booked a stay at this resort through VRBO because I always look for properties offering a 100% refund up to a certain date. As a parent with small children who play sports, I need the flexibility to make changes if necessary. However, after making my reservation, we realized that the property didn’t have a pool when looking back at the pictures (which was a big factor for us), so I started looking for other places to stay and asked for my cancellation (seeing as there should have been 100% refund until May 7).
  The very next day, I received an email from the resort stating that there was actually no refund at all when booking directly with them. Confused and frustrated, I have been trying to work with their “customer service” expecting a simple process, especially given the lack of clarity at booking. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of a terrible experience.
  I was told that the refund policy was related to VRBO’s “booking fees” and that any cancellation fees were dictated by a third party. I asked for clarification, as this was never made clear at the time of booking, and I was left with no answers. I was told the email I received 24 hours after booking stated the policy and gave me 48 hours to obtain travel insurance; however, I did not even see the email after booking until multiple days later. Now, I’m out $550 because of their confusing and deceptive practices.
  This experience has been a complete nightmare. I would recommend for everyone to avoid this resort at all costs. The lack of transparency and poor customer service is absolutely terrible. I just wish they could accept responsibility for their poor booking policy and refund my deposit as it was stated I would receive when I made the reservation.

• Review fromBarbara S

  Date: 12/15/2024

  1 star
  I was charged for a cabin with a pool and other amenities. I end d up in a cabin with no pool. A fireplace that went from the living room into the bedroom with no privacy screen. The cabin lower level was freezing and I had to ask for a heater. We all ended up sick. I had to pay a extra 500 for a cabin with a pool which I did not get and was told I would not receive any money back.

• Review fromCassandra R

  Date: 11/04/2024

  1 star

  Cassandra R

  Date: 11/04/2024

  My husband and I checked in our cabin on Oct 29, 2024 for two nights. Upon arrival, we found an infestation of ladybugs inside and outside the cabin. They were on floors, windows, bed, lamps, kitchen counters. The deck was covered in them as was hot tub. They were flying around and landing on us. There were also dead ones and a horrible smell. I immediately called the only contact person. Her name is ********* I informed her of the shocking situation and her response was, “ ladybugs are bad this time of year”. We requested a refund because there was no way the cabin was hygienic or inhabitable. She said no refund. She stated that maintenance can go spray. However, she did not say who would clean the cabin after it was sprayed. It would need swept, cleaned, new linens, etc. In addition, we did not want to breathe toxic pesticides from bug spray. We informed her this is unacceptable that we wanted to move to new cabin or a refund. She said no refund. She would not give us the name of property owner. She finally offered a different cabin but it was substantially older and different than what we had paid for. We had to leave and search for a hotel which was difficult and expensive. We made several calls to *******r and another employee named ****** Neither would give us an avenue to reach out to property owners. This is horrible business and we will be reporting them to the better business bureau as well as taking legal action to obtain our money. We took numerous pictures and videos!!
  

  Elk Springs Resort

  Date: 11/05/2024

  Lady bug hatches do happen every year and there is no preventable treatment for lady bugs.  There also is no sign that these will be happening.  The cabin was thoroughly cleaned prior to check in and ready and on arrival.  We have a certified pest control company that will treat the cabin and make it safe to stay followed by cleaners to clean up any residual lady bugs. It's a safe and effective alternative that many guest visiting the area repeatedly understand and allow.   We are sorry you did not permit us to do this and you did not want to move to another cabin.

  
  

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• Review fromDavid C

  Date: 07/15/2024

  1 star

  David C

  Date: 07/15/2024

  Worst experience ever! Do not go here! I was quoted a price when I called to make a reservation and gave them my platinum AMEX card info. I received a call back that my card was declined. I spoke with my credit card company immediately that night and they said it was a merchant problem and not my card. A "manger' who is really the sales guy took it upon himself WITHOUT my permission to charge my card 6 times to the tune of ********* The next day I called and told them it was a problem on their end as a merchant. I was called back by the same" manager" and was berated, and was told I was a scammer even though I sent him the screen shot with my airfare that we were arriving on the dates I booked with them. He cancelled my reservation on the spot, told me I had to wait to get my charges to fall off and said I had to book online which was at higher rate for the same cabin. So I had to rebook as not to lose my airfare. Upon arrival we were greeted with a gross dirty cabin. It was filled with dust , bugs, cobwebs, dirty pillowcases with god knows what on them, old furniture, a lumpy smelly mattress and signs everywhere telling us what we could and could not do on vacation! Oh and they make you sign a contract before arrival to bait and switch you to agreeing that they have the right to not have us use certain parts of the cabin in our case it was the fireplace and a picture of a pool somewhere to be found with no sign!. we also got so many annoying texts about everything ! Read all these other BBB reviews here they blame all the customers for everything wrong at that place. They need new staff, new sales guy he was the worst ,hospitality training on who the customers are and a good cleaning crew. They got what they wanted more money out of us! we ended up leaving early. You should be ashamed of how you conduct business, the right thing to do would be to figure out how to make it right for us after using my credit for your carelessness in charging without my approval!!
  

  Elk Springs Resort

  Date: 07/19/2024

  Hi David, sorry for this. Our system only attempts to charge the card one time so we believe this was a pre-auth problem with amex. Sorry the cabin did not meet your expectations and glad you were able to exit the transaction and find an alternative option.

• Review fromStacia S

  Date: 07/05/2024

  5 stars

  Stacia S

  Date: 07/05/2024

  We had our first visit with Elk Springs and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Our cabin was fantastic, with great amenities and very clean, and I’m a stickler for cleanliness. I really appreciated how communicative Elk Springs was regarding check-in/out, and how they were responsive when I texted with questions about the cabin during our stay. I would recommend Elk Springs to anyone, and we will certainly return for future visits. My only regret is not staying longer.
  

  Elk Springs Resort

  Date: 07/06/2024

  Thank you very much, Stacia. We have over 1,000 5 star reviews on google and have one the trip advisor certificate of excellence 10 years in a row so we are glad to add your review to the list. As a repeat customer you get 10% off future stays. Thank you

• Review fromBrian D.

  Date: 06/29/2024

  1 star

  Brian D.

  Date: 06/29/2024

  We planned this trip for a long weekend. We usually use a Hilton brand facility, as we are members and get some benefits. This group's cabins came up as I was searching for lodging in the Pigeon Forge area. It cost a bit more but seemed nice, so we set it up for the weekend.
  When we entered the Splish Splash cabin, we noticed the heat. Everything else was as expected. The thermostat was set to 70, but the temperature was 78, and the central AC was running. My wife is a breast cancer survivor and is sensitive to heat. Standard AC is enough to make her comfortable. We called the number for maintenance, and a nice gentleman sent out a worker to check the unit. The issue is an inadequate unit for a cabin that size. So, even though the vents had cold air blowing out, the unit couldn't compensate for the ambient heat. Presumably, this was a known problem since a very small window AC was also installed in the living room.
  The AC tech reported the unit was "fine," by which he meant blowing cold air. The inside temp never went below 78. We called the company back and were told they were working on a solution. We hadn't unpacked and hadn't used anything in the cabin. In the interim, we went out for dinner. The AC in the restaurant was fine. After many calls we initiated, we were told by the staff that "management" would not move us to another unit and would not refund the stay. We asked to speak to a manager. We were told the management knows about your complaint and doesn't need to talk to you.
  I am ** ***** **** and this is the first online complaint I have posted. We told the staff we would have to check out and go to a local hotel with AC. They happily agreed to check us out......and keep our funds. This felt like theft to us. We stayed the night in a local Hilton; the AC was fine, and we came home.
  

  Elk Springs Resort

  Date: 07/03/2024

  Sorry for your experience, Brian. We certainly want our hvac systems and all amenities working as they should and for the customer service / maintenance experience to be positive. It wasn't with your reservation and we have made adjustments to minimize this from happening in the future. Someone from our team will reach out to you for a solution within 1 business day.

• Review fromTaylor H.

  Date: 10/09/2023

  1 star

  Taylor H.

  Date: 10/09/2023

  DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY!!! We drove 9 hours for our honeymoon to an awful cabin. At arriving to our cabin there was a foul smell from a porta potty and a mess of construction right out our front door. What a view!! Once we got to the front door there was a gas smell. We were there all of about 20 min when we had to leave from getting sick from the fumes. The place was dirty!! I didn’t even want to sit on the couch. We tried to contact someone and finally got a text saying they would send out maintenance. We then had to go wait somewhere else for 2 hours and then got a text saying “they turned off the pilot to the fireplace” we finally got a call and said it was probably just a combination of the chlorine and the pilot light. I then informed her we both felt sick after being in the cabin for a short period of time and asked if maintenance utilized an air monitor to ensure it was safe. They told us they would not give us a new cabin until I sent them screenshots of other BBB complaints that I found. When we asked for a refund to fix the situation she told us to contact our bank and file a dispute. She then hung up on me when I was questioning how they tested for a gas leak. I even sent a message asking if she thought it was safe for us to sleep in that type of environment. We are at a loss for words we left at 6am and it’s now 11pm and we’re traveling back home since they completely ruined our trip. What is suppose to be an exciting and fun start to our marriage was a complete disappointment.
  

  Elk Springs Resort

  Date: 10/11/2023

  duplicate of 36417

  Taylor H.

  Date: 10/13/2023

  Update: We figured Elk Springs would respond to this complaint with a generic response. Based on previous complaints, that seems to be the easy way around this company’s poor business practice. It is our own fault for not doing more research prior to booking with this company. If you search them on the bbb, yelp or trip advisor the reviews are much lower then the ones found on the Elk Springs website and Facebook page. The reason for this we found is they do not allow you to leave a review on the website, unless of course they allow it and why would they let anything beyond what makes them look good be posted. Following our honest review being posted to the Elk Springs Facebook page it was promptly deleted and we were blocked. Clearly a deceptive business practice for a consumer who would trust the reviews posted to to the website to be honest.
  We detected an odor of gas while entering the door and inside the cabin. Approximately 20 minutes of being inside the cabin we began getting nauseous combined with a headache. Any reasonable person would have a concern for health, knowing these to be symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. After being denied to be moved cabins and now having to wait for “maintenance” to evaluate the problem we had to alter our travel plans. Elk Springs indicated that maintenance turned off the pilot light to the gas fireplace since the “smell” was bothering us. Elk Springs Customer Service would not answer our inquiry to maintenance using an air monitor to ensure a safe environment. We were denied a refund when asked. The following day we spoke with Beth, who indicated she was a manager. Beth advised she was reviewing all the information prior to making a decision to refund our money. Beth stated she was going to be sending a technician, who was trained to evaluate these problems. This leads me to believe the “maintenance” worker who respnded the previous evening was not trained to make an accurate evaluation, and could not fairly assess if the air quality was safe. Beth later left a voicemail stating there was no gas leak, however it was found that there were chemical odors present in the cabin that could cause a headache.
  Back to our arrival, why would any reasonable person feel safe or stay in an environment they reasonably believe to be hazardous to health? Elk Springs could not give an honest assessment of this situation until the following day when they had what they stated would be a certified tech respond. How can Elk Springs believe it was reasonable to force us into staying at this cabin, while holding our payment for the cabin and cleaning fees ransom? We chose to not take a risk without certainty of having lodging that was safe to our health. Elk Springs has denied a refund for a product they provided, which I believe a reasonable person or consumer would feel was risk to health. We were advised by customer service and the manager to dispute the charge through our our financial institution as they were denying a refund.
  This company needs major improvement on quality, accountability, and customer service.
  It appears a previous consumer who had issues, attempted to file a complaint through the Tennessee Health Department (THD). The previous consumer posted that the THD could not do anything because Elk Springs is a private company so we did not explore this avenue. It seems Elk Springs beleives they can get away with cutting corners and taking advantage of consumers as they are not being held accountable.
  Text messages and voicemail concerning this matter are available upon request and will be preserved. We would request that Elk Springs preserve any and all recorded calls, maintenance reports and any additional content associated to this complaint until the disposition.

• Review fromTravis H.

  Date: 09/25/2023

  1 star

  Travis H.

  Date: 09/25/2023

  Nice cabin views; Poor housekeeping
  Stayed at the Moonstruck property from 9/28 til Labor Day for a honeymoon. We unpacked our truck and checked out the back porch view. We noticed black hair on the hardwood in corners of rooms. Wasn't ours (Wife has red hair, I have brown) It wasn't til later our first night we found long black hair in our bedding. Rather disgusted, we called housekeeping at 8:00 at night to fix the situation. Luckily, maintenance tech Adam brought us new sheets. Unfortunately, those sheets also had
  hair in them. When we went to go wash the second pair of sheets, we found hair in the dryer as well. Very poorly cleaned property.
  Called the Sunday before Labor Day to check out and leave a message requesting someone to call me back & discuss this issue. No answer.
  A few days later, Sept. 5th, I called again and got in touch with a representative who said they would "escalate the situation".
  I'm now writing on September 25th, figuring by now someone would reach out to me. No regards to our discomfort or effort to resolve the issue.
  

  Elk Springs Resort

  Date: 09/29/2023

  We inspected this cabin and reviewed guest photos.  The cabin was clean, there were a few hairs...and when we say a few we mean less than 5.   We're not interested in hosting Travis again nor do we suggest others do so either.   We fixed this minor issue, but it was blown way out of proportion and his expectation after it was fully remedied and so minor for some sort of compensation is just silly.  

  Travis H.

  Date: 10/02/2023

  Very silly of me for thinking 1800+ dollars for a week was not enough to receive a clean cabin. You guys act like I want my whole money refunded. Last time I checked, an apology is a lot cheaper. The only people who need compensation are the people who rented before me, because their cleaning fee went to waste.
  By looking at previous reviews, your business needs to think about replacing your housekeeping & customer service staff entirely

• Review fromCarla K

  Date: 07/09/2023

  3 stars

  Carla K

  Date: 07/09/2023

  The cabin overall was ok
  We has 4 bulbs out, broken drawers, run down and old look, and the theatre wasn't working and it is a cabin called the theatre lodge!
  The maintenance guys had to come 3 different times in 3 days.
  It was frustrating and disappointing
  

  Elk Springs Resort

  Date: 07/11/2023

  Sorry for this Carla, thank you for reporting in and for your patience, but glad we were able to dispatch maintenance so quickly.