Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/11/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  July 22, 2022 Rental Cabin Reservation# 592957 Our family planned a vacation to Gatlinburg, TN. We reserved a cabin with Gatlinburg Falls Resorts on February 3, 2022. We made the requested initial deposit of $945 at reservation. We paid the remaining balance of $2,407.06 June 4, 2022. While traveling to Gatlinburg, TN on July 22, 2022, we received a call from Tony (Manager) stating that he had to move us to a different cabin because the tenants who were scheduled to leave did not want to do so. When arrive at the newly assigned cabin we realized immediately that we needed to contact management. There was a horrible smell in the cabin, it was extremely hot inside the cabin, and it was not clean. We learned that the air conditioning was broken, the ceiling fans were not working, the cable television services was not working, the games inside the cabin were broken, the washer was broken and filled with smelly, dirty water, the furnishings were falling apart, there were no pillows, and much more. We contacted customer service as was given the run around for several hours. The representative stated we could not be moved to another cabin because none were available. Maintenance finally arrived after 7 PM. He informed us basically what we already knew: he could not fix the washer, ceiling fans, and air conditioner and that he would try to get a contractor to come by the next day. No one ever showed up and we spent the entire stay in a hot cabin, without proper functioning equipment, and management never called us. We had to clean, disinfect, sanitize, and deodorize the cabin ourselves when this should have already been done. We paid for a service and Gatlinburg Fall Resort failed us. We still have not spoken to management and every time we call, they give us misinformation. We are not satisfied with the partial refund give and would like additional compensation.
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/26) */
  Reviewing this reservation, the cabin they had originally booked is next door to this cabin and are identical in size, bedrooms, and bathrooms. They share the same driveway as well.
  
  Our guest checked in on July 22, 2022 and had reported the air conditioning not working. Our maintenance was able to address this issue on the same day less than two hours after check in time. During the same call the call stated that they did not have enough linens so we took them 15 pillows 10 towels 10 washcloths 2 blankets within 3 hours of check in time.
  
  Guest also stated that the cabin needed to be cleaned and when our housekeeping arrived they were turned away by the guest.
  
  Our reservation agreement that the guest had agreed to during the check in process does state that from time to time appliances, hot tubs, etc will break down or malfunction. We do respond as quickly as we can to make repairs and restore the amenities.
  
  The washer machine and the arcade machine did need to have third party vendors come out to repair these. After the initial phone call from the guest we never did get another call from the guest until it was check out day. Taking everything into consideration from their loss of time to do activities we did refund the guest $970. Guest sent in an email after that requesting half of their money back as to which we obliged, trying to maintain our customer service and refunded another $221.03 for a total refund of $1191.03 (half of their stay per the request of the guest).
  
  Two days later we received an email in our guest care from the sister of the guest (Ms./) who then requested another $1500 to be refunded to her credit cards on file. We have explained to MS. that per the reservation holder, she was happy with the refund. We have received an email stating that if we will not process her refund of $1500 she would leave negative reviews on social media and complain to the Better Business Bureau to get back her money. After reviewing the account, not having access to a washing machine, arcade game, and ceiling fans for 3 nights (their full stay) and for the predicament of moving cabins the day of arrival, we find it is fair of the refund of $1191.03 (half of their stay).

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/01/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  July 22, 2022
  Rental Cabin
  Reservation# 592957
  Our family planned a vacation to Gatlinburg, TN. We reserved a cabin with Gatlinburg Falls Resorts on February 3, 2022. We made the requested initial deposit of $945 at reservation. We paid the remaining balance of $2,407.06 June 4, 2022. While traveling to Gatlinburg, TN on July 22, 2022, we received a call from Tony (Manager) stating that he had to move us to a different cabin because the tenants who were scheduled to leave did not want to do so. When arrive at the newly assigned cabin we realized immediately that we needed to contact management. There was a horrible smell in the cabin, it was extremely hot inside the cabin, and it was not clean. We learned that the air conditioning was broken, the ceiling fans were not working, the cable television services was not working, the games inside the cabin were broken, the washer was broken and filled with smelly, dirty water, the furnishings were falling apart, there were no pillows, and much more. We contacted customer service as was given the run around for several hours. The representative stated we could not be moved to another cabin because none were available. Maintenance finally arrived after 7 PM. He informed us basically what we already knew: he could not fix the washer, ceiling fans, and air conditioner and that he would try to get a contractor to come by the next day. No one ever showed up and we spent the entire stay in a hot cabin, without proper functioning equipment, and management never called us. We had to clean, disinfect, sanitize, and deodorize the cabin ourselves when this should have already been done. We paid for a service and Gatlinburg Fall Resort failed us. We still have not spoken to management and every time we call, they give us misinformation. We are not satisfied with the partial refund give and would like additional compensation.
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/07/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/11) */
  We have no record of Ms. ******** ******* staying with us. The reservation that is referenced for XXXXXX is her sister . Reviewing this reservation, the cabin they had originally booked is next door to this cabin and are identical in size, bedrooms, and bathrooms. They share the same driveway as well.
  
  Our guest checked in on July 22, 2022 and had reported the air conditioning not working. Our maintenance was able to address this issue on the same day less than two hours after check in time. During the same call the call stated that they did not have enough linens so we took them 15 pillows 10 towels 10 washcloths 2 blankets within 3 hours of check in time.
  
  Guest also stated that the cabin needed to be cleaned and when our housekeeping arrived they were turned away by the guest.
  
  Our reservation agreement that the guest had agreed to during the check in process does state that from time to time appliances, hot tubs, etc will break down or malfunction. We do respond as quickly as we can to make repairs and restore the amenities.
  
  The washer machine and the arcade machine did need to have third party vendors come out to repair these. After the initial phone call from the guest we never did get another call from the guest until it was check out day. Taking everything into consideration from their loss of time to do activities we did refund the guest $970. Guest sent in an email after that requesting half of their money back as to which we obliged, trying to maintain our customer service and refunded another $221.03 for a total refund of $1191.03 (half of their stay per the request of the guest).
  
  Two days later we received an email in our guest care from the sister of the guest (Ms. ******** *******/) who then requested another $1500 to be refunded to her credit cards on file. We have explained to MS. ******** that per the reservation holder, she was happy with the refund. We have received an email stating that if we will not process her refund of $1500 she would leave negative reviews on social media and complain to the Better Business Bureau to get back her money. After reviewing the account, not having access to a washing machine, arcade game, and ceiling fans for 3 nights (their full stay) and for the predicament of moving cabins the day of arrival, we find it is fair of the refund of $1191.03 (half of their stay).
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/08/11) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  I do not accept this response as we made several attempts to reach management upon our arrival and throughout our stay. My sister was not satisfied and will be filing a complaint also since they are using this as excuse to justify their wrong. My sister was courtesy copied on every email I sent to them. The reason my sister asked me to communicate on our behalf is because the credit cards used to secure and pay the final payment for the cabinet were mine. I explained all of this in the email. They also have a copy of my identification on file as well. My identification was requested to process payments on my credit card. Yes I did say I would both file this complaint and post information via Google reviews and Social Media as stated in the email as I would not want any other family to experience what we went through. We stayed in the cabin because there were no other options: management would not return our telephone calls, representatives for the business stated that no other cabins were available. Also, maintenance did not arrive within two hours and did not address any of the problems in the cabin other than providing pillows, blankets, and a new filter for the A/C. The A/C still did not work properly. It was when we realized no one was going to respond to our telephone calls that we started documenting by communicating through email. They then became frustrated with me saying they must speak with my sister. We paid $3,362.06 to stay in a cabin with all of these decencies. They did not provide us with half of our money back. If so, the refund should have amounted to $1,676.03. This place conducts unethical business which is why I chose to make other aware. This is unacceptable.
  
  
  Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/08/18) */
  The guest called at 11:17am on Jul 25, 2022(day of check out) to let us know she was out of the cabin and wanted us to know that they had left earlier in the day but weren't sure of the check out procedure. She reported that there was trash at the cabin next door. Representative even asked if there was any more they could do in which the guest's reply was "no thank you, have a great rest of your day". During that 3 minute conversation guest never divulged she was unhappy with the stay at this point or requested a manager. On July 26th in an email exchange
  the guest was offered $970 to be refunded back to her. Guest responded on July 27th with "Please allow me to begin by thanking you for such a prompt response. It absolutely means a lot to us. I also want to thank you for the partial refund; however, we would like to receive at least half of the amount in which we paid for this cabin." We then went ahead and did the refund of another $221.03 for a total refund of $1191.03 for a total of 50% of her nightly rate per their request. One we met their request for this another email was sent to us asking to speak with a manager. A manager did in fact reply with this guest. When the manager informed her that we already did the 50% refund per their request on August 4th we did not receive anything from the guest until August 11th.
  
  
  On August 11th, in the email the guest states, "You did not provide us with half of our money, that amount would calculate to $1,676.03 and not $1,191.03. That was the purpose of my sister requesting a $1,500.00 refund." We have stated before how $1,191.03 was half their stay based on their nightly rates not fees or taxes all ofwhich has been explained in a previous response to the guest and her sister.
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/08/21) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  The bottom line is we paid our money for something in which we were excited about thanks to your misleading advertisement on your website. Upon arriving we learned very quickly that we had been misled. We vacation together every year paying thousands of dollars and never have we experienced anything so horrific. Please carry on with you false narrative; however, I will assure you that this will not be last time you hear from us.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/26/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We booked cabin Eight is Enough for July 17-23. Several weeks before our stay, I read a horrible review of the cabin. I immediately contacted the office to express my concern. After numerous emails, our family decided to hope for the best, but came prepared for the worst. While some of the issues were addressed, most remained. I did thank the manager who assured us everything would be taken care of because I felt she made an effort to resolve the issues. However, it's apparent the office can only put in requests and relies on the maintenance, housekeeping and inspector's approval that everything is OK. The cabin was supposed to have received a VIP cleaning, at most it was given a lick and a promise. Bathrooms were dirty and a call for a thorough cleaning went unanswered. Mattresses on the bunk beds and other beds were disgusting, sinking in many spots. Overall everything was falling apart! The railings and outside of the cabin is infested with carpenter ants which is causing a safety issue. A tragedy is waiting to happen if one of the rails gives way. All the furniture is well passed it's prime. They left a message saying the owners wouldn't approve replacing the dilapidated rocking chairs, so no wonder the place is in the condition it's in. There are just too many problems to list. I realize the office staff does not personally inspect the cabin and rely on housekeeping, maintenance and inspector to give the OK. Apparently they will OK anything, leaving it to the next guests to request maintenance and cleaning. This cabin is listed as a "luxury" and by no stretch of the imagination did it even come close to "luxury"! However we did pay a luxury price for nothing more than a dump! I consider this a scam, no real attempt to provide what was advertised! Someone needs to be held accountable for these disgraceful accommodations!
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2022/08/10) */
  We sincerely apologize for any dissatisfaction with the guest stay. We at Gatlinburg Falls Resort take every complaint seriously and do everything possible to make it right as well as ensuring it will not happen again in the future. We want all of our guests to become returning guests.
  
  ***** ****** was a guest that stayed with us on July 17th, 2022 through July 23,2022. He stayed in a cabin called Eight is Enough. Mr. ****** booked his reservation online, he did not book with a representative.
  
  The cleaning issues Mr. ****** reported with the bathroom on 07/18/2022 was serviced and cleaned right way. We sent out many emails to make sure all Mr.****** needs were met before he even arrived. We apologize that the guest was upset about the bathroom area, we do feel we fixed the problem in a timely manner.
  
  The guest reported no other incident during the duration of the stay.
  
  This guest paid a total of $5210 and has been refunded $2000 which we feel is a reasonable amount. All of his issues were fixed on the day of 07/18/2022l and within our 2- 4 hour maintenance window. We are sorry for the inconveniences during his stay but feel that we took care of the guest as well as the problems he had in a timely manner and that the compensation given is more than fair.
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/08/11) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  This response is filled with untruths. NO ONE EVER CAME TO CLEAN THE BATHROOMS! They claim the issue of dirty bathrooms was serviced and cleaned right away on 7/18/22, this is a lie. I have photos taken on 7/22/22 showing the filth. Original request stated the shower doors were loaded with crud, photos show the crud. This is just one of the many issues not corrected even after 3 weeks of emails. Mattresses remained disgusting, chairs missing, sleeper sofas unusable. I also have phone message from them admitting this. There are just too many things that were not addressed. Also, we paid a total of $6760.49 not $5210 as stated. We did accept the $2000 compensation because it was better than nothing. However, we were also offered additional money if we would change our star rating, which we didn't do. It is obvious by this action, this company is unethical and deceptive.
  
  BBB Accreditation Standards state: Advertise Honestly - this cabin was advertised as luxury, nothing could be further from the truth. This cabin was filthy, dilapidated and had conditions that presented safety concerns. Tell the Truth: Their response is full of lies. Be Transparent: Total cost of the transaction is a lie. Honor Promises: We were promised the cabin would be in tip top condition, photos prove otherwise. Embody Integrity: Judging from our experience and that of others, as evidenced from numerous reviews across the internet, this company has no integrity.
  
  This company, Gatlinburg Falls, Resort/Cabins of the Smoky Mountains should not be designated an Accredited Business by the BBB since it's obvious they do not meet your standards. Nor do they comply with the BBB Code of Conduct.
  
  The reviews and responses shown on this site and others are an indication of the consistent deception exhibited by this company, continuing for many years. Consumers put their faith in the BBB as a source of help in finding businesses they can trust. This has not been the case with this business.
  
  
  
  
  Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2022/08/22) */
  We sincerely apologize for any dissatisfaction with the guest stay. We at Gatlinburg
  Falls Resort take every complaint seriously and do everything possible to make it right as well as ensuring it will not happen again in the future. We want all of our guests to become returning guests.
  Upon making sure that we had all of the information provided.We had placed several calls
  with you on the 18th of July if there was anything else you needed. At that point we were advised that everything was "acceptable".There were no other calls placed to suggest after expressing your dissatisfaction with the bathroom that you were still dissatisfied.
  We have no indications of Housekeeping not cleaning up after the request. We received
  no further communication from your both numbers to indicate that the housekeeping request was not complete.
  $5210 was the nightly charges not including fees and taxes and $2000 has been refunded.We
  are still offering additional $540 to compensate for the issues caused.
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (4200, 14, 2022/08/22) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  I have already stated that no one ever came to clean the bathrooms. I would be glad to provide photos showing the bathrooms after the date they claim to have cleaned it. Sorry, but this company continues to lie. No I didn't continue to call to complain, I spent 3 weeks prior to our visit calling with my expectations, spending plenty of my time trying to avoid any problems when we arrived. Upon arrival it was plain to see we had been lied t0 and didn't intend to be lied to any longer and waste any more of my family time. We made the best of it, spent hours cleaning to make it acceptable to stay. This company replies with it's scripted response and does nothing to improve the conditions of these cabins. Also, I don't care how you break it down, it cost us a total of $6760.49 to stay in this disgusting cabin. We were offered an additional $550, not as compensation, but to change our star rating. How ethical is this practice?
  
  I am asking the Better Business Bureau to investigate this company, pay attention to the numerous complaints here and elsewhere on the internet. There is an obvious pattern of lies and deception from this company and as I listed on my previous reply, they do not meet your standards and code of conduct to be accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
  
  Once again, I implore the BBB to abide by your mission statement and remove the accreditation of this business and put an alert on them to help innocent consumers from becoming victims of this unscrupulous company.