Hideaway Chalet - Hot Tub in the Treetops, Arcade Games, + Close to Ober Mountain!

We really enjoyed our stay overall. The location is excellent—just a couple of minutes from downtown Gatlinburg, making it easy to enjoy all the attractions while still feeling tucked away in nature. If you love bear watching, this is the place to stay! The cabin is surrounded by mature trees, and we saw bears every single day during our visit. Just be sure not to leave any food, coolers, or other scented items on the deck because the bears will definitely come looking. Also, lock your vehicles! We accidentally left ours unlocked, and a bear got inside. That was completely our mistake, but it's a good reminder of how active the wildlife is in this area. The cabin itself has a unique treehouse feel, which we really enjoyed. Sitting outside on the deck during a rainy day was incredibly peaceful and relaxing.

One thing that is not clear from the listing is the layout of the cabin. There are no photos showing that it is split into two levels or of the very small, narrow spiral staircase connecting them. The kitchen, living room, and primary bedroom are on the main level, while the two additional bedrooms are downstairs and are noticeably smaller. The spiral staircase is so narrow that carrying luggage, coolers, or other larger items down it is nearly impossible. We ended up taking our suitcases around the outside of the cabin and using the exterior stairs to access the lower level. I think this is important information for future guests, especially families with small children, older adults, or anyone with mobility concerns. The biggest downside for us was a noticeable musty odor throughout the house, especially downstairs. The smell was strong enough that when we returned home, we washed all of our clothes—including the clean ones packed in our luggage—because they had absorbed the odor.