Loved by the Wedding party

Guest: Daybreaking (Leighton AL, US)
Date of Stay: 04/12/09 Review Submitted: 05/02/09

We rented this lovely chalet from 04-12-09 througho 04-18-09 for our daughter's wedding party (family) to stay for a week. Everything met and went beyond our expectations! The pictures of this chalet do not even begin to show off its fantastic view. We slept 13 quite comfortably, the beds are so soft and comfy. The bedrooms are of all lovely design, and each unique. We did have a very small reception after the wedding (again, it was only the family which stayed) and we made EVEYTHING right there in the kitchen. This kitchen is much better than my own! There was not a pot, pan, dish, or cooking utinsel this kitchen does not sport! You can cook for many inside and out, and there is such an abundance of seating, the dining room is large, as well as a bar at the kitchen area. I myself, preferred to be outside on the porches and deck. There are many comfy chairs and tables out there as well. The kids big and little LOVED the arcade room and spent many hours, as well as the hot tub received alot of moments by all. This chalet is centrally located and close to most all attractions of down town. There were so many large fluffy towels, we never ran out, and if we did, well there is a washer and dryer downstairs. I especially loved the photos inside of the bear visits and of the sunrises and sets which make up some of the beautiful decor...they were made right at the chalet. We personally experience two different bear sightings while we were there, one mother bear with three babies in the neighbors drive and yard, and then another single bear crossing the street. That was a suprise and extra added bonus! The only things I can think of to say that are not completely positive, was the driveway was especially scary the first trip up, but we got use to it, and my mother is disabled and she did have a bit of a problem navigating the narrow stairways. This lovely chalet is three stories, but she stayed on the main floor and remained VERY happy there as well. I want to thank Steve and Sandy so very much for extending their hospitality and opening their home to our family for this wonderful time we got to share together. They are nice, very responsive, and will assist in any way. We plan to return again of course! We all loved this and have many special memories. We are raving fans! Thanks!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wish I could keep this Wonderful place a secret! But I have to share!

Guest: Carol (Central Indiana)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/28/11

My family just returned from a wonderful July vacation! We had several (non threatening) visits from thee different bears! I know several people who have stayed around Gatlinburg and never had a visit. Our first was within 10 minutes of arrival! We have great pictures to prove it! The house is very homey and makes you feel welcome. It's a great place for all ages! We had several family members meet there. Great parking once your familiar with drive. Plenty of private areas for when the families need down time from each other. This home sets HIGH above the town! Very high! The arcade and hot tub were a great asset for the older childern (and the great grandma lol she loved the bowling game!) I will be returning with my family in tow! You are up by the top of the Ober tram if you take the tram from Ober or Gatlinburg you can ride as much as you want for two days! Put a bright beach towel on the deck in the corner and you just might pick the house out on the way up! My grandson did! Make sure you always know where your camera is because when your visitors show you want to be able to prove it (great unbelievable facebook pictures everyone was so jealous!) The owners are awesome to work with although we had zero problems! Which made it a painfree vacation! That means so much in itself! So I have shared with all of you how great it was just please don't reserve my week before I get the home for my next vacation! Hahaha! The way this family has this home set up makes you feel welcome and not out of place. My son is 14 and said this was the first home that we had stayed in that he truly felt welcome and at home! It is set up like home not some ritzy hotel that worries you with children. I loved the less worry more enjoyment! There is a wonderful little reading nook in the main living area also. Teenagers loved that also! Enjoy! We sure did!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Ski trip in February 2011

Guest: Steph (Dothan, AL)
Date of Stay: 02/25/11 Review Submitted: 03/04/11

We had an amazing weekend with family and friends The chalet was perfect for the occasion. There was 10 of us there and we had plenty of room and room for more! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. Everything we needed at our fingertips and everyone enjoyed the game room and the movies. After a long day at Ober skiing, tubing and snowboarding, everyone really enjoyed coming back and relaxing and soaking our tired and achy legs and feet in the hot tub. We usually make two trips each year to Gatlinburg. One in the winter and one in the summer. We will definitely keep your info for future reference.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Fantastic week of Family Fun

Guest: Jake (Spencer, IA)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/19/10

My family, which included me, my wife, our kids ages 5, 7, and 9 and my wife's father and wife, had a fantastic time during our week Aug 7-14th in Gatlinburg. The house was great!!!!!!!!!!! It had everything we needed and plenty of room. The veiws were spectacular and Gatlinburg had a lot to offer. Lil' Smokey the bear came by on 3 different occasions which was a sight to see and made the stay at the house all the more worth while. The book of ideas that is at the house helped us figure out where we really wanted to go and the best way to do it. I would recomend this chalet to anyone and we have already ad talks of going back in the near future to do the thingswe didn't get to and do some of the things we got to do again. It is a great place and Sandy and Steve are more than willing to help if you need it. Thanks Steve and Sandy!!!!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

What an amazing home! Bear Drop Inn is our new "home in the smokies"

Guest: family of four in west tennessee (jackson, tennessee)
Date of Stay: 05/21/10 Review Submitted: 05/24/10

Wow! What an amazing home!!! And we had a "visit" from the neighborhood bear, Little Smokey!!! He made our trip complete!!! We were sitting on the deck late at night and saw him walking up the driveway, then up the stairs toward the woods. He was beautiful and such an amazing sight to see!!!There are plenty of other things to love about this home. Our children stayed in the arcade most of the time which saved us money because we didn't have to drive around to spend money entertaining them. The adults got lots of time to visit with each other and enjoy the beautiful views from the deck while the kids were happily playing. The listing description was very accurate for this amazing home. The photos accurately reflected the home's appearance and amenities. The property was immaculately clean and very well-maintained. The owners were beyond helpful with all of our questions and quickly responded to our emails, both before and during our trip. We didn't have a chance to visit any of the three clubhouses/pools that were available to us, but we hope to check them out next time. I would absolutely recommend this property and we will stay here EVERY time we return to the smokies!!! We were all very sad to have to leave and are already planning our next trip. If you need a reference or have questions,

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children.

Nice Game Room

Guest: b (Tennessee)
Date of Stay: 03/19/10 Review Submitted: 03/29/10

I was disappointed in the condition of the Chalet, very rundown. And the stairs were very steep and narrow, hard on the knees. We had to call maintenance twice Friday for the hot tub. Even after they got it running it was still warm-not hot and very dirty. The hot tub was what I looked forward to the most and Friday was really the only time we could enjoy it as we planned Ober and Gatlinburg for Saturday. We did get a little time in it Saturday night. :-( Directions were great. Movies were plenty. Tricky driveway. Clothes dryer took way too long to dry towels. Would not recommend this Chalet.

Owner response:We appreciate when someone takes the time to write up a review on our home. We pride ourselves in posting all reviews. We want people to have a realistic view of our home and not be disappointed. Our home is one of the original Chalets. Since purchasing the home, we have continued and will continue to devote all monies we receive to working on its renovation. The pictures of our home on the website were all taken by me with my little cannon snapshot. They have not been altered in anyway and I believe shows our home as it looks today. Also, unfortunately, there are times that we do have equipment failure. This is unfortunate and we strive to get it corrected as soon as possible based on the item. It is unfortunate that Hot Tubs do not fall within the “after hours service” that our 24 hours maintenance company provides. Please note that we did have someone up there the next day to take of the situation. This was the first time I had heard of the dryer having issues in the 6 years we have owned our home. It is being addressed next week and if need be will be replaced. As far as the driveway, if you enter our driveway from the right, there is a sharp right turn. If you enter our driveway from the left, it will eliminate the sharp turn. Then it is straight and once at the top you can park at least 4 cars across and even turn around so you don’t have to back down the driveway. If you read this e-mail, please do us a favor and take time to read some of the other posts. We would greatly appreciate it.

Recommended for:

Guest: Rocky and Debby Bynum (Shelbyville, TN)
Date of Stay: 09/10/09 Review Submitted: 09/10/09

We just got back from another year of wonderful memories created at you house it is such a wonderful place, the kids all love it and we didn't have to look for bears this year they were everywhere. The house is so well kept and we always have everything we need. Steve and Sandy thanks again for sharing your wonderful house with us.

Recommended for:

Games, Bear Visits and Beautiful Views

Guest: Gwen E. (Mechanicsville, MD)
Date of Stay: 08/01/09 Review Submitted: 08/05/09

Be sure to use the directions provided by owner to climb the mountain to the chalet. The winding climb is beautiful and the home is a great vacation retreat. There was a book with directions, activities, little maps, brochures, video listings, and more that we used every day. We had to post hours on the game room for the kids! We now have 3 children who know how to shoot pool. Furnishings were clean and in great working order. There was not an item missing from the kitchen when needed. The bed linens and towels were plentiful and of wonderful quality. Litlle Smokie visited us twice during the week creating squeals of happiness and providing the opportunity to embellish personal "bear " stories. Hot tub was well used by all 3 generations. Beautiful sun rises and sunsets. Even the rain coming across on day 4 provided magnificient views and photo opportunity. Hiking, Black Bear Jamboree, cycling to Clingman dome, Cades Cove tour and nearby picnic area, Ripley's Aquarium, Garrett's Muscle Car Museum, some shopping in Gatlinburg and exploring mountains after previous vacations at the beach kept us busy. There was no way we could do all we wanted to do during our visit. We all slept well each and every night. Working with Home Away and the owners was an enjoyable task when prepping for, during and after the trip. The owners were responsive, accomodating and very helpful throughout the process. GREAT customer service! Try this property on your next trip. You will not be disappointed!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/01/09 Review Submitted: 02/06/09

I brought my family to Pigeon Forge in 2007 and stayed in a hotel and nearly went broke trying to keep my kids entertained. I found this Chalet and thought it would be perfect for entertaining the kids and getting away from the city. I hit a HOME RUN. I spent NO money on entertaining my kids because I could not get them out of the arcade in this chalet. It is a very large home and has everything you need (Dishes,utensils,towels etc). We cooked our own meals and ate at the chalet every meal saving us hundreds on eating out. The view is breathtaking. Per Sandy's suggestion I got up at 6am every morning to watch the beautiful mountain sunrise. This is truly a place you MUST stay if you have kids. Lastly, I cannot say enough about the owners Steve and Sandy, they are incredibly caring people. They were attentive and helpful the whole time. We had a problem with the fireplace and Steve had it fixed immediately.It snowed and Steve provided us salt for the driveway and instructions since I am from Florida. Sandy gave me helpful suggestions on sites to see and really was a blessing to us. If you want to know anything about the quality of this chalet you may call me at 727-487-4133 anytime.

Recommended for:

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 01/06/09

Thank you for sharing your wonderful chalet with us. We had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed our stay. The kids loved the game room and it definitely kept them occupied. The view is gorgeous and Dollywood was a hit for the kids. Thank you and we hope to make this a Christmas tradition.

Recommended for: