Gatlinburg TN Hotels

Gatlinburg wasn’t always a bustling center of tourism and commerce. If you’re investigating accommodations and attractions in the area, here’s a bit of history on how Gatlinburg, TN grew into a dream vacation spot .

A Quick History of Gatlinburg, TN Hotels and Tourism

In the late 19th century, subsistence farming was the main occupation for residents of the greater Gatlinburg area. That all started to come to an end in the early 1900s, when the timbering industry became significant in and around Gatlinburg. In order to accommodate traveling lumber buyers and lumber company representatives, Gatlinburg’s first hotel was built. When the railroad reached Sevierville County in 1910, Gatlinburg began to be slowly opened up to the nation’s businessmen and travelers.

The First Hotel in Gatlinburg, TN

Built by lumberman Andy Huff, the Mountain View Hotel was the first of the Gatlinburg, TN hotels. Early tourists used Huff’s hotel as a base for mountain exploration. The fact that Steve Whaley opened the Riverside Motel in 1925 meant that the volume of tourists was enough to warrant the operation of two Gatlinburg, TN hotels. When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened in 1934, the city entered into a period of development that would include the construction of many, many more Gatlinburg hotels.

Today, Gatlinburg, TN hotels are plentiful, and offer a broad range of lodging accommodations that will surely satisfy every type of traveler. The days of renting rooms to lumber buyers and mountain explorers are long gone, but that same old Southern hospitality can still be found in all Gatlinburg hotels, bed and breakfasts, lodges and cabins. From budget hotels like the Royal Townhouse Motor Inn to higher-end hotels like the Ramada Inn Four Seasons & Convention Center, there's a hotel in Gatlinburg that can match your vacation budget. Whether you’re just stopping by for the night or staying for a week to experience life in the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg is ready and waiting.

But what are you waiting for? Start surfing around to find which one of the many Gatlinburg, TN hotels is right for you.