America's Best Value Inn was not on my list of hotels to check when my travel club put me in
their hotel. As a matter of fact, I had never heard of the chain.

Since I had already paid for the non-refundable reservations, I figured why not give it a try.

To my surprise, it turned out to be a great deal. The room had a refrigerator, microwave, color tv with 148 channels. The room was clean, included additional bedding and an iron and ironing board in the closet.

It even had a little nook by the window, which I enjoyed sitting in to do a little writing.

Since I had brought along additional guests, we ended up purchasing a second room during our
stay. The price was only $34.95 a night, Which was the best price I saw in all of the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area during our 4 night stay.

The location of this hotel worked out great. We were right next to the #8 Red Light in
Pigeon Forge, which is the light for the popular Dollywood Amusement Park. McDonald's was
in walking distance, along with a number of other restaurants, a gas station, and quite a
few gift shops.

This is also the last light in Pigeon Forge, so if you stay there you will not have to fight
traffic until you get into Gatlinburg. This is great, because the traffic in Pigeon Forge
is a lot more congested than that in Gatlinburg.

The hotel has a small pool which is not heated. And also a small relaxation area in the back.

Another great benefit to this hotel is their continental breakfast. This included a little more than you would expect from such a small hotel chain. Of course, they had the basic cold cereal, juice, coffee, and donuts. But it also included waffles, muffins and a little more than your basic inexpensive hotel might.

The staff at this location was really friendly and courteous. And even though the breakfast is self-serve, one of the personnel gave my elderly mother a waffle he was fixing so that she didn't have to wait on him to finish.

So if you are looking for an inexpensive vacation, why not give the Smoky Mountains a try. Drive through the mountains for free, and try America's Best Value Inn for a great deal.

Learn more about this author, Michelle Moore.
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