Ridge Top Motel, Bryson City

Where should I start... This is a run down motel that will charge a ridiculous amount simply because of the view. They advertise that they have new furniture, but everything in our room was old and it felt/smelled filthy. The room was really small (it barely had space to put down our luggage) and it was dark. Only one lamp light was working, while the other one was unplugged. When we tried to plug it in, there was no outlet close enough, so we had to move it around the room to get some more light. Once we had more light, the real horror began. We uncovered the bed, and the blanket was full of hair. Yuck. That made us start looking closer and "surprisingly", we saw bugs on the bed and on the desk. Our next destination was the bathroom where we found a colony of ants walking from one end to another. We called the reception desk to tell them what was going on and that we would not stay there. They offered another room, but we refused. We just wanted to leave as soon as possible, even if it was late in the evening and we were exhausted from a whole day of driving. The reception desk never even offered to check the room to see if we were lying or something. And of course, they refused to give us our money back. A decent motel would at least pretend that they are shocked about our accusations and check if those accusations are true. A decent motel would also give you a refund if you complained that the room was filthy.

I found this charming little family-owned motel by accident when I arrived in town late and saw their sign. You'll never find a more accommodating staff, true small-town nice people who go out of their way to be helpful. I even saw one staff member volunteer to run down to town and get pizzas for a group of guests who didn't want to leave the pool - find THAT at a chain motel! The rooms were very clean and had everything needed for a comfortable stay. The yard furniture everywhere encouraged guests to visit and enjoy the beautiful mountain view. The staff even covered our motorcycle seats with towels after everyone went to bed. I will never stay anywhere else in the Smokies!!!