Unfortunately, I was not familiar with the various Bed and Breakfast Inns in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, however I wanted to surprise my better half with a surprise trip and so I used TripAdvisor to select what appeared to be a good choice and I chose the Foxtrot Bed and Breakfast Inn, and was it a poor choice for us. I should have known better when the owner collected payment immediately upon arrival, before we even viewed our room. This bed and breakfast inn looks so beautiful online, however it is a 60's or 70's tudor style residence with one single room to sit in. It looks so spacious online, but I can assure you, it is not.
The owners are a retired couple and he constantly watches everyone, literally like you are a shoplifter. I wish I had spent just a little more time looking at the few negative reviews on TripAdvior, as we experienced the exact same regimented, and uncomfortable treatment other customers complained about many years ago, and it appears noting has changed.
I emailed the innkeeper and politely requested a refund and explained why I was making that request, and I have never asked for a refund from anyone, however our visit was totally ruined by his constant surveillance and the breakfasts we were served with all the ice cream and pears with maple syrup, it was all just so terrible.
I wondered WHY there were so many great reviews, and very few negative reviews, and I certainly found out, as both of us wrote very detailed reviews of the property on TripAdvisor the day we returned, reviews that were posted and after a few days, removed for no reason, which we contacted TripAdvisor about and they give NO reason a review is removed, however the lady we spoke to said it probably was prompted by the owner, yet they would not put that in writing, but rather chose to say (the way that we process reviews is proprietary, so I am not able to offer details about exactly how your reviews are not published, nor am I able to publish them, we apologize for this inconvenience) and that was that, neither of us was able to post our reviews or our reviews were published then removed. It is so important that people considering this location carefully read the 1-3 star reviews of this property, as we found those particular reviwes spot on, and exactly what we experienced. Again, the innkeeper was contacted and politely asked to refund our money, which he did not respond to at all.
I am posting my review here, where the general public can actually see my review, and what we experienced in February 2018 at the Foxtrot Bed and Breakfast Inn.
I wanted to surprise my better half with a trip to the mountains and must admit, I was not as well versed on Gatlinburg as he is, however this was a surprise, so I viewed different Bed and Breakfast Inns, and selected the Foxtrot Inn for our visit, which turned out to be a very disappointing and very expensive mistake. I have tried to contact the owner and he has been non-responsive, I'm sure Trip Advisor would advise trying to work something out with the owner, but he has been completely unresponsive.
I would highly recommend anyone interested in this inn take some time and read the reviews people write that give the inn a 3 star rating or less, you will absolutely see multiple review consistencies that will be concerning to anyone. Most of us only read the good reviews, to our detriment. What we found when we arrived lined up with what the 1 to 3 star reviews accurately reflected. I offer my February 2018 experience for your review.
1. The inn is extremely difficult to find, it's a residence and it is not clearly marked and there are many turns going up and down the mountains and GPS devices can't be trusted either, which makes things even worse. When I say it's difficult to find, you can take that to the bank, and even if you know the way, it's about 20 minutes up the mountain. I would warn anyone to not attempt to find this inn after dark, you will be sorry, and you can get very lost making the attempt in the dark.
2. You will pay a very high price for what you get. There is only one room in the entire inn to sit in, other than the room you are staying in. For me, this inn was simply not worth the $214.00 per night I paid. After my two day stay at the Foxtrot, I viewed other inns in that area and realized what a mistake I had made.
3. If you book here, be very selective about the room you accept, as the first floor rooms are not nearly as spacious as the upstairs rooms, and one upstairs room has the real mountain view. We had a downstairs room that was dark and confining and had virtually no view of the mountains looking out our small window.
4. This is an older Tudor style home with bathrooms added to the bedrooms and some have whirlpools that are far too small. I am 5'7" tall, 143 pounds, and found the Jacuzzi uncomfortable to use, as it's so narrow. When you attempt to make a B &B out of an older, moderate sized residence, there is just not enough room for many amenities. The entire home is approximately 2700-3000 square feet, and there is only one single room in the entire inn to sit in. It looks so inviting online, but it's small and confined. We heard people walking around and whirlpool baths going late at night, it was just not built to be a bed and breakfast inn, as that one single room is just not enough for guests, especially when the innkeeper is watching every move you make, which is just plain uncomfortable.
5. If you do not arrive almost the minute you say you will arrive, expect a call from Shirley Price, as you are expected to be there when you say you will be there. As we found out, you are on their time schedule, not yours, which wore on us greatly. They will greet you outside, immediately take you for an information lesson on Gatlinburg from their deck overlooking the mountain (15 minutes) followed by being escorted inside by Mr. Price to immediately do your paperwork, where you pay him in full, on the front end. We now know this is done to insure he is paid in full in case you decide to leave early for whatever reason. After your bill is taken care of, you can expect a 15 minute instruction session on how to use his kitchen coffee maker, and you MUST attend! You may think I'm kidding, but I'm very serious, he values that inexpensive coffee maker, and he does not want you messing it up!
6. After you have paid in full upon arrival, you are taken to your room and Mr. Price comes back and gives your bed a turn down . You do not have a choice on this, as Mr. Price does not want you laying on his bedding pillows or touching them in any way. He places them in the closet, away from you, and you do not touch them and I would suggest you not question this or move the pillows once he removes them from your bed.
7. When people go on a vacation or a romantic trip, they generally DO NOT want to be on a regimented schedule, but I can assure you, from the time you arrive at the Foxtrot, you are on Mr. Price's schedule, not yours. Breakfast is at 9:00 AM on weekdays and 8:00 AM on Sunday. There is zero latitude with this arrangement, although they are sometimes late serving you, you better not be late to the table. There is one single table to eat at, much like a school lunch room and Mr. Price prays before serving and then literally launches into a history lesson about Gatlinburg from the head of the table, with no exceptions. Generally at most B&B Inns the atmosphere is light and guests visit with other guests, not so here, Mr. Price's Gatlinburg history lesson lasts approximately 90 minutes and the three course breakfast is served over that period of time and no one feels comfortable talking and if they do, Mr. Price reins in the conversation quickly and gets back to his history lesson. During the course of the lesson it is extremely difficult to break away and go see Gatlinburg, visit the aquarium, etc, you are trapped at the table trying to be polite to Mr. Price. Another thing we experienced is each food course has an "unspoken" time limit and he does his best to keep you eating and on his schedule, it's really exhausting, and we both found ourselves getting very irritated with the course schedule. To expand a bit on this three course breakfast, if you are late, it throws everyone at the table out of sync, as he gives everyone a certain amount of time to eat each course, and if someone eats slowly, they disrupt the entire time frame of the meal, it's much like a military arrangement, I have never seen anything like this!
8. Ok, of all the issues disclosed here, this is the most important. I never felt like a guest in Mr. Price's home, he watches everyone, keeps you in his line of site at all times, and plainly put, makes you feel much like a long lost relative visiting but not trusted, we have never seen or felt anything like it. If you are not relaxed and comfortable in a B&B, my gosh, why go to one, and you will feel like he is watching every move you make, we did not feel like guests at all and paying $214.00 per night to be watched, so we stayed in our room while in the inn. This feeling was so strong, we even checked our room for cameras. I know, it's crazy, but we did, and it appears others have felt the same way, we are not the first, just look at the other reviews. This innkeeper is very controlling and a literally suspicious of his own paying guests, and you will feel it!
I see the exact same things I experienced have been experienced by several other guests and they took the time to write a review as I have. This visit cost me $428.00 for a two day stay that was just not enjoyable at all. I want to reiterate, please take the time to read the reviews with 3 stars or less, there is much valuable information in these reviews, and very accurate according to what I found out when I visited the Foxtrot Inn.
The Foxtrot Bed & Breakfast Reviews
Unfortunately, I was not familiar with the various Bed and Breakfast Inns in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, however I wanted to surprise my better half with a surprise trip and so I used TripAdvisor to select what appeared to be a good choice and I chose the Foxtrot Bed and Breakfast Inn, and was it a poor choice for us. I should have known better when the owner collected payment immediately upon arrival, before we even viewed our room. This bed and breakfast inn looks so beautiful online, however it is a 60's or 70's tudor style residence with one single room to sit in. It looks so spacious online, but I can assure you, it is not.
The owners are a retired couple and he constantly watches everyone, literally like you are a shoplifter. I wish I had spent just a little more time looking at the few negative reviews on TripAdvior, as we experienced the exact same regimented, and uncomfortable treatment other customers complained about many years ago, and it appears noting has changed.
I emailed the innkeeper and politely requested a refund and explained why I was making that request, and I have never asked for a refund from anyone, however our visit was totally ruined by his constant surveillance and the breakfasts we were served with all the ice cream and pears with maple syrup, it was all just so terrible.
I wondered WHY there were so many great reviews, and very few negative reviews, and I certainly found out, as both of us wrote very detailed reviews of the property on TripAdvisor the day we returned, reviews that were posted and after a few days, removed for no reason, which we contacted TripAdvisor about and they give NO reason a review is removed, however the lady we spoke to said it probably was prompted by the owner, yet they would not put that in writing, but rather chose to say (the way that we process reviews is proprietary, so I am not able to offer details about exactly how your reviews are not published, nor am I able to publish them, we apologize for this inconvenience) and that was that, neither of us was able to post our reviews or our reviews were published then removed. It is so important that people considering this location carefully read the 1-3 star reviews of this property, as we found those particular reviwes spot on, and exactly what we experienced. Again, the innkeeper was contacted and politely asked to refund our money, which he did not respond to at all.
I am posting my review here, where the general public can actually see my review, and what we experienced in February 2018 at the Foxtrot Bed and Breakfast Inn.
I wanted to surprise my better half with a trip to the mountains and must admit, I was not as well versed on Gatlinburg as he is, however this was a surprise, so I viewed different Bed and Breakfast Inns, and selected the Foxtrot Inn for our visit, which turned out to be a very disappointing and very expensive mistake. I have tried to contact the owner and he has been non-responsive, I'm sure Trip Advisor would advise trying to work something out with the owner, but he has been completely unresponsive.
I would highly recommend anyone interested in this inn take some time and read the reviews people write that give the inn a 3 star rating or less, you will absolutely see multiple review consistencies that will be concerning to anyone. Most of us only read the good reviews, to our detriment. What we found when we arrived lined up with what the 1 to 3 star reviews accurately reflected. I offer my February 2018 experience for your review.
1. The inn is extremely difficult to find, it's a residence and it is not clearly marked and there are many turns going up and down the mountains and GPS devices can't be trusted either, which makes things even worse. When I say it's difficult to find, you can take that to the bank, and even if you know the way, it's about 20 minutes up the mountain. I would warn anyone to not attempt to find this inn after dark, you will be sorry, and you can get very lost making the attempt in the dark.
2. You will pay a very high price for what you get. There is only one room in the entire inn to sit in, other than the room you are staying in. For me, this inn was simply not worth the $214.00 per night I paid. After my two day stay at the Foxtrot, I viewed other inns in that area and realized what a mistake I had made.
3. If you book here, be very selective about the room you accept, as the first floor rooms are not nearly as spacious as the upstairs rooms, and one upstairs room has the real mountain view. We had a downstairs room that was dark and confining and had virtually no view of the mountains looking out our small window.
4. This is an older Tudor style home with bathrooms added to the bedrooms and some have whirlpools that are far too small. I am 5'7" tall, 143 pounds, and found the Jacuzzi uncomfortable to use, as it's so narrow. When you attempt to make a B &B out of an older, moderate sized residence, there is just not enough room for many amenities. The entire home is approximately 2700-3000 square feet, and there is only one single room in the entire inn to sit in. It looks so inviting online, but it's small and confined. We heard people walking around and whirlpool baths going late at night, it was just not built to be a bed and breakfast inn, as that one single room is just not enough for guests, especially when the innkeeper is watching every move you make, which is just plain uncomfortable.
5. If you do not arrive almost the minute you say you will arrive, expect a call from Shirley Price, as you are expected to be there when you say you will be there. As we found out, you are on their time schedule, not yours, which wore on us greatly. They will greet you outside, immediately take you for an information lesson on Gatlinburg from their deck overlooking the mountain (15 minutes) followed by being escorted inside by Mr. Price to immediately do your paperwork, where you pay him in full, on the front end. We now know this is done to insure he is paid in full in case you decide to leave early for whatever reason. After your bill is taken care of, you can expect a 15 minute instruction session on how to use his kitchen coffee maker, and you MUST attend! You may think I'm kidding, but I'm very serious, he values that inexpensive coffee maker, and he does not want you messing it up!
6. After you have paid in full upon arrival, you are taken to your room and Mr. Price comes back and gives your bed a turn down . You do not have a choice on this, as Mr. Price does not want you laying on his bedding pillows or touching them in any way. He places them in the closet, away from you, and you do not touch them and I would suggest you not question this or move the pillows once he removes them from your bed.
7. When people go on a vacation or a romantic trip, they generally DO NOT want to be on a regimented schedule, but I can assure you, from the time you arrive at the Foxtrot, you are on Mr. Price's schedule, not yours. Breakfast is at 9:00 AM on weekdays and 8:00 AM on Sunday. There is zero latitude with this arrangement, although they are sometimes late serving you, you better not be late to the table. There is one single table to eat at, much like a school lunch room and Mr. Price prays before serving and then literally launches into a history lesson about Gatlinburg from the head of the table, with no exceptions. Generally at most B&B Inns the atmosphere is light and guests visit with other guests, not so here, Mr. Price's Gatlinburg history lesson lasts approximately 90 minutes and the three course breakfast is served over that period of time and no one feels comfortable talking and if they do, Mr. Price reins in the conversation quickly and gets back to his history lesson. During the course of the lesson it is extremely difficult to break away and go see Gatlinburg, visit the aquarium, etc, you are trapped at the table trying to be polite to Mr. Price. Another thing we experienced is each food course has an "unspoken" time limit and he does his best to keep you eating and on his schedule, it's really exhausting, and we both found ourselves getting very irritated with the course schedule. To expand a bit on this three course breakfast, if you are late, it throws everyone at the table out of sync, as he gives everyone a certain amount of time to eat each course, and if someone eats slowly, they disrupt the entire time frame of the meal, it's much like a military arrangement, I have never seen anything like this!
8. Ok, of all the issues disclosed here, this is the most important. I never felt like a guest in Mr. Price's home, he watches everyone, keeps you in his line of site at all times, and plainly put, makes you feel much like a long lost relative visiting but not trusted, we have never seen or felt anything like it. If you are not relaxed and comfortable in a B&B, my gosh, why go to one, and you will feel like he is watching every move you make, we did not feel like guests at all and paying $214.00 per night to be watched, so we stayed in our room while in the inn. This feeling was so strong, we even checked our room for cameras. I know, it's crazy, but we did, and it appears others have felt the same way, we are not the first, just look at the other reviews. This innkeeper is very controlling and a literally suspicious of his own paying guests, and you will feel it!
I see the exact same things I experienced have been experienced by several other guests and they took the time to write a review as I have. This visit cost me $428.00 for a two day stay that was just not enjoyable at all. I want to reiterate, please take the time to read the reviews with 3 stars or less, there is much valuable information in these reviews, and very accurate according to what I found out when I visited the Foxtrot Inn.