Thank you! It was a great sale!

Thank you to everybody who read about, talked about, and passed along information regarding our one-day '11-11-11' sale. We had a good time and we're very glad that we have helped to make a trip to Gatlinburg possible for some folks who otherwise might not have been able to afford it.

As I was finishing up everything early this morning, I found the note that started the idea of the sale. It came from our daughter, Angie, way back on January 11. She saw a sale done that day by somebody else and said, "We could do this on 11-11-11." So we did! Thanks, Angie.

It took a lot of work to get ready for the sale - changing all the information on the two dozen sites where we advertise, and keeping up the communication via this blog and Facebook. Then on Wednesday night, I stayed up late and changed all the prices on our IVOL reservation site. They were actually changed a few minutes before midnight. And Jennifer from Alabama figured that out. She actually booked New Year's weekend at All Decked Out at 11:59 pm - and saved more than $500 in the process.

So how did we do? We booked 39 nights and saved our guests more than $2,100!

Our middle daughter, Marcia, who also helps with reservations and other tasks, asked me yesterday afternoon if anybody booked at 11:11 am. Actually, Chuck from Kentucky got pretty close. Their reservation came in at 11:06 am and I confirmed it at 11:13 am.

And Angela from South Carolina made a reservation at 1:23:45!

Somebody asked if we'll ever do this again. That's an easy one - NO! Why not? Because there will never be another 11-11-11 in my lifetime. But we will run specials from time to time. We still have a bunch of nights open in 2011 that we'd really love to book. So if you missed the $111 deal, watch for another deal on these nights. Or write back and make an offer.

And let us know what you thought about our 11-11-11 sale. If you liked the idea, just 'like' this post on Facebook.

The clock is ticking...

There are less than 5 hours remaining in our one-day 11-11-11 sale for Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out.

If you make your reservation in these next 5 hours for any available night between November 15 and June 30, 2012, you will only pay $111.00 plus tax. But when the clock strikes 12 midnight, the nightly rate goes back to the regular prices - $169.00 for nights through December 15, $199.00 for nights from December16 through January 1, and $149.00 for about the first 6 months of next year.

I will be waiting by my computer until midnight for your reservation. Then I'll be spending another couple of hours erasing all reference to our 11-11-11 sale from all our advertising Web sites. By tomorrow morning, the sale will be just a memory.

Tomorrow, I'm going to make one last post on this sale event. It will be in the form of a Q&A - like, "How close did you come to getting a reservation at 11:11 am on 11-11-11?" The answer may surprise you.

Meanwhile, I hope you can use these 5 hours wisely. Call your friends and relatives, make your plans for the best value you may ever get in a Gatlinburg vacation. And again, if you need more information, it's waiting for you (for another 5 hours) at our Web site - www.SmokiesRentDirect.com.

Halfway report - 11-11-11 sale

It's just past noon on Friday, November 11. Our 11-11-11 sale is in full swing. So far, we have received 8 reservations for a total of 31 nights. So there are still lots of great nights available. Remember, we're only charging $111 per night (plus tax). In 12 hours, the price will be between $149 and $199 per night!

To get all the details and make your reservation, just go to our Web sites:
-Smoky Mountain Tower - www.SmokyMountainTower.com
-All Decked Out - www.SmokiesRentDirect.com/All-Decked-Out

We're staying by the computer so we can confirm your reservation in just minutes after you make it. So we hope you can join us in Gatlinburg and save a bunch of money in the process!

It's here - 11-11-11

Finally, our big one-day sale is off and running. We got our first booking at 12:03 am. Jennifer booked All Decked Out for 3 nights at New Year's - and saved more than $500!

We've received other reservations since then, too. But it's now just past 1:00 am, and I'm going to quit for the night. I'll be checking the reservation status in the morning about 9:00 am, and will confirm all reservations received by then. Marcia, Angie and I are going to keep watching all day and will get your reservation confirmed as quickly as possible.

But remember, as of right now, you have less than 23 hours before $111.00 goes away and we're back to regular prices.

We're watching for YOUR reservation, and we hope you get the dates you want.

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day - 11-11-11. It seems like people are making a big deal of Veterans Day this year - and I am VERY thankful to see that. I'm a veteran (2 years in the Army, 2 years in the Army Reserve). But we have a LOT of veterans who deserve your appreciation tomorrow. So be sure to hug a veteran!

There are some things you CAN'T do tomorrow:
-You can't go to the bank - they'll all be closed
-You can't get mail - the Post Offices will be closed
-In many places, you can't go to school - schools will be closed

But there is ONE THING you CAN - and really SHOULD do tomorrow:

You can save a LOT of money by making your Gatlinburg vacation reservation at Smoky Mountain Tower or All Decked Out. At a bare minimum, you'll save more than $128.00 - that's for a three-night stay next year at our cheapest rate. If you book a week yet this year, you'll save more than $267.00. And if you book 4 nights at New Year's in All Decked Out (yes, it's still open), you will save almost $400.00!

Remember, prices drop at the stroke of midnight tonight to $111.00 per night (plus tax) for all available nights through June 30, 2012. But this deal only lasts for 24 hours. TOMORROW is the only day you can get these low prices.

To make your reservation, just go to our Web sites:
Smoky Mountain Tower - www.SmokyMountainTower.com
All Decked Out - www.SmokiesRentDirect.com

Click the "Book Online Now" button on the left side, under the menu. That takes you directly to our reservation site. Enter the required information and you'll be all set.

More information is available at our Web sites. We'll be watching for your reservation ... TOMORROW!

402! That's more than a year!

This Friday, you will be able to take your pick of 402 available nights in Gatlinburg. As of now, we have 192 nights available at Smoky Mountain Tower and 210 nights available at All Decked Out between November 15 and June 30, 2012. So that's more than a year's worth of nights - even considering that next year is Leap Year.

Here's the current calendar for Smoky Mountain Tower:


And here's how it looks for All Decked Out:


If the date appears in green, it's open. And starting at 12:01 am on 11-11-11, you can book ANY of these available nights for just $111.00, plus tax. Pass the word along and make your plans now. You can find all the details on the Specials page at our Web sites - www.SmokyMountainTower.com and www.SmokiesRentDirect.com/All-Decked-Out. Be sure to read the fine print and all the special instructions.