Please sign our online guest book

A couple of weeks ago, we told you about a new feature on our Web sties - the ability for you to post a review directly on our site.

Thanks to Mark and Nell for being the first to post a review. Here it is:

If you have stayed at Smoky Mountain Tower or All Decked Out, we'd love to have you post a review, too. Just go to either of our Web sites:
Smoky Mountain Tower - www.SmokyMountainTower.com
All Decked Out - www.SmokiesRentDirect.com

On the menu, click the line that says "Post & Read Reviews." That opens a page with instructions and a place to write your review. We'll watch for your review and post it just as soon as we can.

But wait! You say you've never been to either of our cabins, so you can't write a review? Oh my! This is the BEST time for you to go, because our prices for February are reduced by $29.00 a night. We've already had several guests take advantage of this great deal. But hurry - dates are going fast. We have some midweek nights open, but only one weekend - February 25-26 at All Decked Out. And the $29/night savings goes away after - you guessed it - February 29!

More ways to save in Gatlinburg

Did you know that you can save money on local (Gatlinburg) restaurants, shops and attractions when you stay at All Decked Out or Smoky Mountain Tower?

We're located in Chalet Village, and we are therefore members of the Chalet Village Owners Club. Beside swimming (in season) and tennis, you can now use the Owners Club pass we provide at more than 25 local establishments and save up to 20%. The pass and complete instructions are in the Welcome Notebooks at our cabins. But if you want more details right now, just visit www.ChaletVillageOwnersClub.com and click on the blue box that looks like this. In fact, you can just click on the blue box below and it will take you directly to the Owners Club specials page.


It's just one more way that we bring greater value to your Smokies vacation.

By the way, don't forget our February $29-off special. We still have a few nights open. You can find details on our Web sites - just click on Specials in our menu.

A map of downtown Gatlinburg

When you're planning your trip to Gatlinburg, have you ever wondered just what businesses and attractions are located in downtown Gatlinburg? Do you wonder exactly where the tram to Ober Gatlinburg is located?

We have found just the map you need! Our friends at DiscoverTheSmokies.com have put together a map that shows every business and attraction on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. You can find it here - http://thegreatsmokeymountainsparkway.com/_map/gatlinburg/parkway.htm. It was just updated less than a week ago! You will find every business listed, starting at the National Park (south) end and proceeding all the way to the north city limits. An added feature is the ability to click on a name and "peek inside" the business. In the case of restaurants, you may even get a look at the menu!

And don't forget. We offer discounts at a number of restaurants and attractions through our membership in the Chalet Village Owners Club. We'll tell you more about that in our next post.

A 'leap-month' deal - $29 off February available nights

It's 'leap month!' As you know, February has 29 days this year. And we've got the best way to celebrate. We're cutting our prices at Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out by $29.00 for all available nights. That's a discount of almost 20%. So if you book right away, you will only pay $120.00 per night.

But this deal is only valid for February nights. So you've got to be quick! There are no coupon codes to enter - we've just changed the price in our reservation system.

It's easy to make your reservation. Just go to either of our Web sites at www.SmokiesRentDirect.com/availability or www.SmokyMountainTower.com/availability. If the dates on the calendar are green, they're open for your visit. Click on your arrival and departure dates, which enters them in the date fields below the calendar. Then click "Review & Book," enter the required information, and you're all set.

You can always get answers to questions at dave@smokiesrentdirect.com. But hurry - we expect these dates to fill up fast, especially at this price. The good news is that you have one extra night to stay this month - February 29!

PS - If you've followed us for awhile, you know that we don't have very many special deals like this. We usually only offer 'last-minute' specials. And we're announcing it first on our blog and Facebook. But the rest of the world will see this deal by tomorrow.

More ways to tell us what you think!

We're excited about a new feature on our Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out Web sites. You can now tell us directly what you think about our cabins!

Look at the Smoky Mountain Tower home page (www.SmokyMountainTower.com) ...


...or the All Decked Out home page (www.SmokiesRentDirect.com)


Just above the green "Availability" box is a new line - "Post & Read Reviews." When you click on that line, it takes you to a page inviting you to submit a review or to read the reviews already submitted. If you click "Submit," you get a page that something like this:


You can easily write your own review of your stay at either cabin. When you submit your review, we'll be notified. We get the chance to read it and either accept it or reject it - but we can't change it. Of course, we'll accept it or, in rare cases, write you back (if you said something untrue or naughty). Then you'll be able to read your review.

Angie (our youngest daughter) set this all up for us, and she is still working on a few nuances and some instructions. But it's pretty much ready to go. From now on, we'll be inviting all guests to submit reviews. It's almost like an online guest book!

If you have ever stayed at either of our cabins, this is your invitation right now to write a review. And please come back often to see what others are saying. We expect to continue to take pictures of our in-cabin guest books and post them on our site, too. You'll find them when you click on "Guest Book Comments."

This is just one more way for you to communicate with us, and we look forward to hearing from you!

More comfort for you at All Decked Out

Our last few posts have featured Smoky Mountain Tower. So now - as promised - it's time for some news about All Decked Out.

We have just taken a big step to make the main room at All Decked Out more comfortable. We added two really comfy Lazy Boy rocker-recliners!


You can either just sit and rock, or you can pull the lever and lean back - almost horizontal! And they're a great place to relax and watch TV.

The addition of these rocker-recliners had a domino effect, requiring several other changes. you can find all the details on our Smokies Rent Direct Web site on the "What's New" page - complete with "before and after" pictures. There are a couple other changes that you can also read about there.

While you're on our Web site, this would be a good time to click on "Book Online Now" and make your reservations for All Decked Out, so you can enjoy the comfort of our new rocker-recliners in person!

Take a look at the 'new' Game Room at Smoky Mountain Tower

If you've checked the photos on our Web site at www.SmokyMountainTower.com, you know that we opened a Game Room a couple of years ago. Most recently, we've had a full-size air hockey table, electronic darts, and a 'hoops' game.

Well, I've got good news and bad news. First the bad news. During our stay at Smoky Mountain Tower this week, we discovered that the 'hoops' game was not working properly. There was a big rip in the net that allowed the balls to fall out on the floor. Even worse, the scoring lever in one of the hoops just wouldn't record a score. We tried to fix it, but it didn't work. We tried to order replacement parts, but the company that makes the game would only sell us a new unit. Based on the quality of the game, we decided that wasn't a good investment.

Now the good news. This afternoon, we were able to get a very good quality foosball table. Even though it's not brand new, it is in very good shape. And it fits in the Game Room. Take a look...


As you can see, we turned the air hockey table by 90 degrees, which will give all our players a little more room. In fact, we think two sets of players can play at the same time!

Here's a closer look at the new foosball table...


What do you think? Let us know...

And keep watching here. This is not the only thing we have changed during this trip. Wait til you see what we did at All Decked Out!