Very disappointed. When I decided to upgrade to a larger (much more expensive) room I was told that it had a soaking tub. Not the case. The tub is standard if not on the small side. I was told I would be on the quiet side of the hotel. Also not true. The room itself was really really musty. Like the smell of an old carpet. One night the staff was working on fixing a door across from my room. Open and close. Open and close for almost three hours! So much for requesting a quiet room. Shower and water pressure was very low and inconsistent. Only a few of the standard toiletries that you would expect in the most expensive hotel in Knoxville. Overall the staff was very pleasant although as I checked out and handed a tip to the bellman it was up to me to load my bags into the trunk of my car (note this is after I handed over a tip *and* there were zero hotel guests in the area. Only three bellman hanging out at the bell stand chatting away watching me load my suitcases). I’ll try the Hyatt next time. I can’t recommend this hotel, certainly not at the price I paid.…
It seems that some hotels, even high end ones, have used hiring challenges as a justification for declining service. Not so at The Tennessean: the staff are unfailingly gracious, efficient, friendly, welcoming, and skillful. The hotel itself is attractive, serene, and immaculate. The bed is luxuriously comfortable, the in-room and restaurant dining were both greatly enjoyable (and in-room dining arrived quickly, which is rare from my experience). This visit was for seeing family in Knoxville, but the hotel was a superb experience on its own, not merely a convenience or necessity. We will never stay anywhere else in Knoxville.
My fiancee and I only stayed one night at The Tennessean but it left quite an impression on us. From the valet to the front desk staff to the service in The Drawing Room restaurant, every member of the staff was professional, friendly, and helpful. The decor of the hotel is both beautiful and functional and the rooms are spacious, especially the bathrooms. I have stayed at hotels all over the world and this was the first time a front desk employee extended his hand for a welcoming handshake. We had an absolutely AMAZING dinner at The Drawing Room. We ordered several appetizers / small plates and they were absolutely incredible. We just got back from a trip to Washington state where we stayed and dined at a high end resort and this meal far exceeded any meal we had there. Our bartender / server provided excellent service with a smile and made the best Old Fashioned we have had in a while. Congrats to the management for caring enough to hire and maintain such an outstanding staff and providing such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.…
I arrived from overseas and the WiFi was not working for all my stay (2 days). I was not informed before therefore I got disconnected from family and not able to work from the room. The unreasonable solution offered was to go and work from the beside hotel. I got looked out from my room for about 1 hour due to problems with the room lock. No compensation was offered,
Oh my goodness! We are a traveling family, and my youngest son is fascinated with all things tourism. He especially loves hotels and finding them on TripAdvisor. We stayed in 5 different hotels on our recent trip across several states, but since the last night was the day before his 12th birthday, I told him he could go online and pick anything in the Knoxville area. Typically, he is indecisive, but he knew what he wanted the moment he first saw this hotel. Somehow, he let this destination become the highlight of our trip. I was a bit nervous that he would feel let down, as Knoxville was just a pass through on the way home. Boy was I wrong! Both of my younger boys want to travel back to downtown Knoxville now, and instead of exploring new hotels, they want to stay at the Tennessean again. We were greeted with courtesy and Southern hospitality. The older gentleman at the front desk was just precious! He gave my boys a cold drink which was awesome on that very hot day. He told us all about the hotel! The room was perfectly clean. (Like insanely clean!) The views were unbelievable, the room was spacious and well laid out, and the amenities were more than adequate. We did some roaming downtown, so we were especially grateful for the central location. We went up in the Sunsphere, did some shopping, had a delicious dinner, and found the cutest ice cream shop for dessert. We took pictures in the artistic park full of sculptures and even played on the unique equipment at the nearby playground. This simple trip became a 10 out of 10. Check out was a breeze, and we stayed right up until the last moment so we could venture out for a yummy lunch. Valet parking is a little expensive, but that’s expected. The staff were kind and accommodating. The beds were just dreamy with the best best linens and pillows. The shower was great. The pressure was good and the water was hot! The room had plenty of receptacles and plenty of places to set our things down. The closet was spacious too. The turndown chocolates were the bomb! Honestly, I have nothing to complain about. I try to be fair in reviews and never point out all good or all bad, so if I had one tiny gripe it was that only one k-cup in our room was not decaf. We just aren’t a decaf family! I found a staff member in the hall, and she gave us 2 more, so it minor problem was easily solved. Overall, this place is a no brainer. It is ideal for families but would also be great for a couples getaway or even business. We will be back! Knoxville has a ton of charm, so we plan to make this a new short getaway location for our family.…
I booked the Tennessean for a visit to UT with my daughter. I am very picky about hotel cleanliness and thought I did my homework. I am here for 2 more nights and in our third room. The first room was dusty with toothpaste stains on the bathroom wall. I asked for the room to be cleaned again immediately after we settled in. Later, after showering, I found the towels to be like old rags. Ripped and full of holes. I called the front desk and was immediately brought much nicer towels. The next day, An odor, which was faint at first, got stronger and was quite unpleasant. The stained carpet? The pillows? I’m not sure but I couldn’t continue to sleep with it. Our second room was not as updated as the first. The furniture was visibly worn, the carpet dirty, and there was debris on the floor near the bed and in a bathroom corner (a hair tie, and small pieces of trash). For me, this oversight speaks to a much deeper level of unsanitary. If housekeeping is missing visible debris, I cannot be certain basic sanitization has occurred. Our third room has stained and worn carpet, a shower that is struggling to drain properly, with bathroom tiles and grout that could use updating. This will have to do as I suspect the hotel cannot offer better. Complaints to the front desk were Initially met with inconsistency. The initial room cleaning and ripped towels were met with sincere apologies. The complaint of the odor, and complaints of the dirty second room to two different employees were received without one apology or Attempt to properly address the situation. In fact, I felt embarrassed for complaining despite showing the employees photos of the stated issues. This experience has been disappointing and not on par with what one would expect from a four diamond rating. I’m curious if the attached Marriot has a better quality room.…
The Tennessean is a beautiful nightmare. The check-in was smooth, the room large, the shower also huge (either Tennesseans must be universally large or maybe I was given the offensive tackle suite; grateful, nonetheless). They have the bare basics of a four-star hotel down, but, leapin' Dollywood, are they messed up on the finer details. The key to a great hotel is impeccable, relentlessly finicky customer service, but with non-intrusive grace, transparency, and aplomb. A key component of great customer service is composure under fire. Even a barely paid Capitol Hill intern understands that, especially with an angry constituent chewing him or her out. An overtly distressed middle aged woman was running the Tennessean's second floor breakfast service, which, at first blush, had a fairly dignified setup. There weren't that many tables, but she, nevertheless, seemed overwhelmed---another casualty of the lack of trained personnel everywhere. I tried to calm her down––I was ready to even help!––but she kept loudly complaining about how overworked she was. It was hardly the kind of decorum one would expect from such a high-priced hotel, the second highest-rated in Knoxville. The second key component of customer service is authentic congeniality (a certain front desk clerk at the Hotel Santa Fe in Santa Fe, NM is my Platonic form of this signature virtue). Hotel service is kabuki theater at its finest, and all the players must act their part. If one wants to excel in this rewarding career, one must carry at least the believable veneer of agreeable professionalism wherever one goes, inside or outside the hotel. As in the movie The Prestige, the act must become one's life. Sadly, that kind of rigor was missing at the Tennessean: the walls were thin, such that I could hear the drunk person in the room next door banging against the wall and drunkenly gabbing on the phone after midnight. The cleaning crew was talking loudly at 7:30 AM and slamming doors or letting doors slam without a care in the world. This is a particular bugaboo for me. Cleaning persons need to be instructed by hotel management to slowly and meticulously close doors so they don't make any noise or to prop them open, and to never talk before noon (in case a guest is sleeping late). If they have to speak to each other, they should whisper. The cleaning crew at The Tennessean acted like this was some daily party in which they could loudly laugh and gossip before 8 AM. All this discussion should be done with a whisper far off the floor. It's inconsiderate, crude, and rude, and completely unbecoming of a four-star hotel. Hotel management in America today seems to rest on the belief that if you smile, all sins are forgiven. Just the opposite is true. What top-paying customers want, and will pay for, is mindful, smart, moment-to-moment attention to detail (a smile is nice, but not necessary if the customer service is astute). The Tennessean has the potential to get there. I would start by requiring the reading and discussion of Horst Schulze's Excellence Wins, followed by a rigorous daily review of the defects I noted above. And then pay extra money to hire the best and brightest in the hotel game (think Asia and Europe). I think it will help the hotel elevate its game to at least the above average level of the adjacent University of Tennessee Volunteers football program.…
Really enjoyed our experience here. The hotel rooms are somewhat dated, but everything is generally clean and functional. I especially liked that the bathroom was large and had a closed off section for the toilet. The TV and remote come with Netflix, and the nightstands offer sufficient space for sundry items. Same point for the desk. Location is excellent - within walking distance of Old Town and Market Square. You can also walk to the University if desired (though a longer walk). Gym is clean and offers a variety of equipment. All in all, we would happily return.
A hotel that is centrally located and within walking distance to all the tourist spots in the area. My friends and I were very impressed at the cleanliness of the room and how upgraded even the very basic room. The staff were knowledgeable and helpful...and the pillows are so good that I even asked for the brand and learned it was a luxury one. Highly recommended hotel!
The hotel is perfecty situated between UT and Market Square. It is a luxury hotel and the rooms were very nice. The bathroom was very large and well-appointed. High end finishes throughout the room. Service was impeccable and friendly. We would definitely stay here again.
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