Before I begin this review of Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort I would like to issue an apology:
Dear Dolly,
I am sorry my kid threw up all over your brand new hotel. I am really appreciative of how nice your staff was about it – especially for not making us buy that shirt in the gift shop that got accidentally splattered on.
Sincerely, Nick
A big component of Dollywood’s ten year, 300 million dollar investment plan was the creation of their first resort hotel, DreamMore, which began accepting reservations this past summer. On our last visit to the area, we stayed at one of Dollywood’s amazing Smoky Mountain Cabins and were really blown away. For DreamMore, we were expecting the same level of quality experienced at Dollywood and the cabins and we were not disappointed.
Maybe the best way I can describe the appearance of the outside of the hotel is it’s like a combination of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge combined with the Grand Floridian.
The entrance is very reminiscent of Royal Pacific at Universal Orlando with a waterfall to your left as you walk over the rushing water. The grounds have many rock and water features scattered about.
On a clear day you can see the Smoky Mountains in the distance.
The lobby and gift shop are actually on the second floor. The restaurant, spa, pool, and game room are all on the first floor.
The rooms are very well designed. I really appreciated how many places there were to hang or store your items.
When I first heard the name of the resort, I thought it was a bit odd. But it’s grown on me, especially after I saw that the phrase “Dream More” is one of four pillars the hotel theme is built on:
Do More. Learn More. Care More. Dream More.
Some of the perks of staying at DreamMore:
- Trolley to Dollywood – usually have two to three trolleys operating whenever Dollywood is open, starting a half hour before and ending a half hour after the park closes.
- Early Saturday entry, one hour before the park opens to the public.
- Use of special “side” entrance into Dollywood.
- TimeSaver pass to skip the lines.
- Package delivery from the park to the resort.
- 2-day admission for the price of one.
The entire outdoor pool area was closed, including the hot tub, which would have been nice to sit in even on a cold day.
While the outdoor pool area looks amazing, the indoor pool leaves a lot to be desired. It’s essentially the same plain, boring pool you would find at any other hotel in the area. At a resort where everything else is done so well and to the next level, it’s a bit disappointing the indoor pool doesn’t have a little something to make it more special.
I also found it odd that there are no public microwaves in the entire resort. That’s right, the rooms don’t have them and when we asked a staff member we were told there are none we could use. What if you have baby formula or something that has to be warmed up? Frequent travelers, is this the new norm?
Overall, I was very impressed with Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort. It’s a beautiful hotel in a great setting and the people that work there are some of the nicest you’ll ever meet. I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you’re going to be spending any time at Dollywood as the extra perks are well worth it. For more details, read our quick start Smoky Mountain Vacation planning guide.
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