KAG Contributor Kristina Hernandez first stayed at the Margaritaville Island Hotel with her family and loved it so much she went back. She’s sharing all the details about this hotel, updated with her 2026 return visit, so you can plan the perfect family getaway.
Are you looking for more fun Tennessee travel? Check out our Kidding Around Greenville guide to Tennessee.
If you ever have a chance to go to Margaritaville, you go, right? When a hotel takes up the Margaritaville theme in a mountain town that offers families everything from a theme park to dinner theater shows, from racetracks to hiking trails, you pack up your family and go.
And if you’re just dying for some relaxation with your family or friends, a place called the Margaritaville Island Hotel is just the prescription.
I first had the chance to stay at this four-star hotel in the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee during their huge Winterfest celebration several years and I always wanted to go back because the hotel is amazing. I finally got that chance during the summer of 2026 with my daughters and had another incredible stay – but this time we got to do much more and enjoy the amazing amenities the place offers.
If you’re thinking this aptly named hotel is all about the tequila and lime drink, well, you’re not wrong. But that’s only a small part of what the Margaritaville Island Hotel offers.
This hotel truly is an absolute haven of relaxation after a day of fun in the national park or visiting the attractions. It’s family-friendly, pet-friendly, and the location on The Island at Pigeon Forge simply cannot be beat.
**I was given a complimentary room and spa treatments from the Margaritaville Island Hotel. The opinions in this article are all my honest opinions.
Quick Facts
- Location: 131 Island Drive, Suite 5118, Pigeon Forge, TN (right on The Island)
- Drive from Greenville, SC: About 3 hours
- Family-friendly: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes
- Parking: Self-park or valet
- On-site dining: Fins Bar & Chill, Margaritaville Restaurant, Chill Bar (seasonal), Starbucks
- Spa: St. Somewhere Spa (massages, mani-pedis, facials, and more)
- Room perk: Complimentary margarita cards are included with each room
- Best room views: The Island’s Show Fountains (shows every 30 minutes)
Rooftop Pool & Hot Tub
Kids love pools. Adults love pools and hot tubs. Put them together on a rooftop overlooking the Island at Pigeon Forge where the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel towers over you and you’ve got the perfect mix.
The pool is heated for those chillier evenings and feels cool during the warmer months. You can order meals and drinks, which will be brought right to your poolside lounge chair. And they offer family movies on weekends over the summer with free popcorn.
The rooftop also has a full bar for summertime fun, cabanas and chairs for any time of year, and views that stretch out over the Island at Pigeon Forge and into the Great Smoky Mountains beyond. If you’re lucky, you can even see the snow-capped peaks during winter months.
Off one side of the roof, you get the absolute best view of the fountains, which do a water show to music every thirty minutes. We loved seeing the cool fountains, people watching, and enjoying popcorn and the pool.
The rooftop pool was hands down my favorite spot at the hotel on our 2026 return visit. You can relax on the lounge chairs, enjoy fantastic margaritas, and eat lunch or dinner without ever leaving the rooftop. The views of the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel are amazing, and watching the fountain shows from up above is such a treat. Because the pool is only for hotel guests, there was always space to relax and it never felt crowded.
Beautiful and Comfortable Rooms
The rooms are tastefully decorated in the beach vibe of Margaritaville, with cool blues and greens. The bathrooms – and specifically the shower – are gorgeous and spacious. I could have spent a lot of time in the shower but I had my kids with me so I couldn’t leave them unsupervised for too long. It has a bench inside the shower and my favorite thing is that it has two shower heads, one that shoots water normally at an angle and then another above your head that makes it rain.
Please tell me I’m not the only person who is obsessed with beautiful showers.
OK, so after you’ve thoroughly enjoyed the amazing shower, you can relax in front of the gas fireplace (available October-April), lounge in the super soft beds, and enjoy coffee on your balcony. Rooms overlook the river, the village on the Island, or the most popular view: The Island’s Show Fountains. Shows are every thirty minutes.
There is a mini-fridge, coffee pot, and microwave in each room.
Rates vary per season. Prices will be highest during the busiest months of July and October.
I got a tour of the Penthouses at the hotel as well, which are on their own floor and span the entire top of the building. These are actually perfect for families, especially if you’re traveling with more than one family or extended family members. These rooms are massive, have more than one bathroom, and a full kitchen. Wraparound balconies adorn the outside so you can see the Island and the river.
On our 2026 return visit, our room had an incredible view of the fountain at the Island at Pigeon Forge. The rooms are just as beautiful and spacious as I remembered. And one fun detail: my daughters said the St. Somewhere Spa conditioner in the shower made their hair feel so soft!
Dining at the Hotel
While the Margaritaville Island Hotel is situated at the Island at Pigeon Forge – which has several great restaurants – you don’t even need to leave the hotel to enjoy great food and a cozy atmosphere.
Starbucks is right off the lobby and their own restaurant, Fins Bar & Chill, is off the other side of the lobby near the river.
Over the summer, the Chill Bar at the rooftop pool is the place to be, where you can relax all day with margaritas close by. The burgers at the pool over the summer were my favorite. I was literally eating a cheeseburger in paradise.
And Margaritaville at the hotel is a full-service, two-story restaurant that overlooks the Little Pigeon River. It’s laid back with live music and entertainment with menu items such as coconut shrimp, burgers, sandwiches, nachos, fried chicken, chicken fajitas, and spinach dip.
St. Somewhere Spa
After all the fun you’ll be having in Pigeon Forge, take a step back and relax at the St. Somewhere Spa at the hotel. It’s a beautiful retreat that offers massages, manicures, pedicures, haircut and coloring, expert facials, waxing, eyelash tinting, and foot baths.
My two girls, ages 7 and 4 the first time we went, received the Princess Mani-Pedi, where they were treated to warm towels on their little feet and nail polish of their choosing, which they took forever to pick out at the Port of Indecision wall. After the pedicure, they received a manicure that is a pared down version of what adults get, cleaning and cutting nails if need be and painting.
When my youngest was done with her pedicure, the woman taking care of her carried her over to the manicure chair so she wouldn’t have to walk and possibly ruin her cute toes. Now that’s service!
While my girls were enjoying their mani-pedis, I was drifting away to paradise with the Pedicure in Paradise. This consisted of a “hydrating foot soak, nail care, exfoliation, foot detox mask, relaxing foot massage, luxurious paraffin treatment, and choice of polish or buffing.” I really didn’t want to leave.
The spa has two relaxation rooms with tea and water available. Luxuriously soft robes are available for guests, as is a shower if they like.
After your treatment, feel free to browse in the spa’s storefront for makeup and skincare products or gifts to take home for loved ones/yourself. The entire staff at the St. Somewhere Spa are very kind and welcoming. Certainly carve out some spa time when you visit the hotel.
Good to know: We had our manicure and pedicure at the St. Somewhere Spa the first time we stayed at the hotel, and it was a wonderful experience. We didn’t visit the spa on our most recent trip but I’m sure the experience is the same excellent service we enjoyed the first time around.
Hotel Perks Worth Knowing About
- Each room comes with complimentary margaritas, which were delicious
- The rooftop pool is only for hotel guests, so there was always space to relax and it never felt crowded
- Free popcorn with family-friendly movies on weekends was a favorite of my daughters
- You cannot beat the location right on The Island at Pigeon Forge. We could walk to different attractions and shops and hardly had to drive anywhere
Entertainment + Shopping + Food
The Margaritaville Island Hotel is located right on the Island at Pigeon Forge, an entertainment, dining and shopping mecca in the town. You can easily stay at the hotel and spend a couple days on the Island enjoying all it has to offer and never leave during your trip to Pigeon Forge.
Read my review of the Island at Pigeon Forge and learn about all the neat stuff you can do there!
On our 2026 visit, the location proved to be the absolute best thing about the hotel. We could enjoy everything The Island at Pigeon Forge has to offer, including the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel (go at sunset for unreal views), rides, SkyFly, the arcade, and so many restaurants. We didn’t go to bed until after 11pm each night because there was so much to do. We could walk to different attractions and shops and hardly had to drive anywhere. I recommend getting the unlimited rides wristband ($40) because you can ride everything as many times as you want for 48 hours.
The Margaritaville brand has other properties in the area, with one of them, the Margaritaville Island Inn, very close to the hotel in Pigeon Forge. They are different lodgings that offer slightly different amenities to the guest.
Tip: Ride the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel at sunset for unreal views of the mountains and the Island all lit up. It was one of the highlights of our trip!
Margaritaville Island Hotel
131 Island Drive, Suite 5118, Pigeon Forge, TN
844.434-6787
Margaritaville Island Hotel Website
Margaritaville Island Hotel Facebook
Honest Mom Review
I’ve now stayed at the Margaritaville Island Hotel twice, and both times it delivered exactly what our family needed: relaxation, fun, and an unbeatable location. The hotel is family-friendly and pet-friendly, and it’s an absolute haven after a day of hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park or exploring all the attractions in Pigeon Forge.
The rooftop pool with views of the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel is something special. The rooms are beautiful and spacious, with those incredible fountain views. And the fact that you can walk out of the hotel and be right in the middle of everything on The Island, without ever needing your car, is a game changer for families.
I loved it the first time and I loved it just as much when we came back. I don’t think you can go wrong with a stay at the Margaritaville Island Hotel.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Margaritaville Island Hotel
Is the Margaritaville Island Hotel family-friendly?
Yes! The hotel is designed with families in mind. The rooftop pool, free popcorn and movie nights on weekends, complimentary margaritas for adults, and walkable access to The Island’s rides, arcade, and restaurants make it an ideal spot for kids of all ages.
Is the Margaritaville Island Hotel pet-friendly?
Yes, the hotel is pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry family members along for the trip.
What is the rooftop pool like at Margaritaville Island Hotel?
The heated rooftop pool overlooks The Island at Pigeon Forge with stunning views of the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel and the Smoky Mountains beyond. It is exclusively for hotel guests, so it never feels too crowded. You can order food and drinks, including those signature margaritas, right to your lounge chair. On weekends during the summer, they show family-friendly movies with free popcorn.
Do rooms at the Margaritaville Island Hotel come with complimentary drinks?
Yes! Each room comes with complimentary margaritas. They were delicious and a wonderful way to kick off the vacation.
How far is the Margaritaville Island Hotel from Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
The hotel is located right on The Island in Pigeon Forge and about 20 minutes from the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s about a 3-hour drive from Greenville, SC, making it a great family weekend or vacation destination.
Visiting the Margaritaville Island Hotel
You can book the Margaritaville Island Hotel online. Like any other resort, nightly costs will vary depending on the time of year and day of the week.
Visit the Margaritaville Island Hotel Website to book your stay.
Margaritaville Island Hotel
131 Island Drive, Suite 5118, Pigeon Forge, TN
844.434.6787
Margaritaville Island Hotel Website
Margaritaville Island Hotel Facebook
Soar to New Heights at The Island in Pigeon Forge, TN
Looking for another great place to stay? Check out Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge in Pigeon Forge.
Are you looking for fun things to do in Gatlinburg, Tennessee? Check out our Kidding Around Guide to Gatlinburg!
Are you looking for fun things to do in Gatlinburg, Tennessee? Check out our Kidding Around Guide to Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg!
