Thinking about a vacation in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee? KAG Contributor Kristina Hernandez traveled to Pigeon Forge with her family and stayed at the Margaritaville Island Hotel. This hotel has so much to offer, including a spa, roof top pool and onsite dining. Kristina is sharing all the little details about this hotel that made is perfect for her family.
If you ever have a chance to go to Margaritaville, you go, right? When a hotel takes up the Margaritaville theme in a small mountain town that offers families everything from a theme park to dinner theater shows, from race tracks to the best magic and singing performances around – 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 had the chance to stay at this four-star hotel in the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee during their huge Winterfest celebration and I’m already planning a return trip because it was so amazing. 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.
**I was given a complimentary room and spa treatments from the Margaritaville Island Hotel. The opinions in this article are all my honest opinions.
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, then you’ve got the perfect mix.
The pool is heated for those chillier evenings and feels cool during the warmer months. 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.
To avoid overcrowding, the hotel only allows guests to enjoy the rooftop pool and bar.
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. The shower is tiled with what looks to be wood but it’s actually tiles. 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.
There is a mini-fridge, coffee pot, and microwave in each room. There is also your own personal margarita-making station – the Frozen Concoction Makers they are called. You can either order all the margarita ingredients from the front desk or bring your own ingredients.
Rates vary per season. At this writing, a double queen overlooking the village started at $179. 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. Of course, the make-your-own margarita section exists here as well. Prices vary depending on the season (at this writing, a night in January started at $779).
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.
I grabbed a coffee one morning at the coffee shop that’s right off the lobby. They also have pastries and sandwiches, which make grab & go snacks as you head out the door for your fun day.
On the other side of the well-decorated lobby is the Changes in Latitude Bar, which has lots of tables and couches for relaxing and enjoying one of their signature margaritas. I chose just a regular margarita with salt on the rim and it was delicious, as you may imagine. I thought the prices for the food and drinks were reasonable as well. My margarita was $7 and we also ordered pretzel bites with a mouth-watering cheese dip ($9.99) and the chicken fingers and fries off the kids menu ($5.99). The portions were huge and I almost want to go back to this place solely for the pretzels and margaritas.
Over the summer, the Chill Bar at the rooftop pool, where you can relax all day with margaritas close by. 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, received the Princess Mani-Pedi ($25), 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 nail 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 ($75). 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.
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!
Parking at the hotel is free in a lot that is maybe a 10 minute or less walk away. You can unload your car and then park it if you want. They also offer valet parking for, at the time of this writing, $14/day.
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. They also have a property in Gatlinburg called the Margaritaville Resort.
Margaritaville Island Hotel
131 Island Drive, Suite 5118, Pigeon Forge, TN
844.434-6787
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