Hotel Review: Country Inn & Suites Knoxville Cedar Bluff

En route back to NJ and after driving 15 hours straight with minimal stops from Houston, we finally arrived in Knoxville, TN at around 8:00 PM. We were utterly exhausted from driving, cranky, and felt like we were still moving even after getting out of the car. Ever feel like that? Anyway, you can bet that it felt incredible to finally arrive at the hotel.

As you see from the planning in progress page, we were originally set to stay at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Knoxville Airport, TN, a category 1 Club Carlson hotel. However, Club Carlson generously upgraded us and comped us into their brand-new Country Inn & Suites Knoxville Cedar Bluff property - very generous of them to do so, and we were excited to check it out (most importantly, sleep!).

Up on arrival, we were impressed with how new the hotel was, and it actually still smelled new. We later found out that it was only built a couple of years ago - no wonder why everything looked pristine in the lobby/common areas.

Check in was a breeze and Michael and Rachel at the front desk were courteous and entertaining to talk to. Rachel suggested a bunch of near-by restaurants for us to get a quick bite to eat (we were starving), and even offered to print out directions for us, which was very sweet of her.

Here's a shot of the hotel's lobby - very cozy and welcoming!

Another shot of the lobby/fireplace.

Michael and Rachel at the front desk were helpful and very fun to speak with (believe it or not, we talked about Jersey Shore, LOL please don't unsubscribe now!).

The hotel had a great heated indoor pool and jacuzzi, and I would have loved to relax in either one of these... too bad we had to hit the road again in less than 8 hours after check in :(

The fitness center was loaded with brand new equipment and weights - tempting, and such a tease... I was too tired to do anything but sleep!

After exploring the hotel a bit and grabbing a bite to eat at nearby Puelo's, it was time to go to our room and get settled in for the night. When we opened the door to our room on the 2nd floor, we were happy to see that we were upgraded into a gorgeous suite. It was so refreshing that the suite smelled like entering a brand new home, and the hardwood floors looked untouched and gorgeous.

On the counter I noticed a nice little goodie-bag welcome gift and card from the hotel's GM, Renie Carroll, that was a nice touch because it was filled with snacks that we could munch on during our drive back home to NJ the next day.

A peak inside the welcome gift that was left for us on the counter of our suite.

Inside the welcome goodie bag was a nice hand-written card from the hotel's GM.

Here's a portion of the living room area of the suite.

I loved the hardwood floors, new furniture, and brand new flat screen TV.

The corner nook had a coffee machine, a fridge, and a microwave.

The bathroom was beautiful, clean, and I loved the brand-new granite countertops. Amenities included Pantene shampoo and conditioner, Jergens bar soap, and Vaseline body lotion.

The shower was fantastic (partially due to the fact that I may or may not have been in dire need of one), clean, and refreshing.

Our bedroom area had a separate door for added privacy within the suite. We had two queen beds, and they were without a doubt, the most comfortable beds we've slept in out of all of the hotels so far on the trip. It was extremely hard for me to get out of bed the next morning.

Tiffany watched her non-sense reality TV shows on this TV (I believe we were "graced" with Teen Mom... ugh).

In conclusion, Tiffany and I can both agree that this was one of our favorite stays during our trip because it was brand new, felt homey, and the beds were heavenly. Too bad we only used Knoxville as a short layover as we made our way back home. I'd love to come back one day and explore the city a bit. Until next time. :)