The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Tennessee

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Tennessee

Visiting Tennessee for the first time can be an exciting, yet overwhelming experience. With so many incredible hotels to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to stay. If you're deciding where to stay for your first visit to Tennessee, we've compiled a list of the best hotels for first time visitors. We analyzed all of the hotels in Tennessee based on price, location, amenities, guest ratings, and more to determine which would be the ideal places to stay for first timers. Whether you're here for just a few days or longer, these hotels offer the perfect combination of amenities, location, and price. For those visiting Tennessee for the first time, it's important to choose a hotel in a safe and convenient area to make the most of your first visit. You'll want to be close to the activities, shopping, and dining options, of course. When looking for hotels, consider the amenities they offer. Some hotels may have a fitness center, a bar or restaurant, a pool, or even a spa. All of these features can add to your overall enjoyment if you've never been to Tennessee before. Also, guest ratings and reviews are also important to consider when choosing a hotel. Whether you're visiting Tennessee for the first time, or you're a seasoned traveler, the best hotels in Tennessee for first-timers offer the perfect combination of comfort, convenience, and affordability. So, here's our list of suggestions for your next trip.

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Courtyard by Marriott Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
3-star Hotel with prices starting at $206 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

Located at 120 Community Center Drive, Courtyard by Marriott Pigeon Forge has great rooms from $206 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. It has a terrific 9.40 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 149.7 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love mountain views, laundry services, a hot tub, a game room, and an indoor pool at this relaxing hotel. Nothing says relaxation like having room service delivered.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Indoor pool
  • Horse riding
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


View hotels on the map:

Carnegie Hotel

Johnson City, Tennessee
4-star Hotel with prices starting at $167 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Tennessee
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Carnegie Hotel which has nice rooms starting at $167. Offering an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar, it also has a great guest rating of 9.30 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 1216 W. State Of Franklin Rd.. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers hiking, mountain views, laundry services, golf, and pet-friendly rooms which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 220.3 miles from the city center. You'll love relaxing in the heated pool after a busy day exploring.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Saltwater pool


The Edwin Hotel Autograph Collection

Chattanooga, Tennessee
4-star Hotel with prices starting at $278 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

We found The Edwin Hotel Autograph Collection to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $278. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 9.10 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 102 Walnut Street. You'll also find hiking, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and cooking classes which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 71.6 miles from the center of town. The pool here was very nice, relaxing, and fun.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Spa
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Wyndham Resort At Fairfield Glade

Fairfield Glade, Tennessee
3-star Resort with prices starting at $131 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Tennessee
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

With terrific rooms from $131, Wyndham Resort At Fairfield Glade, at 109 Fairfield Boulevard provides an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and hiking. Its terrific guest rating is 8.70 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, child care, laundry services, and golf. It's located just 78.4 miles from the city center, too. The service at the restaurant is terrific, and so is the food. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Kitchen
  • Indoor pool
  • Kid-friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Fitness room
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground


Comfort Inn Downtown Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
3-star Hotel with prices starting at $180 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers

Comfort Inn Downtown Memphis has a great guest rating of 8.57 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, parking, and a kid-friendly buffet. The great rooms here start at $180 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 100 North Front Street. Furthermore, it also offers breakfast, laundry services, a free breakfast, city views, and kids meals, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 218 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


The Inn at Christmas Place

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
3-star Hotel with prices starting at $247 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Tennessee
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

The great guest rating of The Inn at Christmas Place is 9.50 out of 10. This place has an outdoor pool, skiing, room service, a water park, and a fitness center. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $247, and it's located at 119 Christmas Tree Lane. We also love the breakfast, hiking, mountain views, laundry services, and golf which are great for visitors. And since it's just 149.9 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too. The kids will love the water park, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Water park
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Indoor pool
  • Horse riding
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Fitness center
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


Dollywood's DreamMore Resort

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
4-star Resort with prices starting at $215 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

A cool place is Dollywood's DreamMore Resort because it has great rooms that start at $215. It has an outdoor pool, room service, a water park, a restaurant, and a fitness center, it also earned a great guest rating of 9.30 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 2525 Dreammore Way. Only 152.1 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love a bar, laundry services, a hot tub, a spa and wellness center, and a game room at this convenient hotel. You'll enjoy unwinding in the hot tub, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Water park
  • Indoor pool
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Kids' club


The Chattanoogan Hotel

Chattanooga, Tennessee
3-star Hotel with prices starting at $158 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.

The Chattanoogan Hotel offers a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, parking, and mountain views which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $158 (before taxes). It's located at 1201 South Broad Street and has earned a guest rating of 8.10/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers laundry services, a spa and wellness center, a spa, a pool table, and laundry facilities which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 72.1 miles from the city center.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Refrigerator


Hilton Nashville Downtown

Nashville, Tennessee
4-star Hotel with prices starting at $218 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Tennessee
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Located at 121 4Th Avenue South, Hilton Nashville Downtown has great rooms from $218 (before taxes). It offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. It has a terrific 9.00 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find a kid-friendly buffet, laundry services, pet-friendly rooms, city views, and kids meals which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 40.8 miles from the center of town.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown

Nashville, Tennessee
4-star Hotel with prices starting at $232 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Cambria Hotel Nashville Downtown which has nice rooms starting at $232. Offering an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center, it also has a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 118 8th Avenue South. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers a bar, laundry services, golf, city views, and evening entertainment. It's located just 40.9 miles from the city center, too. Don't miss the pool bar which offers drinks and a fun area to unwind.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Kid-friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the first time trip hotels in nearby destinations: Nashville, Chattanooga, Franklin, Murfreesboro, and Smyrna.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Nashville, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Nashville, Best Cheap Hotels in Nashville, Best Luxury Hotels in Nashville, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Nashville, Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Nashville, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Nashville, Best Hotels for One Week in Nashville, Best Hotels for One Night in Nashville, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Nashville, Best Party Hotels in Nashville, Best Business Hotels in Nashville, or Best Party Hotels in Nashville.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Tennessee?

Tennessee Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$157

Visitors will find a large range of terrific first time trip hotel choices when planning a visit to Tennessee. The price of these first time trip hotels can vary according to location, type, and amenities. The average first time trip hotel price in Tennessee based on data from 444 hotels is an affordable $157. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Tennessee.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 5-star hotels: $369
  • 4-star hotels: $241
  • 3-star hotels: $165
  • 2-star hotels: $135


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