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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Please find below our most frequently asked questions that can answer most of what you are looking for BEFORE and DURING your stay. We suggest reading below and scrolling down and reading the topics for which you need assistance. You can also see our comprehensive Things To Do section if looking for indoor and outdoor activities, dining and attractions. Thank you for choosing to stay with us!
This is our official website. Many guests find us and book with us via Airbnb, Homeaway, VRBO, Booking.com, Expedia and other sites. It’s OK, we do list our cabins on these sites and we do accept bookings – it helps guests find us.
However, please don’t be confused, this is our official website where our inventory is listed real time online at the best available rates. Sites such as Airbnb, Homeaway, VRBO, Booking.com may add booking and/or convenience fees and even mark up our rates – this is one of the ways they yield a profit – and rightfully so as they do have costs to market vacation rental homes. So keep in mind if you book direct on our website right here you will be accessing rates that often are 10-25% lower than on Airbnb, Homeaway, VRBO, etc. That’s right the exact same cabin with the exact same customer service, housekeeping and maintenance teams ready to support you. Even better booking direct gives you the option of free early check ins when available as well as access to our local trip planner. Booking direct on our site also gives you much easier access to deal directly with Elk Springs Resort Cabin Rentals – so if you need to modify your stay it’s much much easier as YOU don’t need to coordinate these changes with the origin channel of your booking. Plus we only offer travel insurance direct on our site which offers you the most flexibility for changing or cancelling your stay.
*** For your convenience, if you booked via Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Homeaway or another booking site, make sure you send to our customer service team your email address as the channel sites often mask / hide your email and it makes it very difficult for us to send to you our reservation confirmations, updates and communicate during your stay.
And a final note – if we have the opportunity to have you stay with us again, be sure to book direct on our website as a repeat guest you get 10% off all future stays – but we can only offer this if you book direct on our site.
Thank you!
Unfortunately we do not, but you can purchase discounted tickets at one of the many visitor centers in town or on your way into town.
Unfortunately we do not provide:
A starter supply of toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, hand soap, dishwasher detergent, dish soap and laundry detergent are provided. If you are staying for more than 2 or 3 days you will probably need to bring an extra supply of these items.
Hair dryers are not included. You should bring your own hairdryer, curling irons and other similar items as we do not provide these.
We often are asked if we provide cots, air mattresses or Hide-a-beds. Unfortunately we are unable to supply these items for your stay. Should you want to bring an air mattress you are welcome to do so, we only have 2 requirements:
1. You don’t move any furniture to use these items
2. You stay at or under that maximum occupancy for the cabin. This is due to fire code and other requirements.
We set your cabin with a starter supply of paper towels, toilet paper, dish washing and washing machine detergent as well as hand and body soaps in each bathroom. We suggest you bring extra should you need it. We do not supply body wash, shampoo or conditioners. There are several major grocery and convenience stores in the area and all carry these items given there proximity to so many rental cabins – so it is very convenient to get these items should you need them.
Many of our cabins include home theater rooms. If your cabin does, then it will be setup to watch DVD’s, Cable TV and to connect streaming devices.
For An overview of the system and connectivity, you can watch this video:
DVD’s – The system has a blu-ray dvd player, however, we do NOT provide DVD’s. You can bring your own DVD’s or you can rent them at several Redbox locations in the area including at all of the Food City grocery stores.
Cable – The systems are connected to cable TV and while our cable does not have movie channels it does have most sports channels such as ESPN.
Streaming – Our systems provide an HDMI cable so you can connect to HDMI devices. This cable has a MALE connection which connects to Apple TV’s and laptops. The connection does NOT support connecting to Firesticks or Google streaming devices. You will need to bring a male to male adapter for your device to connect to an HDMI cable. We do NOT provide these.
*** IMPORTANT ***
You are not allowed to tamper with any of the equipment connections. You are only allowed to connect to the provided HDMI cable. This means you are not allowed to connect or disconnect a cable or attempt to connect directly to the soundbar, hdmi switch, TV or projector. Attempting to connect to these devices can and often will ruin the connection and the device. Should we find disconnected devices or a device that does not work after check out we will charge the card on file a $150 fee plus the cost of replacing any equipment. Projectors can cost up to $1,200. Why do we enforce this? We simply don’t want the next guest to be inconvenienced – you could be that next guest and we want the system to work for you.
Please see our comprehensive page about Black Bears where you will find everything you want to know about Black Bears in Tennessee.
Warning: Bears are wild animals that are dangerous and unpredictable. Do not approach bears or allow them to approach you!
Willfully approaching within 50 yards (150 feet), or any distance that disturbs or displaces a bear is illegal in the National Park. We suggest following these same rules at all times, even outside of the park.
Feeding a bear can result in a $5,000 fine and up to 6 months in Jail.
Bear activity is most common from the early evening, dusk and into the night. Please use caution and common sense if you see or encounter a bear as there have been several sightings close to cabins – even during the day. Should you see a bear:
TRASH: Given the food source problems, the bears will attempt to get into trash left in trash cans or within the plastic trash bins. Please keep all trash inside the cabin unless you have a bear proof steel container installed outside your cabin. Please call 866-550-1795 ext 6 and request a trash pickup if needed.
The hot tub at this cabin was completely drained, re-filled, cleaned, and sanitized with chemicals prior to your arrival, for your safety and enjoyment. The chemicals used are non-chlorine based, but still may cause slight skin irritation or allergic reaction to some if exposed for long periods of time.
Please review the following information to maximize the cleanliness and safety or your hot tub:
The following persons should NOT enter a hot tub:
OTHER:
Our TARGET check in time is 3pm. While uncommon, check-ins can be delayed due to maintenance or cleaning in process often a result to the prior check out. We suggest planning for 3pm, but being flexible on your arrival time in case the maintenance and/or cleaning crews are working on your cabin as we want the cabin to be clean, safe and in good working order.
Following your check-in we ask that you look over the unit in its entirety and report any missing/broken items to our office. Also note any supplies that may have erroneously failed to be stocked such as the starter supply of laundry detergent or sleeper sofa sheets.
Some of our rental units allow for pets and they are indicated as such on our web site listings. Many guests have pet allergies and as such pets are prohibited from non-pet friendly cabins. Please keep in mind each rental unit is an individually owned investment property, so please be courteous and treat the unit as you would your own, and make sure your pets do as well. There is a $50 pet fee per animal staying in the rental unit. Dogs over 50 pounds are not permitted.
The following breeds are not permitted in cabins or anywhere on the property at any time:
-Pit Bulls,
-Staffordshire Terriers,
-Doberman Pinschers,
-Rottweilers,
-German Shepherds,
-Chows,
-Great Danes,
-Presa Canarios,
-Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes,
-Siberian Huskies,
-Wolf-hybrids.
There is a $50 fee per pet, you can click here for a list of Pet Friendly Cabins.
We target a check-in time of 3pm, however, it is not guaranteed given cleaning and maintenance issues sometimes limit our ability to have it safe, clean and ready for your arrival at that time. We notify you the day of check in when the cabin is ready and once ready you can go directly to your cabin. Should the cabin not be ready by 3pm we will provide advanced notice for you with a target ready time. 95%+ of our cabins are ready at or before 3pm, we do suggest you plan for a 3pm check in but make arrangements to spend time to get groceries or other items you may need should the cabin not be ready at 3.
Check out is at 10am. This allows us the time necessary to prepare the cabin for the next guests. In some instances we can offer a late check-out, but we normally are not prepared to offer this until the day before checking out.
Please see our comprehensive page about Black Bears where you will find everything you want to know about Black Bears in Tennessee.
Warning: Bears are wild animals that are dangerous and unpredictable. Do not approach bears or allow them to approach you!
Willfully approaching within 50 yards (150 feet), or any distance that disturbs or displaces a bear is illegal in the National Park. We suggest following these same rules at all times, even outside of the park.
Feeding a bear can result in a $5,000 fine and up to 6 months in Jail.
Bear activity is most common from the early evening, dusk and into the night. Please use caution and common sense if you see or encounter a bear as there have been several sightings close to cabins – even during the day. Should you see a bear:
TRASH: Given the food source problems, the bears will attempt to get into trash left in trash cans or within the plastic trash bins. Please keep all trash inside the cabin unless you have a bear proof steel container installed outside your cabin. Please call 866-550-1795 ext 6 and request a trash pickup if needed.
We do not have a check in office. We do a remote no contact check in – meaning we text you a door code when the cabin is ready and you go directly to the cabin. There is NO check in office. Given this we don’t need to coordinate the picking up of keys or going to an office late at night – instead, for your convenience you can arrive any time after your cabin is ready and you will have access to the cabin once the code is issued. When your cabin is ready we will issue you a door code via text message – so it’s really important we get your cell phone number.
On the day prior to check in we will request from you a target check in time (we will send you a text and an email to confirm this). We do kindly request that you respond with your estimated arrival time so our customer service team can ensure you have made it to the cabin.
No, however, these can be rented for a fee from Carousel Kids at 865-430-5000.
Yes, each cabin includes sheets & towels, extra blankets and a washer and dryer with 1 starter pack of laundry detergent.
We only provide housekeeping service at check out, however, each cabin is equipped with a washer/dryer and dishwasher as well as a starter supply of laundry detergent, dish soap, and dishwasher detergent. We can accommodate cleaning of the cabin during your stay at your request for an extra fee.
Absolutely. There is a “Food City” grocery store located on highway 321 (the parkway) that is approximately 5 minutes from the resort property. It is a major shopping center and offers a pharmacy, bakery, deli and video rentals.
Yes, each cabin is equipped with free wireless internet.
Some of our rental units allow for pets and they are indicated as such on our web site listings. Many guests have pet allergies and as such pets are prohibitied from non-pet friendly cabins. Please keep in mind each rental unit is an individually owned investment property, so please be courteous and treat the unit as you would your own, and make sure your pets do as well. There is a $50 pet fee per animal staying in the rental unit. Dogs over 50 pounds are not permitted. The following breeds are not permitted in cabins or anywhere on the property at any time: Pit Bulls & Staffordshire Terriers, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Chows, Great Danes, Presa Canarios, Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Wolf-hybrids.
Each cabin has a duel keurig coffee maker and starter supply of coffee filters. We also include 2-3 k-cups. other than these starter items we don’t supply coffee so you definitely should stop and pick some up on the way or bring it with you.
We also do not supply any sweeteners or creamers, so we do suggest bringing these items as well if needed.
The kitchen is equipped with dishes, place settings, glassware and coffee cups. A core set of cooking utensils and pots & pans is also included. A blender, coffee maker, toaster and mixer as well as mixing bowls are also included in the cabin inventory.
Unfortunately we do not provide:
Early Check Ins: We make our best efforts to have your cabin available as early as possible. Given the cleaning requirements and any maintenance issues we may be working on it is difficult to commit to an early check in far in advance. We suggest emailing our customer service team via our Contact page [..click here..] the day of check in to see if an early check in is available.
Late Check Outs: We do need to clean the entire cabin, drain and sanitize and refill the hot tub as well as handle open maintenance issues prior to the next guests arrival. As such it is difficult to commit to a late check out well in advance. We do suggest contacting our customer service team during your stay to see if a late check out is available, but we are unable to commit one prior to check in. You can contact our customer service team via email here: [..click here..]
We do a remote no contact check in. Meaning we text you a door code when the cabin is ready and you go directly to the cabin. There is NO check in office. Given this we don’t need to coordinate the picking up of keys or going to an office late at night – instead, for your convenience you can arrive any time after your cabin is ready and you will have access to the cabin once the code is issued.
On the day prior to check in we will request from you a target check in time (we will send you a text and an email to confirm this). We do kindly request that you respond with your estimated arrival time so our customer service team can ensure you have made it to the cabin.
Each home theater system includes a blu-ray player connected to the projector and sound system. There is a Redbox at the nearby grocery stores, however, we do suggest bringing DVD’s that you may want to watch during your stay as availability can be limited at the Redbox. We also provide a male HDMI connector for you to connect devices.
To unlock the door to your cabin, simply enter the four-digit entry code that was sent to you by text. Once the code is entered correctly, you’ll see a flashing green light. While the light is flashing, turn the deadbolt counterclockwise to unlock the door. Some locks also have a checkmark in the lower corner of the lock. You will need to enter the code and then press the checkmark for the door to unlock. If you hear the lock moving but the door is unlocking you should pull the door towards you to relieve the pressure on the deadbolt just after entering the code.
When you’re ready to leave, enter the same four-digit code from outside to activate the lock, then turn the deadbolt clockwise to lock the door. On some locks there is a Lock Manufacturer name such as “Schlage” as part of the keypad and in some instances you will need to press this button to lock the door.
Your pool temperature should be between 82 and 86 degrees to maintain proper water and chemical balance.
If the water feels cooler than 82 degrees, please locate the square or round plastic cover over the skimmer on the outside edge of the pool floor. Remove the cover and check the floating thermometer for the current water temperature.
If the temperature is below the recommended range, please leave a message after the tone with the temperature shown on the thermometer. We’ll have a technician assist you as soon as possible.
If you are calling because your hot tub is not up to temperature, please know that the hot tubs are emptied, cleaned, and refilled before each stay.
Please make sure the temperature is set to the highest temperature setting and leave the cover on. This will allow the hot tub to heat properly and should bring it up to temperature within a few hours.
If you have tried all of these options, please continue to hold, or leave a detailed voicemail with your cabin name and the issue you are experiencing. A representative will get back to you as soon as possible.
To use the propane grill, first make sure the propane tank or central line is turned on.
Locate the timer and turn it on by setting it for the amount of time you plan to use the grill. Once the timer is activated, turn the grill burner knob to the ignition position and press the igniter button to light the grill.
Once the burner is lit, adjust the temperature to your desired setting and allow the grill to preheat before cooking.
If you have tried all of these options and are still experiencing issues, please continue to hold or leave a detailed message with your cabin name and the issues you are experiencing. A representative will get back to you as soon as possible.
If you’re having trouble with the theater system, we’d be happy to help. There is a list of instructions on the wall for your system – please read through this list and if still having issues follow these directions:
First, please make sure all of the equipment is powered on, including the soundbar, DVD player, and projector.
Next, check that the soundbar is set to the HDMI input. The long, narrow Sony remote can usually be used to change the soundbar’s input setting.
If you’re still having trouble, please check the HDMI cable connected to the side of the projector. Make sure the cable is securely plugged in at both ends.
If the system still isn’t working after these checks, please leave us a message after the tone, and we’ll be happy to assist you further.
If your issue has to do with a fire table not working, please try the following:
If the fire table still does not come on after trying these steps, please continue to hold or leave a detailed message with your cabin name and the issue you are experiencing so a representative can assist you.
If your refrigerator is not cooling and you have just checked in and loaded it with food, please allow it up to 24 hours to reach the proper temperature. All Refrigerators have been checked to be properly operating before check in. What has happened is that you have opened the refrigerator and have raised the ambient temp of the fridge almost to room temperature. You have then loaded warm grocery items and drinks into the fridge and freezer putting undo stress on the unit causing it to stall it’s cooling process.
During this time, please try to keep the refrigerator doors closed as much as possible. Opening the doors frequently allows the cold air to escape and can cause the refrigerator to take longer to cool down.
If you have tried all of these options and are still experiencing issues, please continue to hold or leave a detailed message with your cabin name and the issues you are experiencing. A representative will get back to you as soon as possible.