Margaritaville Island Hotel: Island Vibes in the Middle of the Smokies.

The Location: The Island

Margaritaville Island Hotel sits on The Island, Pigeon Forge's outdoor shopping and entertainment complex. Step outside the hotel and you're immediately in a walkable area full of shops, restaurants, and the property's signature fountain show. The fountains are legitimately impressive at night, we're talking World of Color vibes, choreographed to music with colored light. That fountain show alone makes the location feel like more than a hotel address. It's a whole atmosphere.

The Island has plenty of dining options including the Margaritaville restaurant and Paula Deen's Family Kitchen, though both had long waits on our visit. We ended up back at the hotel's own restaurant, which turned out to be the right call.

The Room

We had a double queen village view room on the second floor. The room is generously sized with hard floors throughout, which I always appreciate in a hotel. Feels cleaner than carpet and it actually is. The bathroom has a well-designed rainfall shower with a bench, a regular showerhead alongside it, and a backlit vanity mirror. Margaritaville spa products throughout. The room also has a kitchenette area with a full-size mini fridge with a freezer section, a microwave, a Keurig, an actual surprising amount of cabinet storage, and a coffee and tea condiment kit. Multiple outlets and USB ports at every table and both nightstands, which is the kind of detail that matters when you're traveling with multiple devices.

All the bedside lamps are dimmable, the beds and chairs were genuinely comfortable, and the room came stocked with the expected amenities including an iron, ironing board, suitcase stand, and safe. One small note: we had some noise from the family next door. Not sure if it's the walls or just luck of the draw, but worth noting if you're a light sleeper.

The fireplace in the room actually puts out heat, not just ambiance. Worth knowing: fireplaces are turned off between May 1st and October 1st, so if that's a selling point for your trip, plan accordingly. The rainfall showerhead also had a slow drip when not in use, minor but noticeable.

The Hotel: Fitness Center, Spa, and Rooftop

The fitness center is clean, modern, and well-equipped. The on-site spa is available if relaxation is the priority. The rooftop pool and Chill Bar are where the real fun is: grab a cocktail, a snack, enjoy the laid-back island vibes with Smoky Mountain views in the background. We ended up at the rooftop playing giant Jenga, just me and my son, and it turned into a heated strategic battle with a lot of wobbling. The rooftop is genuinely fun in a way that hotel rooftops often promise and don't deliver.

Fins: The Hotel Restaurant

I'm usually skeptical of hotel restaurants, but Fins surprised me. After the waits at the Island restaurants, we came back and had dinner here instead. Cozy, not too crowded, and the food really hit. The burger came out exactly as ordered: juicy, flavorful, cooked to perfection. The pasta had a good kick to it, well-seasoned with flavorful sausage, al dente pasta, and chicken cooked just right, which is genuinely difficult to pull off in a pasta dish. Spice-sensitive guests should note the pasta has real heat. Everything was executed well and the atmosphere was a good end to a long day.

The Fountain Show at Night

Do not skip this. The Island's fountain show after dark is choreographed, lit in color, and considerably more impressive than you'd expect from a Pigeon Forge attraction. We watched it from the hotel and from the grounds and both perspectives are worth experiencing. It's free to watch and it happens regularly throughout the evening. This is one of those things that makes the location feel special beyond just being convenient.