Places to stay?

#27
#27
There used to be a hotel called University Inn on 17th just up the hill from the strip.Is it still there?I would like to come mid-week with my wife who is handicapped now.Is there a place close to the strip/campus that we could go for a night or two and afford?Many thanks in advance.
 
#30
#30
jim pique said:
There used to be a hotel called University Inn on 17th just up the hill from the strip.Is it still there?I would like to come mid-week with my wife who is handicapped now.Is there a place close to the strip/campus that we could go for a night or two and afford?Many thanks in advance.
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University Inn turned into condos/apartments a long time ago (20 years, if I've understood correctly), which occasionally has available units on Airbnb.

If you're looking to visit Knoxville for a football weekend, affordable and strip-adjacent are unfortunately rather incongruous. You might get lucky with the Cumberland House on the corner of 12th and White, but it's a fair hike to the strip still and you'd have to book 8-12 months in advance for a non-conference opponent to have a chance of a reasonable rate.

If you're fine coming for basketball/baseball or just visiting for a random weekend, The Graduate (formerly the Volunteer Hotel) is a pretty perfect option. It's right off Lake/Cumberland and Melrose/17th, has Peyton Manning's Saloon 16 and is decorated to the nines with UT in mind. Prices can be very reasonable if you're patient and wait for a good deal (football season will always be super expensive), and you're basically staying at a nice Hampton Inn that went heavy on the Volunteer spirit so it's worth checking out once.
 
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#32
#32
DonDiego said:
Very nice city--didn't have a problem there day or night. Coronado Beach, LaJolla, San Diego Zoo, Old Town, hundreds of great restaurants, Padres, etc....
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that was tongue in cheek. we stayed on the naval base a few years back. spent a lot of time on the beach in front of that old style hotel, and the zoo. took the whale watching tour, and got to see the submarine base !
 
#33
#33
TrumpedUpVol said:
As @dobre_shunka mentioned, prices have gone absolutely crazy for hotel rooms since 2020 and this year really takes the cake. As an example, here are your cheapest options (before tax) downtown for a two-night stay beginning on September 16th:

Crowne Plaza: $485 per night (never stayed, but would not recommend)
Residence Inn: $557 per night
Marriott: $584 per night
Hyatt Place: $599 per night
Tennesseean: $757 per night
The Oliver: $880 per night

In years past, those prices would have been good (fair, even) for Florida or Alabama weekend. This is Akron, though, and the rates are outrageous... yet, multiple downtown hotels (Hilton, Courtyard, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn) are sold out this weekend and I doubt they were charging significantly less than similarly-tiered hotels.

There are no available Airbnbs downtown that weekend for cheaper than the rates listed above, which is also pretty nuts. Available Airbnbs start getting cheaper the further out you get from downtown/Neyland, but I truly don't believe that the value proposition is there to make them a good choice relative to a non-downtown hotel (rates are pretty low for Airbnbs in South Knoxville, but the area is still pretty sketchy regardless of how many brewery patios and taco shops they open).

If money is no object, go for the Hyatt Place or Tennessean. I prefer the former before even considering the price break, as I like the location on the 500 block of Gay Street for its proximity to Market Square/the Old City plus the rooftop lounge is superior to the alternative, but the Tennesseean is a little nicer overall (the Hyatt Place is very nice in its own right, though) and a closer walk to Neyland.

Otherwise, a more reasonable approach is to go with a name brand hotel in West Knoxville or North Knoxville for significant savings. There's an Aloft for $189 per night out in Turkey Creek, a Hilton Garden Inn near Cedar Bluff for $249 per night and a Hampton Inn up around Merchants in North Knoxville for $229 per night. All of these allow you to check in on Friday night, grab some dinner at one of the myriad restaurants near your hotel, grab an Uber downtown at around 1:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. on Saturday to enjoy Market Square/Gay Street before walking over to campus and then play the waiting game for an Uber back after the game is over. Finding a parking pass might be nice since there are admittedly few places to go in the campus/downtown area with a 13-year-old at 10:30 p.m., but you can also get an Uber pretty quickly if you don't mind paying a surcharge.
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#34
#34
Last game I went to (UT vs Pitt at Johnny Majors Classic), I stayed at Hampton Inn near Cedar Bluff (about 10-15 min west of Knoxville). What was nice is that they offered a shuttle service to campus/game (about $20?), rate was mid-$100s at time… had a few beers with fellow Vols fans by hotel’s fire pit (and watched sunset) the Friday night before the game. No need to pay 1/2 thousand dollars for nice place to stay…. just be ready to leave a little early (especially to see VolWalk/etc).
 
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#35
#35
VOL89grad said:
Last game I went to (UT vs Pitt at Johnny Majors Classic), I stayed at Hampton Inn near Cedar Bluff (about 10-15 min west of Knoxville). What was nice is that they offered a shuttle service to campus/game (about $20?), rate was mid-$100s at time… had a few beers with fellow Vols fans by hotel’s fire pit (and watched sunset) the Friday night before the game. No need to pay 1/2 thousand dollars for nice place to stay…. just be ready to leave a little early (especially to see VolWalk/etc).
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Stayed there, nice spot. Good food around it. Turkey creek to me, it's best option.
 
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#36
#36
My Frau and I used to love spending a FB weekend at what used to be the Hilton Garden Inn on Cumberland. Not sure if still there or if is another hotel now. Was great and access to downtown, market square was available via shuttle.
 
#37
#37
Stayed at the Hilton downtown that last couple of years. Close to market square and easy $20/round trip shuttle to campus. However, this years prices are 2x even for Akron, UT Martin so might not make it up this year.
 
#38
#38
Wireless1 said:
Which direction are you coming from and what connection are you hoping to make with her?
Most of downtown will be loud after the game and if she's on the timid side she might not get a good night's sleep.
With the prices that this thread has shared, I can see why the AirBNB are so popular, I might sleep in the shed and rent my place out. ;) From the time I leave the stadium, walk to my car a drive home it's usually about 35-40 minutes
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Thank you all for the idea and even prices. We’ve got friends that live in Strawberry Plains that we could stay with but I was hoping to be a bit closer. Staying closer may not be financially sound.
We are coming up from the Atlanta area, actually 30 minutes south of Athens, GA. I want her first college football experience be as a Vol. She probably won’t want to stay past halftime but I’d love to give her the opportunity to see and experience the pageantry, the sights, sounds, excitement, the team running through the T, the vastness of Neyland so that she can understand why her old man is so passionate about the big orange.
 
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#39
#39
Wireless1 said:
Which direction are you coming from and what connection are you hoping to make with her?
Most of downtown will be loud after the game and if she's on the timid side she might not get a good night's sleep.
With the prices that this thread has shared, I can see why the AirBNB are so popular, I might sleep in the shed and rent my place out. ;) From the time I leave the stadium, walk to my car a drive home it's usually about 35-40 minutes
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I live 20 minutes from downtown but in a rural setting in Knox County so we feel fortunate when it comes to getting to/from games. It’s shocking but not surprising to see the lodging costs.
 
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#40
#40
utchs81 said:
My Frau and I used to love spending a FB weekend at what used to be the Hilton Garden Inn on Cumberland. Not sure if still there or if is another hotel now. Was great and access to downtown, market square was available via shuttle.
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It's now The Graduate Hotel
 
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#45
#45
I’ve followed these prices for at least ten years and without a doubt this it about 250$ per night on average for downtown than the past. No way I would pay that to stay here for a game. But I love 6 miles away from downtown. It’s really outrageous for these to be over 500$ a night for hotels. I just looked at the Hilton downtown on august 26-28 and it’s 152$ night. Obviously not a game weekend but just to give you and idea of the markup.
 
#50
#50
Shellwaster said:
This is really eye opening. It’s become damn near impossible for the average, middle class man to take his family to a college football game.
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Something is up with this. Collusion by the downtown hotels. The others at cedar bluff straw plains and turkey creek aren’t doing this
 
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