Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge
Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge
31
MARCH, 2022
A stay at the Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge is a journey to another era of travel, before the days of generic, big chain hotels. It has character. It is also inexpensive, spotlessly clean, with an interesting history. Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge is similar to another favorite of mine, Art Devlin’s Olympic Motor Inn in Lake Placid, NY. Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge is now my go-to overnight lodging in Gatlinburg.
On previous visits to Gatlinburg, I had always stayed at the bland, forgettable Microtel Inn and Suites. For my March 2022 Great Smoky Mountains National Park hike, Carl made arrangements for us to stay at Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge. Carl chose wisely! Even after one visit, Jack Huff’s feels like a home away from home for me.
“Jack Huff’s is our home away from home in the Smoky Mountains! Family owned and operated really helps to make guests feel like family. As always our accommodations were spotless” – Common Guestbook Entry
First Impressions
From Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge Guestbook, the entry above summed up my thoughts perfectly. This is a hotel from the 1950s when room entry was obtained from an outside door using an actual metal key. No key cards or cell phone app entry at Jack Huff’s! And I like that. The room Carl, Travis, and I stayed in had three comfortable double beds and a small kitchenette area. There were doors in both the front and back for entry. A covered porch with comfortable sitting chairs was outside of each entry. The cost, including all taxes, was $95 for the night (yes, really). It was spotlessly clean. Despite the 60-year-old+ age of the room, nothing looked worn or faded.
Location of Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge
The location is perfect – just a few steps away from the popular ‘Village’ area entrance. A quant walkway takes you over to the bustling main strip in Gatlinburg. The walkway brings images of a stroll through a European ski village. Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge sits in a great location. It’s far enough from the main drag to be uncongested but close enough to be within easy walking distance.
Welcoming gift from Carl
Another nice feature of Jack Huff’s is the welcoming gift they leave guests on the pillow upon arrival. Just kidding! Before I arrived, Carl had set a bottle of Makers Mark 46 on the bed for me. Even though it wasn’t a gift from Jack Huff’s it was certainly appreciated. It gave us a chuckle and added to my already growing fondness for Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge.
Short History of Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge
A young Andy Huff came to Gatlinburg in 1897. He established several sawmills in town. At first, he opened up his home to the lumbermen who came and those who worked in his mills. As the business grew, he felt it would be inhospitable to charge those who were guests in his home, so he built his first small hotel below his home. The hotel soon grew to a 100-room, three-story hotel known as The Mountain View. The Mountain View was a true Gatlinburg icon until the 1980s. In 1903, Jack Huff was born into this Gatlinburg family.
Ties to Mount LeConte and LeConte Lodge
As he grew, he witnessed the Mountain View become one of the finest establishments of its kind and host to many celebrities of the day. As the Mountain View grew, Gatlinburg transitioned as well. It changed from a sleepy mountain town to a robust, sophisticated gateway to the Smokies. As charming as Gatlinburg was, the mountains that surrounded it entranced Jack. His infatuation grew into a passion for living in a place where heavens and earth kissed. In 1926, Jack continued his family’s hospitality tradition by building a lodge on top of Mount LeConte, a 6593 feet peak that even today is accessible only by foot.
For more than 35 years, Jack and Pauline operated Mount LeConte Lodge with the help of their children, Phillip and Cookie. Atop the mountain, the family lived a simple but abundant life, graced by the beauty and peace of nature and the companionship of travelers from around the World. After leaving their mountain home, the family chose one of the most pristine, sought-after areas in town to build Jack Huff’s in 1959. Today, Cookie and her husband, Bruce, operate Jack Huff’s. Jack’s Mt. LeConte legacy also lives on today. Under the National Park Service’s auspices, the lodge continues to host up to 50 guests each night in its rustic cabins.
Conclusion – Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge
I have only spent one night at the Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge, but, as I think you’ll find if you stay there yourself, that is all it takes to develop a love for the place. It is warm and welcoming and harkens you back to simpler times. Jack Huff’s is inexpensive, clean, and comfortable. I highly recommend Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge for any stay in the downtown Gatlinburg area.
