A gambling mansion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and a short drive from Greenville, SC? Oh yes, we were definitely ready for a trip here when we got the chance! We emailed Kristina to get all the details on this unique lodge in Gatlinburg. We were given an overnight stay to do this examination.
There’s a 17-room mansion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, less than a three-hour drive from Greenville, where each room is designed after a certain game, whether it’s Scrabble, Clue, LIFE, Chess, or Pac- Man. And you can rent the whole house and have access to over 300 games.
I saw photos of course in advance of the Go Lodge but nothing – and I mean, nothing – could have prepared me to step into this ultimate mansion of endless fun. My kids and I had a great time playing as many games as we could and going to bed ridiculously late because we wanted to do everything.
The Go Lodge
The lodge is not even a three hour drive from Greenville. It is very easy to get to and is only a 14 minute drive from the main drag in downtown Gatlinburg and about 25 minutes from the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are restaurants, cafes and shops nearby. But honestly, you probably won’t want to leave the Go Lodge once you arrive.
The mansion itself measures approximately 6,000 square feet over four and a half acres and has 17 rooms, including seven game-themed bedrooms, five game-themed bathrooms, a sports lounge complete with a huge TV, and the most comfortable couch ever, a foyer with a pool / ping-pong table, an outdoor playground, three bonus game rooms, and a fantastic kitchen with the old-fashioned Nintendo game setup (more details about that in a moment).
Like most mountain homes in Gatlinburg, you’ll have to climb some hills to get here, which isn’t a problem most of the year. In snow or ice, however, you will need a 4 × 4. There are several steps to get to the front door, but the back is a bit shorter (only five steps) if you have someone in your party who cannot climb all of the front steps.
The place is huge. Can’t tell you how many times my kids and I turned around (which was pretty funny actually). My kids said the Go Lodge would make a great house to play hide and seek. They’re not wrong, but really, with 300 more games to play around the house, luckily hide and seek has been put on the back burner.
Almost all of the bedrooms are on the main level, which wraps around an outdoor courtyard. The only rooms upstairs are the incredible Game Over Room, the Uno Bathroom, and the Checkmate Room.
Our favorite games rooms
The house is one surprise after another. After entering the main hall, you can go up the stairs to the Game over (I’ll call it the Pac-Man room). I loved, loved this piece because Pac-Man is one of my favorite games. This room has an old Pac-Man game that I admittedly played for a while and tried to teach my kids how not to get eaten by ghosts. This room features four twin beds, a sofa bed, a huge TV with game controls and a Legends game console.
I tried to convince my children to sleep in this room but I failed because they wanted to sleep in the Brick room. This room has a large LEGO brick wall, a LEGO table and two sets of triple bunk beds. Confession: I really like bunk beds so I slept here with my kids and absolutely loved it. Staying there really got the better of my inner child.
The other favorite piece of ours was the Stadium room because it had hunting games, a basketball game and a foosball table, plus a huge plush (hence the most comfortable sofa ever). We haven’t watched any games or movies, but you absolutely can do so here. There is also a beautiful gas fireplace in this huge room.
The closest bathroom to where we ended up sleeping is the Boneyard bathroom, a bathroom on the theme of dominoes. I’m only mentioning this because they have a magnetic dominoes next to the toilet seat, so, you know, if you needed some entertainment while you were there, play dominoes.
Finally, the Play on words room, a Scrabble themed room, was super creative. There is a magnetic board on one of the walls for playing Scrabble, which I have helped my children use for spelling practice. They had a great time too, I promise.
The kitchen under pressure
Cooking is a whole other experience which has its own section here. So it’s a decorated Mario Brothers food with mushroom tables, red stools and walls, a double oven, full space for a pantry, full fridge and dishwasher, green floor tiles, and a Nintendo games console. I didn’t really play video games growing up, but my friends had Nintendo and good luck trying to get me away from Super Mario Brothers 3. And they have it at Go Lodge! My excitement was out of control.
My kids and I took out red stools and tried to teach them to play, which made me feel like I was playing all the time. I had a great time and the kids got a bit of it and had a great time. Our loud laughter would have disturbed the neighbors if there had been any around. It was such a fun experience.
The Nintendo console actually has 30 classic games but I just wanted to play Mario Brothers.
All other rooms
Exploring the Go Lodge was a blast (here is a small video tour). Every room is labeled and since the house is so huge, it’s like a surprise around every corner and in every room. Here is a list of all other parts:
- High Roller Room – a game in Las Vegas, which has a card game table and a video slot machine console.
- Free parking – it is decorated like a Monopoly board.
- Checkmate Room – a chess themed room where you can play chess on the wall.
- Spin to Win Room – it has a spinning wheel and is modeled after the LIFE game.
- Get a Clue Room – this is the formal living room where you’ll feel one hundred percent like you’re in the game of Clue.
- Puzzled Room – this is the dining room which has tons of puzzles and board games, as well as a magnetic wall where you can put a puzzle together.
The five bathrooms are the Royal Flush bedroom (it has a huge tub fit for a queen), the Trivia bathroom which has framed Trivial Pursuit cards, the Sink It bathroom inspired by the game Battleship, the Draw Two bathroom with decor from the Uno game, and the Boneyard bathroom inspired by dominoes.
More unique aspects
As if the Go Lodge could be cooler, there is a 1970s-style radio intercom throughout. So you can talk to people anywhere in the house using this system. Also use the map in the foyer to find your way around. Looks like a game board!
There are also facts about the games and their history in the rooms and hallways. Anyone who really loves board games is going to love this aspect. In total, there are around 300 indoor and outdoor games at the mansion. There is no way you will be bored here.
The Go Lodge only opened in August 2021, so improvements and additions happen often. We’ve heard of some cool things they’re adding and will update this story when that happens.
Stay here
It would be a great place for a multi-family or multi-friend trip. It can accommodate up to 20 people currently and you really wouldn’t have to leave the place because there is so much fun in it. The house is very private, the driveway can accommodate multiple vehicles and there is a grocery store just five minutes away.
A staff retreat here for a small business (where everyone presumably likes each other) would be a pleasure. There is plenty of space and the outdoor courtyard or stadium hall would be perfect for a larger group to come together.
Rates
You can book the Go Lodge directly through their website or via Airbnb. I would recommend going to their website to save money on Airbnb fees. Price depends on weekdays / weekends / holidays / time of year, but expect to pay around $ 500 a night at least – which, if you split it between a few families, would be a more option. affordable. My two children are already plotting to reunite all their cousins here!
Please note that there is a cleaning fee of $ 400. After all, the house has 17 rooms to maintain. I found everything to be extremely clean and tidy and the beds to be very comfortable.
Arrival is at 4 p.m. and departure is at 10 a.m. Do not ask for early check in or late check out as they do not allow it. You will receive check-in instructions close to your arrival date and the lodge is run by an incredibly responsive and careful company in Gatlinburg. I was extremely impressed with their communication and help with anything I needed.
Honest mom opinion
I would come back without hesitating. I try to be consistent with my kids’ bedtime times, but I threw it all out the window here and we all stayed up late playing games together and having a really great time. I was blown away by the whole house, by the care given to each room and by the management company. Every aspect of this home was aimed at ensuring that the guest had a unique and memorable experience.
And the best part? Laugh so hard with my kids as they killed their characters Mario and Luigi, hearing their excitement as they ran from room to room with shameless pleasure and slept on the bunk beds in the LEGO room.
You really can’t go wrong booking the Go Lodge. I’m already trying to figure out how I can go back!
Go Lodge
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Website
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