Review of Four Points Cumberland House Knoxville
Knoxville doesn’t have many hotel chain options — something I discovered when planning for my weekend trip. Of the chains I frequent, the Four Points and Country Inn Suites were my best options. I wound up going for the Four Points Cumberland House because it was only 3,000 points at the time (it has since gone up a category) and I liked it’s downtown location.
(Incidentally, while reading reviews of the various hotels I saw comments about Peyton Manning owning the hotel and chance encounters with him in the lobby.)
I wasn’t sure what the plans would be while visiting my friend, so I wound up making separate reservations for Friday and Saturday nights to give myself more flexibility. I arrived on Friday night around 1oPM, the phones were ringing and there was a couple ahead of me who had just checked in and were asking questions. The staff was friendly but a little disorganized.
My platinum status was recognized and I was offered free parking, free breakfast, or the points amenity. I chose the points, I was handed my keys and directed to the elevator.
My room was on the 7th floor, a basic King with complimentary water bottles and upgraded bathroom amenities. My only complaint was the standard, what I describe as cold, lighting from all the lights, different than the incandescent glow I’m used to.
The shampoo/conditioner/shower gel were on the wall.
I wasn’t quite sleepy yet, so I wandered down to the bar to get a glass of wine. On the way, the elevator stopped on the 4th floor. Another guest rolled the luggage car in, then walked away as the doors closed. Wha!?
 
I was bewildered and half laughing as I started rolling the cart out into the lobby, not sure what to do with it. I headed to the bar, located in the nice looking restaurant, MK’s, and asked what wines had been opened that day. The bartender was friendly and gave me 3 options, pouring me a taste of the one I picked and offering to open a fresh bottle if it tasted flat.
He asked if I wanted to take it up to my room. Â I asked if I’d need a “to-go” cup, remembering my plastic cup experience at the Four Points Charlotte Airport, and feeling in the mood for glass. He explained he couldn’t do “to-go” cups and I could just take the glass up to my room. I gave the context of my last Four Points stay and we both shared a laugh.
I headed up to my room for a restful night’s sleep. In the morning I called down to get the Internet code which I hadn’t received the night before and also realized I hadn’t notified them of my reservation for Saturday night. I debated whether or not to tell them and keep my existing room or check out, stow my overnight bag in my friend’s car, and check back in in the hopes of getting a better room and/or another night’s stay credit towards requalifying for platinum status.
I decided on the latter and checked out, where the friendly clerk who had checked me in the night before asked if I was coming back that night. 🙂 I explained I was but wasn’t sure if my friend would be joining me in which case I’d want double beds.
We had a great day site-seeing and wound up back at the hotel around 8PM. As all parking on the top level was taken, we decided to just go to the parking garage below. Not a great choice, Â we unloaded all our bags only to find (which I was glad for) that the elevator, which went straight up to the hotel rooms, required key card access. Which left us only the stairs as an option. So check in before you park in the garage below!
We checked in, I again chose the points amenity, and I requested double beds. The person checking me wasn’t sure they’d have some open since they were almost sold out, but the manager at the counter told her to put us in one of the Junior Suites rather than a double room. It had a pullout queen size couch and would offer more room.
Yay! And we were pretty happy with the room when we arrived. You open the door into a sitting area/pullout couch which turned out to be the perfect place for us to hang out and drink wine.
Next was the kitchenette with fridge, microwave, and sink.
The bathroom is opposite.
Because it wasn’t an SPG preferred guest floor, there was only one bottle of complimentary water and the bathroom lacked the extra bathroom amenities (no big deal). I did notice the bathroom had a floor mat though. Oooh 🙂
And then was the bedroom which was basically filled by the bed, chair, and TV, but was very comfortable and had slightly warmer lighting than the previous room.
When I checked out the next morning I discovered they’d also comped my parking in addition to the points amenity. Yay!
Overall I enjoyed my stay there and would consider staying again, although at 7,000 points in the future I think it will be less of a bargain unless the rates are over $150.
