Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking
from $60
Econo Lodge Helen
2.0 out of 5.0
2.8
out of 5
Average Guest Review
See all 33 reviews
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Recent guest reviews
A bit far from town center to walk to in hot weather. Hotel wad OK but needs renovations. Front desk staff were pleasant.
When we arrived and checked in, the floor of the hotel room was extremely dirty. There was trash littering the floor, including muffin wrappers and more. It had not been vacuumed. When my husband went to the front to ask about it, he was behind several other upset customers with similar issues. The excuse was that some staff had not shown up. My husband asked to borrow the vacuum, and he vacuumed the room himself. We cleaned up the trash off the floors. The refrigerator was in the room as advertised, but it did not cool at all. The microwave was missing. And the water pooled in the shower and did not drain properly. And the TV was poor quality. We asked for a different room the next day. We were finally given another room in the evening, after checking on it throughout the day. However, when we checked into it, once again the floor was full of crumbs. The walls were filthy. We once again borrowed the vacuum and cleaned it. My husband asked about a discount, and they stated that we would receive one. They seemed very apologetic. However, they did not leave information for the staff who checked us out to give us a discount. We were told to call the GM to approve a partial refund. However, each time he has called, he is told that the GM will be in later. He has called several times over the past few days, and has been given a different story each time. They have not returned his calls. Although we knew this was a budget option, they still charged about $169 for the first night. We would've been happy had the room been clean.
Hotel was clean but very loud. Kids were running up and down the walkway until 3 am yelling, slamming doors and singing. Could hear everything in the rooms on both sides of our room. Complimentary breakfast was cereal, frozen biscuits still in their plastic bags and some bananas. Hiking in the area is wonderful, parks everywhere. I will not be staying at this hotel on my next trip to Helen.
Toilet didn't work in first room. Thankfully we were able to change rooms with a toilet that barely worked. Not the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in.
Stayed at the Econo Lodge in Helen. Room was nice and clean and comfortable. Staff was helpful. Breakfast in the morning was ok. Coffee was good.
The room was clean, the staff was friendly, all the advertised amenities were there and even with our late check in our promised reservations were held. It's not glamorous but it is exactly what you should get for the cost of the room. Great value if you just need somewhere to sleep while you visit the outdoors in the mountains!
As others have said, if you're tossin the kids in the minivan for something different to do over a summer weekend, it will work. Right next to the waterpark, and immediately adjacent to office of Cool River Tubing. In other words, you'd all go pay, get on the shuttle, get dropped off upstream, then float through Helen back to within walking distance of your hotel room to clean up. Despite other reviews to the contrary, unless you are obese, lazy, and/or have mobility problems, an easy stroll down Edelweisse Straus connects you with the "infamous" Bavarian-themed downtown with its shopping, dining, and more. If you stay here during Oktoberfest, expect to be badly gouged... but again, you can walk to the beer halls, 'Fest all you like, and walk or get a local shuttle/taxi back the "epic" 0.3 miles back to your room. This is why "location" is the establishment's best perk if you (and/or your family) are here to immerse yourself in Helen's tourist extravaganza and don't care much about your lodging. BE REALISTIC: Once you get below the $65.00 price point, you should not expect a destination hotel! It is older, mom-and-pop run (I arrived at 11:30pm and waited for a barefoot man in night-clothes to unlock door and let me in). It has exterior entry, needs new carpet, paint, and renovations to shower/bath area. It gets SLAMMED constantly by dirty, sweaty, wet guests. Towels are minimal in number and lackluster in quality. But for me, with one night, a business meeting in the morning, it was a fine fit: affordable, good sleep in a big, clean bed, nice shower in the morning, basic continental breakfast and coffee, out the door. If you are looking for a more luxury "mountain weekend" for your family, rent a cabin in the surrounding hills or upgrade to a nicer hotel. :)
This hotel is in a great location across the street from the water park with free bus to go tubing, but the price is definitely indicative of what you will get. We arrived 30 minutes after check in time and our 1 king room was still not ready. With a hungry 3 year old, we didnt want to wait longer so they gave us a 1 queen bed room. Very cramped tiny room in desperate need of updates. We were only staying one night and it got the job done...but would definitely not have wanted to stay any longer.
My daughters and I went to helen for a small two day get away and really enjoyed our one night stay in the hotel. The beds were very comfortable and the small continental breakfast was filling. We spent very little time in the hotel because we had activities close by like the small water park and tubing. All in all if we need a room on a budget we would stay here again. However if you want a fancy up to date hotel then this place isn't for you. If you want a place to stay on a tight budget this place is it.
Room was clean and comfortable, great service from staff. Standard breakfast provided. Hotel is well managed. If the price is the same, I would go back next time I'm in Helen.
Would prefer to stay closer to town in winter. Good location for summer
This was by far the worst hotel I've ever stayed in. Room smelled bad, moldy tile in bathroom, cigarette holes in pillowcases, headboard on bed falling off the wall, no tissue paper in dispenser, dead bugs in the bathroom, only one chair at dining table in room, TV was made in 1985. Need I go on? I would never recommend this hotel to my worst enemy. I have never left a bad review for any place I've stayed, but I found so much wrong with this hotel that I thought I would try to prevent anyone from making the same mistake I made. Spend a little extra money and go somewhere else!
This was a spur of the moment, need to get away from it all, time... so I quickly booked with EconoLodge. The price was very good so when I walked in to the room I was pleasantly surprised....very clean, the beds were comfortable, had all the amenities I needed; it was a short distance from downtown (10-15 minute walk), so it was very quiet. And the staff was very nice and helpful. I will book with them again!
This hotel was in a fairly good location. Especially for the water part experience. The walking was not too bad if you don't have very small children or mobility issues. It would've been nice to have a coffee pot in the room but they do have some at "breakfast". However, I hope you aren't picky because the breakfast consist of muffins or toast and juice. Not very filling but better than nothing. Also the pool was in very poor shape. It smelled of fish and was green. Overall it isn't bad for a family looking to vacation on a smaller budget.
We decided to get away for the weekend on a budget. This hotel was a very fair price and close to downtown. Staff was friendly and rooms were clean. I would definitely stay here again.
ROOM WAS VERY NICE AND CLEAN, LOCATION GOOD FOR KIDS, ACROSS FROM WATER PARK,BUT NOT VERY CLOSE TO CENTER OF TOWN. WOULD NOT WALK MYSELF. WOULD NOT RETURN BECAUSE OF BATH WATER...TAKES FOREVER TO GET HOT WATER 7-10 MINS (REALLY!) THEN, NO PRESSURE BALANCE FAUCET, SO WATER TEMP CONSTANTLY CHANGES. THERE ARE MANY NICE HOTELS IN HELEN FOR ABOUT THE SAME PRICE. I WOULD PICK A DIFFERENT ONE.
The rooms were overall nice for this location. I have been to Helen several times and stayed in almost every hotel in downtown Helen. The only drawback of this hotel was that it is not in "downtown" Helen but it is within a reasonable walking distance and does access the backroad so you don't have to walk to town on the busy main road. For the rates and the room quality I would definitely stay there again. It is also right in front of the watermark so it is close to some attractions.
In spite of a number of bad reviews, my boyfriend and I decided to stay here for a night before heading out on a hiking trip and were very pleased with the experience. The staff was incredibly friendly and professional. The room was clean, spacious, and quiet. We weren't able to stay for breakfast in the morning, so I can't comment on that, however the rest of the experience was just fine.
Hotel charged a $20 pet fee when we arrived that we were not aware of. Website doesn't say there is an additional fee, so beware of the extra expense.
Me and my girlfriend booked this hotel for 80 dollars so i wasnt expecting much. The hotel was about what i thought it would b. Nothing special but for the money i cant complain.
Hotel highlights
- Free continental breakfast
- Free WiFi in rooms and public areas
- Free parking
- 24-hour business center
Econo Lodge Helen places you within a short walk of Alpine Helen/White County Convention and Visitors Bureau and within a mile (2 km) of Helen Festhalle. This 56-room motel welcomes guests with conveniences like free breakfast, free in-room WiFi, and free self parking. Also nearby are Romeo and Juliet Indian Mound Tragedy Site and Unicoi Hill Park.
Dining
Start your day off right with a free continental breakfast.
Rooms
All of Econo Lodge Helen's 56 rooms are air-conditioned and have an array of amenities, including microwaves, refrigerators, and coffee makers. Guests can expect free WiFi and cable TV. Other amenities include free newspapers, free local calls, and hair dryers.
Property features
Econo Lodge Helen features free WiFi in public areas, a meeting room, and a 24-hour business center. A stay here includes free parking. The 24-hour front desk has staff always at the ready. Additional amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool, coffee/tea in a common area, and free newspapers.
Guest reviews for Econo Lodge Helen
location
Everyone
A bit far from town center to walk to in hot weather. Hotel wad OK but needs renovations. Front desk staff were pleasant.
dirty, not as advertised
Families
When we arrived and checked in, the floor of the hotel room was extremely dirty. There was trash littering the floor, including muffin wrappers and more. It had not been vacuumed. When my husband went to the front to ask about it, he was behind several other upset customers with similar issues. The excuse was that some staff had not shown up. My husband asked to borrow the vacuum, and he vacuumed the room himself. We cleaned up the trash off the floors. The refrigerator was in the room as advertised, but it did not cool at all. The microwave was missing. And the water pooled in the shower and did not drain properly. And the TV was poor quality. We asked for a different room the next day. We were finally given another room in the evening, after checking on it throughout the day. However, when we checked into it, once again the floor was full of crumbs. The walls were filthy. We once again borrowed the vacuum and cleaned it. My husband asked about a discount, and they stated that we would receive one. They seemed very apologetic. However, they did not leave information for the staff who checked us out to give us a discount. We were told to call the GM to approve a partial refund. However, each time he has called, he is told that the GM will be in later. He has called several times over the past few days, and has been given a different story each time. They have not returned his calls. Although we knew this was a budget option, they still charged about $169 for the first night. We would've been happy had the room been clean.
helen, ga
Singles
Hotel was clean but very loud. Kids were running up and down the walkway until 3 am yelling, slamming doors and singing. Could hear everything in the rooms on both sides of our room. Complimentary breakfast was cereal, frozen biscuits still in their plastic bags and some bananas. Hiking in the area is wonderful, parks everywhere. I will not be staying at this hotel on my next trip to Helen.
dump
Couples
Toilet didn't work in first room. Thankfully we were able to change rooms with a toilet that barely worked. Not the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in.
a nice stay in helen
Singles
Stayed at the Econo Lodge in Helen. Room was nice and clean and comfortable. Staff was helpful. Breakfast in the morning was ok. Coffee was good.
good value for the best price we found in helen!
Couples
The room was clean, the staff was friendly, all the advertised amenities were there and even with our late check in our promised reservations were held. It's not glamorous but it is exactly what you should get for the cost of the room. Great value if you just need somewhere to sleep while you visit the outdoors in the mountains!
economy-grade; lower-end; affordable
BusinessTravelers
As others have said, if you're tossin the kids in the minivan for something different to do over a summer weekend, it will work. Right next to the waterpark, and immediately adjacent to office of Cool River Tubing. In other words, you'd all go pay, get on the shuttle, get dropped off upstream, then float through Helen back to within walking distance of your hotel room to clean up. Despite other reviews to the contrary, unless you are obese, lazy, and/or have mobility problems, an easy stroll down Edelweisse Straus connects you with the "infamous" Bavarian-themed downtown with its shopping, dining, and more. If you stay here during Oktoberfest, expect to be badly gouged... but again, you can walk to the beer halls, 'Fest all you like, and walk or get a local shuttle/taxi back the "epic" 0.3 miles back to your room. This is why "location" is the establishment's best perk if you (and/or your family) are here to immerse yourself in Helen's tourist extravaganza and don't care much about your lodging. BE REALISTIC: Once you get below the $65.00 price point, you should not expect a destination hotel! It is older, mom-and-pop run (I arrived at 11:30pm and waited for a barefoot man in night-clothes to unlock door and let me in). It has exterior entry, needs new carpet, paint, and renovations to shower/bath area. It gets SLAMMED constantly by dirty, sweaty, wet guests. Towels are minimal in number and lackluster in quality. But for me, with one night, a business meeting in the morning, it was a fine fit: affordable, good sleep in a big, clean bed, nice shower in the morning, basic continental breakfast and coffee, out the door. If you are looking for a more luxury "mountain weekend" for your family, rent a cabin in the surrounding hills or upgrade to a nicer hotel. :)
you get what you pay for...
Families
This hotel is in a great location across the street from the water park with free bus to go tubing, but the price is definitely indicative of what you will get. We arrived 30 minutes after check in time and our 1 king room was still not ready. With a hungry 3 year old, we didnt want to wait longer so they gave us a 1 queen bed room. Very cramped tiny room in desperate need of updates. We were only staying one night and it got the job done...but would definitely not have wanted to stay any longer.
one night stay
Families
My daughters and I went to helen for a small two day get away and really enjoyed our one night stay in the hotel. The beds were very comfortable and the small continental breakfast was filling. We spent very little time in the hotel because we had activities close by like the small water park and tubing. All in all if we need a room on a budget we would stay here again. However if you want a fancy up to date hotel then this place isn't for you. If you want a place to stay on a tight budget this place is it.
clean hotel
GetawayWithFriends
Room was clean and comfortable, great service from staff. Standard breakfast provided. Hotel is well managed. If the price is the same, I would go back next time I'm in Helen.
