Hotel Cleo, Knoxville Downtown, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

In my opinion, the only 5 star hotel in Knoxville.

Spacious room! Lovely decor. Felt luxurious. Staff was friendly. Spent our anniversary here and would highly recommend.

We stayed at the Cleo hotel for a birthday weekend celebration, hoping for a memorable experience, but our visit left much to be desired. This review is based on our time there and aims to offer constructive feedback for future guests. To begin with, the hotel shares its building with a beautifully themed French restaurant on the lower level, creating a unique atmosphere. However, this arrangement caused confusion at the front desk, as the staff for the restaurant and the hotel were not clearly distinguished. We arrived during the Knoxville city marathon, which meant the area was bustling and parking was especially challenging—no valet service was available, and we had to park several blocks away in a public garage. While I don’t always expect valet, a hotel of this caliber would benefit from offering it, especially during busy events. The hotel staff appeared stressed and preoccupied with scheduling issues, which diminished the feeling of hospitality. In comparison, I’ve felt much more warmly welcomed at other properties, like the Springfield or Courtyard. As for amenities, the hotel’s historic building limits what can be updated, but more could have been done to enhance guest comfort. Each room is independently cooled, but the AC is preset at 68°, which was inconvenient, even in the presidential suite. While the artwork in the rooms was impressive, the bedroom furnishings fell short—the bed frame was a cheap Amazon model, made of plastic and metal, and did not match the elegance one would expect. The bed itself was uncomfortable, detracting from our overall rest. The shower struggled with water pressure at times, and the room lacked basic amenities like coffee. For a luxury suite, these details matter. Regarding service, it would be a great improvement if the hotel offered guests the option to reserve a table at the downstairs restaurant when booking their stay. We wanted to dine there, but were told it would be a two to three hour wait, even as presidential suite guests. While we eventually found a pleasant spot down the street, it would have been a thoughtful gesture to offer guaranteed reservations for hotel guests. Procedurally, we were informed at check-in that there would be daily coffee and a tray of breakfast selections available in the vestibule near the rooms on the fifth floor, between 7 and 10 a.m. However, when we checked out at 8 a.m., none of these amenities were present. Additionally, we were surprised by an unexplained $100 charge on our bill. The front desk staff, Pat, was unable to clarify the reason and advised us to speak with management. Once again, no valet was available that morning, which made departure more difficult. Overall, I was deeply unimpressed by the hotel’s lack of attention to detail and hospitality. While the building itself features lovely art, I could have simply visited a museum for that experience. The transition from the public areas to the hotel felt unsafe at times, and the overall presentation did not reflect the standards I expect as a loyal Marriott member of nearly a decade. Although we did our best to enjoy the weekend, I would not recommend staying here given the cost. For a better stay in Knoxville, I suggest booking at the Tennessean or Hyatt, where comfort and service are prioritized.

Great spot for enjoying downtown Knoxville

Beautiful hotel and clean Restaurant is fabulous as well Don’t bank on valet though we had to park ourselves and it was before valet closed . Also the walls are very thin you can hear everything from the room next door . I got woke up 2x in the middle of the night over noises in the room beside us or from the street noises

I’d like to point out this hotels encompasses gorgeous accommodations. However, the hotel staff albeit a friendly group of folks, leave a lot to be desired when it comes to their billing department. If you choose to stay here, make sure you don’t leave until you read over your hotel bill- heed my warning. The surroundings and outdoor atmosphere: You are in the heart of downtown Knoxville, which are beautiful in itself. Downtown offers a lot of opportunity to sample various cuisine and see the sites. It’s incredibly noisy, especially inside the walls at the hotel. Not a lot of insulation in the older buildings. Like I said- hotel staff seem friendly but watch your bill closely. I believe there are other hotels nearby more suitable- This particular tribute property definitely misses a couple high-end marks.

The entire experience was great. If you are visiting Knoxville, you should try it.

I checked in for my birthday. It’s a splurge for me to do this. I stayed here for my birthday two years ago and they had breakfast set out on my floor lobby. They had a blanket service. They had nice bath salts for the tub. They had flowers. The brought chocolates to the room in the evening. All of those things are GONE. It’s what made the Cleo unique and set apart. I’m really disappointed. I chose this hotel intentionally and had saved up to stay. I didn’t want to leave my room to go get breakfast but to have a slow morning where breakfast was just outside my door. I know it’s a first world problem but I’m just really bummed. The people that helped me check in and park the car were nothing but wonderful though.

Your female security guard on the night of 1/9 @10pm in a silver Lexus sedan Jefferson county tags is insane. Almost ran me over crossing the street the honked excessively to get to a valet parking spot. Then flashed her “badge” at me to intimidate continued to cuss me out.

If I could give this hotel 10 stars I would. Ask not to be on Gay street if you want quiet. We read the reviews and knew what to ask for so we got a perfectly quiet room and I got the best sleep I’ve ever had on a trip. The hotel itself is GORGEOUS. Feels like a historic mansion with beautiful furniture and fixtures. The staff are so friendly, attentive and kind… we felt thoroughly looked after. This hotel is elegant and charming and perfectly situated within walking distance to all the shops and restaurants. We will be back, and we will tell all our friends.