The Courtyard Marriott in Gatlinburg offers everything modern travelers expect: comfortable beds, reliable Wi-Fi, a well-equipped fitness center, and proximity to all the attractions that draw millions of visitors to the Smokies each year. Most guests check in, enjoy their stay, and check out without incident, carrying home nothing but pleasant memories of their mountain vacation.
But some guests leave with stories they struggle to explain. They describe waking in the night to find shadowy figures standing at the foot of their beds. They report hearing whispered conversations in empty hallways and feeling sudden, inexplicable cold spots in their rooms. They experience overwhelming feelings of sadness or fear that seem to come from outside themselves, emotions so powerful they pack up and change hotels despite having already paid for their stay.
Staff members, who spend far more time in the building than any guest, have their own collection of experiences. Housekeepers report rooms that feel "wrong"—spaces that seem to repel entry, making even seasoned employees reluctant to go inside alone. Security guards describe seeing figures on surveillance cameras that aren't visible when they arrive at the actual location. And more than one employee has quit after experiencing something they can't rationalize away—something that convinced them the Courtyard Marriott harbors presences that have nothing to do with paying guests.
The Land Before the Hotel
Before the Courtyard Marriott was built, the land it occupies had a different character. While Gatlinburg grew rapidly as a tourist destination throughout the latter half of the 20th century, pockets of undeveloped land remained—wooded areas and clearings that still felt connected to the wild Smoky Mountains surrounding the town.
The specific site where the hotel now stands was once such a space: not quite wilderness, not quite town, existing in a liminal zone where the manicured tourist areas met the authentic Appalachian landscape. Local teenagers knew these in-between spaces well, using them as gathering spots away from adult supervision, places to drink, smoke, and explore the kind of freedom that comes with being young in a small mountain town.
It was in one of these moments—young people seeking privacy and freedom in a wooded clearing—that tragedy struck. What should have been an ordinary evening of teenage socializing turned into a nightmare of violence that would leave two young people dead and a community traumatized.
The Murder of Melissa Hill and Troy Valentine
Melissa Hill and Troy Valentine were young people with their whole lives ahead of them. Like many teenagers in Gatlinburg, they knew the out-of-the-way spots where kids could gather without immediate adult oversight. On the night they died, they were with friends in what locals knew as an informal hangout spot—the clearing that would eventually become the site of the Courtyard Marriott.
The exact circumstances of their murders vary somewhat depending on the source, as is common with tragic events that become local legend. What is consistently reported is that both Melissa and Troy were killed in an act of violence that shocked the community. Whether the deaths resulted from an argument that escalated beyond anyone's control, a calculated act of violence, or circumstances that fell somewhere in between, the end result was the same: two young lives brutally ended in a place that should have been safe.
The murders were eventually solved, with the perpetrator or perpetrators identified and prosecuted. But justice in the courtroom couldn't undo what had happened in that clearing. Melissa Hill and Troy Valentine had experienced terror and pain in their final moments, dying far too young in circumstances that should never have occurred. That kind of trauma, paranormal researchers suggest, doesn't simply dissipate when the bodies are removed and the crime scene cleaned up.
For years after the murders, locals avoided the area. The clearing where the deaths occurred developed a reputation as an unlucky spot, a place that felt wrong even in daylight. Some who visited the site reported experiencing inexplicable feelings of dread or sadness. Others described seeing shadowy figures moving among the trees—figures that vanished when directly observed.
Building on Tragedy
As Gatlinburg continued to grow and demand for hotel rooms increased, the land where the murders occurred was eventually purchased for development. Whether the developers knew about the site's tragic history is unclear, though in a town as small as Gatlinburg, it seems unlikely they were completely unaware.
The Courtyard Marriott was constructed using modern building techniques on land that had been cleared and graded, erasing most physical traces of what the site had been before. The hotel opened to great fanfare, offering quality accommodations in a prime location. For all outward appearances, it was a success.
But from the beginning, staff members noticed oddities. During the construction phase, workers reported tools going missing and reappearing in unlikely locations. Some described hearing voices when no one else was around. A few workers refused to work alone in certain areas of the developing structure, though they struggled to articulate exactly why these spaces made them uncomfortable.
Once the hotel opened for business, the incidents didn't stop—they intensified. The building might be new, constructed on land that had been entirely cleared and rebuilt, but according to those who work and stay there, something from the past remained. The spirits of Melissa Hill and Troy Valentine, some believe, never left the place where their lives were so violently ended.
The Spirits of the Courtyard Marriott
The paranormal activity at the Courtyard Marriott manifests in numerous ways, with certain areas of the hotel experiencing more intense phenomena than others.
The Shadowy Figures
The most commonly reported paranormal phenomenon is the appearance of shadowy human figures throughout the hotel. These apparitions are typically described as appearing in peripheral vision—guests catching glimpses of someone standing in the corner of their room or walking past their door, only to find no one there when they look directly.
The figures are sometimes described as a young woman and a young man, details that match the ages of Melissa Hill and Troy Valentine when they died. Witnesses report that these shadows seem to be trying to communicate or get attention, appearing repeatedly until they're acknowledged. Some guests who have spoken aloud to the figures—saying things like "I see you" or "I'm sorry for what happened to you"—report that the phenomena stop after this acknowledgment, as if the spirits simply wanted to be recognized.
Other descriptions of the shadow figures are more disturbing. Some guests report seeing forms that appear terrified or in pain, moving erratically as if trying to escape from something. These manifestations are accompanied by overwhelming feelings of fear and panic that seem to emanate from the apparitions themselves, as if witnesses are experiencing residual emotions from the victims' final moments.
Sounds of Distress
Multiple guests and staff members have reported hearing sounds that suggest violence or distress. These auditory phenomena include: muffled screaming or crying, sounds of struggle or running footsteps, and voices pleading for help. The sounds are typically heard late at night and seem to come from the walls themselves or from just beyond hearing range, always slightly too distant to pinpoint an exact location.
When security investigates these reports, they invariably find nothing that could account for the sounds. No guests are fighting, no televisions are playing programs that would create such audio, and no external sources can be identified. The sounds simply appear, last for a few moments to several minutes, and then cease—often abruptly, as if whatever was happening came to a sudden, final end.
One particularly disturbing report comes from a housekeeper who was working late shift. She described hearing what sounded like two people running through the hallway being chased by a third party. The sounds of footsteps and panicked breathing were so clear and convincing that she called security, certain that some kind of assault was in progress. Security arrived within minutes to find the hallway completely empty—but the housekeeper insisted she had heard the sounds right up until the moment security arrived, when they abruptly stopped.
Cold Spots and Electrical Disturbances
Certain rooms and areas of the hotel are known for experiencing sudden, dramatic drops in temperature. These cold spots appear without any mechanical explanation—they occur even when the heating and air conditioning systems are working properly, and they're often localized to very specific areas rather than affecting entire rooms.
Guests who enter these cold spots describe the sensation as similar to walking into a refrigerator or stepping outside on a winter day. The temperature drop is immediate and stark, and it's often accompanied by other phenomena: lights flickering, electronic devices malfunctioning, and a sense of being watched or unwelcome.
The hotel's maintenance staff has repeatedly checked these areas for HVAC problems, air leaks, or other mechanical issues that could explain the temperature anomalies. They find nothing wrong with the systems. Yet the cold spots persist, appearing and disappearing without warning, sometimes remaining in place for hours before suddenly dissipating.
Electrical equipment seems particularly affected by the presence. Guests report their phones draining from full battery to dead in a matter of minutes. Televisions turn on and off by themselves or switch to static. Alarm clocks reset or stop working entirely. Room key cards demagnetize repeatedly, requiring guests to return to the front desk multiple times during their stay—something that happens with such regularity in certain rooms that staff have come to expect it.
The Feeling of Being Watched
Perhaps the most pervasive paranormal phenomenon is the overwhelming sensation of being observed. Guests describe feeling eyes on them when they're alone in their rooms, a presence that makes it impossible to relax or feel private. Some report the sensation being so intense that they can almost identify the direction it's coming from—often from the corner of the room, the closet, or the bathroom.
This sensation is particularly strong in certain rooms that seem to be more active than others. Guests in these rooms report trouble sleeping, feeling like someone is standing over their bed watching them. Some describe waking to the clear sensation of someone sitting on the edge of their mattress, feeling the bed compress under invisible weight.
Staff members experience this phenomenon as well, particularly when cleaning rooms alone or working late shifts. Housekeepers report feeling so uncomfortable in certain rooms that they prop the doors open while they work, unwilling to be enclosed with whatever presence occupies the space. Some have requested reassignment to avoid particular rooms altogether, even though this means acknowledging something they can't entirely rationalize.
The Spirits' Names
A few particularly sensitive guests and psychic investigators who have visited the Courtyard Marriott claim to have made more direct contact with the spirits. According to these accounts, the entities have identified themselves as Melissa and Troy, confirming local speculation about who haunts the hotel.
These communications typically come through EVP (electronic voice phenomena), spirit boxes, or direct intuitive contact. The messages are consistent: the spirits are confused about what happened to them, they don't understand why they can't leave, and they're looking for someone or something they lost. Some psychics have reported that the spirits seem unaware they're dead, replaying their final moments in a loop that they can't escape.
One medium who investigated the hotel pro bono reported making contact with a female spirit who described being attacked and trying to run but being unable to get away. The emotional distress of this communication was so intense that the medium had to end the session, describing the experience as one of the most disturbing of her career. She concluded that whatever happened to these young people in their final moments left spiritual wounds so severe that they couldn't pass on, remaining trapped in a state of perpetual trauma.
Staying at the Courtyard Marriott
The Courtyard Marriott continues to operate as a fully functioning hotel, and the vast majority of guests experience nothing unusual during their stays. The hotel provides quality accommodations and maintains professional standards, and many visitors are completely unaware of its haunted reputation.
For those interested in the paranormal aspects, certain rooms are reported to be more active than others, though the hotel understandably doesn't advertise which rooms these are. Staff members sometimes know which rooms generate more reports of unusual phenomena, but they're often reluctant to discuss it openly for fear of frightening guests or appearing unprofessional.
If you experience something unexplained during your stay, you're not alone. Numerous previous guests have reported similar phenomena, and there's a growing online community of people who share their experiences from the Courtyard Marriott. Some paranormal investigators would suggest acknowledging any spirits you encounter—speaking to them respectfully, expressing sympathy for what they experienced, and letting them know they're not forgotten. Some believe this acknowledgment may provide comfort to entities that feel overlooked or trapped.
Our Gatlinburg Ghost Tours discuss the tragic history behind the Courtyard Marriott and the spirits of Melissa Hill and Troy Valentine. We explore how violent death can create hauntings, why some spirits seem unable to move on from the location of their deaths, and what it means for the living to occupy spaces where such profound trauma occurred. The story of the Courtyard Marriott serves as a somber reminder that land remembers the events it witnesses, and that the past is never as fully buried as we might wish.
