Opryland Hotel
With your tour guide,
Anne P. Mitchell
| Summary: The Opryland Hotel, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is well-known for being the largest hotel in the world that does not feature a casino on the grounds. The convention facilities at the Opryland Hotel make it a favorite destination for corporate meetings, conferences, and a wide variety of trade shows. |
The Opryland Hotel, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is well-known for being the largest hotel in the world that does not feature a casino on the grounds. The convention facilities at the Opryland Hotel make it a favorite destination for corporate meetings, conferences, and a wide variety of trade shows. Now owned by Gaylord Entertainment, the hotel is officially called The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.
The Opryland Hotel opened in 1977, featuring 600 guest rooms, a large and ornate ballroom, and an impressive spread of convention facilites. Conveniently located near the Opryland theme park and the famous Grand Ole Opry, the hotel became very popular in short period of time. Building on the stereotypical themes of southern charm and hospitality, the hotel soon earned a stellar reputation among convention organizers. In order to expand the hotel and build a shopping mall, Gaylord Entertainment eventually closed and tore down the Opryland theme park.
Gaylord Entertainment purchased the Opryland Hotel in 1982, and began the first of several expansion projects to increase the number of guest rooms as well as the square footage allotted to the convention facilities. This first expansion, called “Phase 2″, brought the number of guest rooms to over 1,000, and added the very popular Garden Conservatory – a glass-covered atrium that houses over 10,000 different varieties of tropical plants and flowers, as well as numerous water features.
Further expansions added more ballroom space and meeting facilities, almost 2,000 more guest rooms, and the Delta Atrium. The Delta Atrium contains a small, man-made “river” complete with flatboats for guests to ride on. Water samples from over 6,000 rivers worldwide were brought to the hotel to create this Delta River.
Other amenities at the Opryland Hotel include a sprawling 18-hole golf course, seven restaurants, a fully equipped gym, swimming pools, a 44-foot high waterfall, laser and light shows, numerous gift shops, and a spa.
As you may expect as a result of the size and popularity of the property, room rates at the Opryland hotel can get quite expensive. Hotel navigation is also a problem for guests, and getting lost in the expanse of hotel rooms, facilities, and conservatories is very common. If you’re planning to visit the Opryland, make sure your schedule allows enough time to find your way around and get to where you’re going.
The Opryland Hotel remains a popular hot spot for corporate conventions, trade shows and fairs, concerts, weddings, and vacation guests. Book your stay well in advance to ensure there will be a room available when you arrive!
