Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, formerly known as Opryland Hotel, is a large hotel and convention center located in Nashville, Tennessee and owned by Gaylord Hotels, a division of Gaylord Entertainment Company. It is the largest non-casino hotel in the world and bolsters the Nashville economy by attracting many trade shows and corporate meetings to the city. Logo for Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center located in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. File links The following pages link to this file: Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Categories: Logos ... A hotel is an establishment that provides lodging, usually on a short-term basis. ... A convention center is a large, cavernous public building with enough open space to host public and private business and social events for the surrounding municipal and metropolitan areas. ... For other cities named Nashville, see Nashville (disambiguation). ... State nickname: Volunteer State Other U.S. States Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis (largest metropolitan area is Nashville) Governor Phil Bredesen Official languages English Area 109,247 km² (36th)  - Land 106,846 km²  - Water 2,400 km² (2. ... The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey Slot machines are commonplace in casinos Eye in the sky cameras in casinos observe players and employees A casino is a building that accommodates gambling. ...

History

Main entrance to Gaylord Opryland

The property, given a general theme toward "Southern hospitality", opened as Opryland Hotel in 1977 adjacent to the Opryland USA theme park and the Grand Ole Opry house, from which the hotel took its name. The hotel originally featured 600 guest rooms, a 20,000 square foot (2000 m²) ballroom, and 30,000 square feet (3,000 m²) of convention space. Originally built by the National Life & Accident Insurance Company, Opryland Hotel was sold to then-Oklahoma City-based Gaylord Broadcasting Company in 1982, along with most of National Life's entertainment properties, including WSM radio, Opryland USA, and the Grand Ole Opry. The main entrance to Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organisation to promote their works in the media. ... The main entrance to Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organisation to promote their works in the media. ... Southern hospitality is a phrase used to describe the idea that residents of the Southeastern United States are particularly warm and welcoming to visitors to their homes, or to the South in general. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Opryland USA was a theme park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. ... Ferris wheel Amusement park is the more generic term for a collection of amusement rides and other entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a fairly large group of people. ... The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly Saturday night country music radio program broadcast live on WSM Radio in Nashville, Tennessee. ... A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated puprose of which is holding dances (balls). ... Downtown Oklahoma City The State Capitol of Oklahoma Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the state of Oklahoma in the United States of America. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... WSM is the call letters of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

The Magnolia Lobby, part of the original structure of Gaylord Opryland.

In 1983, six years after opening, Opryland Hotel completed its first major expansion, dubbed "Phase II". This large undertaking added 467 guest rooms, moving the total to 1,067. Phase II also brought 30,000 square feet (3,000 m²) more of ballroom space, and added the hotel's first signature atrium, the Garden Conservatory. Under large panes of glass and filled with plant life and fountains, the Garden Conservatory is designed to allow guests to experience a walk in a tropical garden without going outdoors. Hundreds of rooms have balconies overlooking the Conservatory. This was the first truly unique thing the hotel had to offer, and it set the stage for the next two expansions. 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Looking up inside the 32-story atrium of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt, part of the Jin Mao Building. ...

By 1988, Opryland Hotel had expanded to 1,891 guest rooms. In the "Phase III" expansion, another 18,000 square foot (1,700 m²) ballroom was added along with the Cascades, a second atrium designed to complement the Garden Conservatory. The Cascades is covered by an acre of glass, and features thousands of plant species and large artificial waterfalls. As part of Phase III, but delayed by one year, another 4,000 square foot (400 m²) ballroom opened, designed for more intimate settings and smaller functions. 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An acre is a measure of land area in Imperial units or U.S. customary units. ... Tower Fall in Yellowstone National Park A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water, often in the form of a stream, flowing over an erosion-resistant rock formation that forms a sudden break in elevation. ...

Separate from the Phase III expansion was the addition of an 18 hole golf course, "Springhouse Golf Club", located 2 miles east of the hotel. The par-72 links-style course was home to the BellSouth Senior PGA Classic from 1994 to 2002. It has since been renamed "Springhouse Links". This article is about the sport of golf. ... BellSouth Corporation (NYSE: BLS) is a U.S. telecommunications company based in Atlanta, Georgia. ... The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA TOUR, hosts 30 events annually in the United States and Canada for golfers 50 and older. ...

Inside the Delta at Gaylord Opryland

Opryland Hotel completed its "Phase IV" expansion in 1996. The $175-million "Delta" added 922 guest rooms, bringing the total to its current 2,881, and was the largest construction project in the history of Nashville to date (it has since been eclipsed by The Coliseum). Also part of the expansion, which more than doubled the size of the existing structure, was an additional 55,465 square foot (5,150 m²) ballroom, a 289,000 square foot (27,000 m²) exhibit hall, and the Delta Atrium. The 150 foot (46 m) tall, 4.5 acre (18,000 m²) atrium was given a Cajun theme, borrowing many elements from New Orleans, Louisiana. Also under the large glass roof is the Delta River, a 0.25 mile (400 m) artificial waterway. For a small fee, guests may ride in a "Delta Flatboat" through a guided tour of the atrium. When it was christened, water samples from more than 6,000 rivers throughout the world, including every registered river in the United States, were poured into the Delta River. Inside the Delta expansion (1996) at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organisation to promote their works in the media. ... Inside the Delta expansion (1996) at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organisation to promote their works in the media. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... See Coliseum for the structure in Rome, or Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the structure in Los Angeles. ... The Cajuns are an ethnic group consisting essentially of the descendants of Acadians who came from Nova Scotia to Louisiana as a result of their refusal to swear allegiance to the British Crown. ... City nickname: The Crescent City, The Big Easy, The City that Care Forgot Location of New Orleans Country   State     Parish United States   Louisiana     Orleans Parish Mayor C. Ray Nagin Area   â€“Land   â€“Water 350. ... A roof is the top covering of a building that prevents the ingress of weather into the building interior. ... Water (from the Old English word wæter) is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless substance that is essential to all known forms of life and is known also as the most universal solvent. ... Earth, also known as the Earth, Terra, and (mostly in the 19th century) Tellus, is the third planet outward from the Sun. ... For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A river is a large natural waterway. ...

One of five flatboats inside The Delta at Gaylord Opryland

The Delta expansion solidified the trend that Gaylord was focusing more on its hotel division than its theme park, as the massive undertaking swallowed up any and all land the theme park could have expanded upon. Alas, following the 1997 season, the Opryland USA theme park ceased operations and was demolished. Simultaneously, Gaylord Entertainment announced a joint venture with the Mills Corporation for construction of the 1.2 million square foot (110,000 m²) Opry Mills shopping mall on the site. The park closure hurt occupancy rates at Opryland Hotel for the next five years. Gaylord Entertainment later divested its share of the mall and now leases the property and the "Opry" name to Mills Corporation. Expansion can have several meanings, including: In physics: Expansion of space In computer hardware: an Expansion card In computer programming: In-line expansion In computer gaming: an expansion pack See also: Wikipedia:Requests for expansion This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Opryland USA was a theme park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. ... A joint venture is a business relationship between two or more parties to undertake economic activity together. ... The Mills Corporation (NYSE: MLS) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. ... One of the entrances to Opry Mills. ... The Mall, an out-of-town shopping centre at Patchway, near Bristol, England. ...

After the theme park closed, Gaylord considered taking the "Opryland" name off the hotel, since "Opryland" (a name which many considered to represent the theme park) no longer existed. Extensive market research showed that the hotel would have to rebuild its reputation without the "Opryland" name, so it was kept. Research Research covers the search for and retrieval of information for a specific purpose. ... Reputation is the general opinion of the public towards a person, a group of people, or an organization. ...

In the late 1990s, Gaylord Entertainment acquired the Ramada Inn on McGavock Pike, just across the street from Opryland Hotel. It was given a major renovation and dropped its Ramada affiliation to be known simply as "The Inn at Opryland". It is now affiliated with Radisson Hotels. This motel is marketed toward guests wishing to receive Opryland quality and amenities at economy prices. // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ... New U.S. & Canada logo in 2005 U.S. & Canada logo (Soon to be retired). ... Radisson Hotels is a worldwide chain of 435 hotels, with a total of 102,000 guest rooms, in 61 countries. ... The word motel originates from the Motel Inn of San Luis Obispo, first built in 1925 by Arthur Heinman. ...

In 1999, the new Gaylord subsidiary "Opryland Lodging Group," which was formed in 1997 to plan expansions, was renamed "Opryland Hotels" as it began to see its plans for sister properties in Kissimmee, Florida and Grapevine, Texas come to fruition. Another hotel was later announced for Prince George's County, Maryland. As a result of these new plans, the hotel was renamed Opryland Hotel Nashville and given designation as the company's flagship property. The other hotels in the chain were to be named "Opryland Hotel Florida", "Opryland Hotel Texas" and "Opryland Hotel Potomac", respectively. 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kissimmee is a city located in Osceola County, Florida. ... Grapevine is a city located in Tarrant County, Texas. ... Prince Georges County is a suburban county located in the state of Maryland immediately east of Washington, D.C.. It is notable as the wealthiest majority-African-American county in the country. ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ...

On October 26, 2001, Opryland Hotel Nashville was rebranded as Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center (or simply Gaylord Opryland, for short), taking its name from its corporate parent. Gaylord Entertainment made the change seeking to take the "Opryland" name off of the new property in Florida. The Opryland Hotels division was renamed "Gaylord Hotels," and the Florida property was given the name "Gaylord Palms." The Texas hotel was initially going to be called "Gaylord Opryland Texas," but was later changed to "Gaylord Texan," after more market research showed the hotel needed an identity of its own. The yet-to-be-opened Maryland property was renamed "Gaylord National." Company officials at the time said the "Opryland" branding was strong to Nashville (and Texas, initially), but didn't fit with projects in other parts of the United States. [1] Despite the rebranding effort, most locals (including the broadcast media) still refer to Gaylord Opryland as "Opryland Hotel." October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In lieu of another expansion and as a result of the rebranding, the hotel underwent a $5 million renovation in 2003. With it came a refurbishment and rebranding of several of the hotel's restaurants and pubs, new retail establishments, and building improvements. Plans were also announced to renovate and refurnish all of the hotel's 2,881 guest rooms over the next few years. 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

According to a 2003 press release, Gaylord Opryland seeks to build a 5,000-seat amphitheatre on the site in the near future. [2] The name amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is given to a public building of the Classical period (being particularly associated with ancient Rome) which was used for spectator sports, games and displays. ...

Hotel Areas

Unlike its sister properties, Gaylord Opryland has no universal structure layout as a result of its continued expansion. Because of this, the property can be very confusing to navigate, even for frequent visitors. Employees are even said to get lost in the hotel from time to time.

• Magnolia - The original lobby and retail area of the hotel. Currently features the "Pub District" and Grand Staircase, as well as the WSM studios and one of several registration desks.
• Garden Conservatory - The first atrium constructed, considered by many to be the heart of the hotel. Several weddings take place in the Garden Conservatory's romantic setting each year.
• Cascades - The second atrium constructed. Features the rotating Cascades Restaurant and several waterfalls. Home to the main registration desk.
• The Delta - The third and largest atrium constructed. Currently the center of activity at Gaylord Opryland. Home to the Delta River, several retail stores, a few eateries, and Gaylord Opryland's finest restaurant, the Old Hickory Steakhouse. Also houses a small registration desk. The Delta project was the main inspiration for the company's expansion into other markets.
• Convention Center - The largest convention area in Tennessee with three main exhibit areas and five ballrooms.

State nickname: Volunteer State Other U.S. States Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis (largest metropolitan area is Nashville) Governor Phil Bredesen Official languages English Area 109,247 km² (36th)  - Land 106,846 km²  - Water 2,400 km² (2. ...

Convention Center

The Convention Center at Gaylord Opryland is in direct competition with the Metro government-owned Nashville Convention Center. Gaylord Opryland is built to handle large conventions, while the NCC is suited more for smaller gatherings. Nashville is currently considering plans to expand or replace the existing public convention center, claiming they are unable to attract major conventions due to the center's relatively small size. In contrast, Gaylord Opryland has expanded its convention center twice since NCC opened in downtown Nashville in 1987 and regularly attracts major conventions to the city.

Gaylord Opryland currently features three exhibit halls and five ballrooms. Coupled with its massive hotel, Gaylord Opryland Convention Center can easily accomodate upwards of 10-12 separate gatherings at one time. On most weekends, guests will find at least two conventions taking place.

The hotel currently boasts 109,465 square feet (10,170 m²) of ballroom space and 319,000 square feet (30,000 m²) of exhibit space. No further expansion plans for the Convention Center have been made public, but it is likely that the property has reached its maximum due to space limitations.

Gaylord Opryland hosted Major League Baseball's annual winter meetings in December 2002, making Nashville the only city without a major league team to have ever hosted the event and putting the city into the national sports spotlight for a few days. The meetings were largely considered a success, and are expected to return to Nashville in 2006 or 2007. MLB is also looking at the other three Gaylord properties for future winter meeting sites. MLB logo Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Local purposes

While Gaylord Opryland caters largely to the out-of-town convention market, it serves a large purpose for the local community. Many local high schools use the ballroom space for their yearly proms. It is also known for being one of Nashville's hottest "first-date" spots because of its central location, restaurants, walkways, and scenery. Many local companies also take advantage of the Convention Center's abundant meeting space. This article relates to the formal social event known as the Prom (short for promenade), usually at the end of the last two school years in America. ...

Management currently charges $10 to park automobiles at the hotel, but locals have found a way around this charge by parking at nearby Opry Mills free of charge and walking the short path to Gaylord Opryland. A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... One of the entrances to Opry Mills. ...

A Country Christmas

Christmas decorations inside the Garden Conservatory at Gaylord Opryland during "A Country Christmas"

Throughout the months of November and December of each year, Gaylord Opryland attracts thousands of visitors to see the large display of Christmas decorations, dubbed A Country Christmas. Millions of decorative lights are placed in the trees at the resort, and all three atria contain various decorations, including animatronics. In addition, several special holiday-themed shows and attractions take place, including "ICE!", a display of ice sculptures, and the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Audio-Animatronics or just animatronics is a form of robotics created by Disneys Imagineers for several shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequently expanded on and used by other companies. ... The Rockettes are the best known precision dance company in the world, stationed out of the Radio City Music Hall. ...

Features

• Home to the studios of 650 WSM, the company-owned 50kW clear channel country music radio station.
• Laser and light shows, set to music, are regularly held in the Cascades.
• 238 pieces of art from 207 artists, all from Tennessee.
• 0.25-mile "river", home to several fish species
• Adjacent to Grand Ole Opry and Opry Mills
• Adjacent to Cumberland River, though it is not visible from within the hotel.

WSM is the call letters of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Clear channel stations are AM radio stations that are designated as such so that only one or two 50,000 watt powerhouses operate at night on each designated frequency, covering a wide area via sky wave propagation. ... Country music, once known as country and western music, is a popular musical form developed in the southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, spirituals, and the blues. ... Laser (US Air Force) A LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is an optical device which uses a quantum mechanical effect called stimulated emission (discovered by Einstein while researching the photoelectric effect) in order to generate a coherent beam of light from a lasing medium of controlled purity... State nickname: Volunteer State Other U.S. States Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis (largest metropolitan area is Nashville) Governor Phil Bredesen Official languages English Area 109,247 km² (36th)  - Land 106,846 km²  - Water 2,400 km² (2. ... Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus, the most abundant fish species in the world. ... The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly Saturday night country music radio program broadcast live on WSM Radio in Nashville, Tennessee. ... One of the entrances to Opry Mills. ... Length 1,106 km Elevation of the source 480 m Average discharge 3,217 m³/s Area watershed 46,830 km² Origin Oven Fork, Kentucky Mouth Ohio River Basin countries United States The Cumberland River is an important waterway in the southern United States. ...

Specifications

• 2,881 guest rooms, including:
  • 200+ suites
  • 750+ atrium-facing rooms with private balconies
• 109,465 square feet (10,170 m²) of ballroom space
• 319,000 square feet (30,000 m²) of exhibit space
• 5 full-service restaurants
• 5 lounges
• 6 eateries
• 14 retail stores

Sister properties

• Gaylord Palms - Kissimmee, Florida
• Gaylord Texan - Grapevine, Texas
• Gaylord National - Prince George's County, Maryland (Opening 2008)
• ResortQuest

Kissimmee is a city located in Osceola County, Florida. ... Grapevine is a city located in Tarrant County, Texas. ... Prince Georges County is a suburban county located in the state of Maryland immediately east of Washington, D.C.. It is notable as the wealthiest majority-African-American county in the country. ... 2008 is a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Related Gaylord-owned properties in Nashville

• Grand Ole Opry
• General Jackson Showboat
• Ryman Auditorium
• Wildhorse Saloon
• 650 WSM
• Springhouse Links

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly Saturday night country music radio program broadcast live on WSM Radio in Nashville, Tennessee. ... The Ryman Auditorium first opened its doors in 1892 as a vision of Captain Thomas G. Ryman. ... WSM is the call letters of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

External links

• Gaylord Opryland official website
• Gaylord Entertainment corporate website
• Springhouse Links