GAYLORD OPRYLAND HOTEL By Norma Dooley, Hotel Chair
On Thanksgiving in 1977, the Opryland Hotel opened its doors to guests for the first time. It was given a general theme toward “Southern Hospitality” and was built to support the Grand Ole Opry and Opryland Theme park. At the time of opening, it had 58 guest rooms and a ballroom. The Magnolia Lobby was designed to resemble a grand Southern mansion with an impressive staircase and Tiffany style chandelier. 1984 – seven years later, the hotel had outgrown its size and was expanded to accommodate an increasing number of guests. The hotel added 480 guest rooms and facilities to accommodate a meeting and convention market. A Garden Conservatory resembling a Victorian garden was added. The atrium maintained a constant temperature of 71 degrees and housed more than 10,000 plants. 1988 – In 1988, 2 acres and 797 guest rooms were added to the hotel. The Cascades Atrium was built, including a 3.5 story waterfall and more than 8,000 tropical plants. The Cascades Lobby expanded to 24 check-in stations that could check-in 500 guests per hour when necessary. There were several expansions to the hotel over the years:
a 57,000 square foot ballroom. The outstanding feature of this addition was the inclusion of the Delta Atrium, which included a quarter mile long Delta River. Delta Flatboats were included to carry guests along the river past a water feature with a fountain choregraphed to music. 2010 – On May 2, 2010, a flood devastated Nashville and caused considerable damage to the Opryland hotel. Guests were evacuated as the flood waters rose as high as 10 feet in some parts of the hotel. The hotel underwent renovations and reopened November 15, 2010. Repairs and renovations to the famed hotel included the addition of five restaurants and restoration of the atriums and guest rooms. Present Day – Known today as the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, it has 2881 guest rooms & suites. More than 750 garden atrium rooms overlook the hotel’s 9 acres of indoor gardens. With the glitzy atriums, fine dining, shopping and entertainment, the hotel isn’t just a place for meetings or to stay on vacation, it’s also an experience unto itself. It is next door to the legendary Grand Ole Opry and a short shuttle ride away from the Ryman Auditorium and downtown Nashville. Step inside the Opryland Hotel and you will marvel at the beauty of the lush plants in the atriums, waterfalls and the river that flows through the lobbies. And who knows what Country or Movie star you might run into.
1996 – A 4.5-acre expansion doubled the size of the resort, adding 1024 guest rooms, 10 meeting rooms and
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