If it's been more than a couple of years since you visited the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, it's time to take another trip.
The largest nongaming hotel facility in the world, Gaylord Opryland has paid a great deal of attention to its signage over the past couple of years. That has been a tremendous improvement to navigating. With a hotel of this size, with multiple guest-room wings, finding one's way wasn't always so easy.
In fact, the property has undergone an $85 million renovation since 2002; a good $5 million was spent on a “way-finding” program, says Warren Breaux, vice president of sales.
“The new signage package includes more vertical signage and more color-coding. Everyone has a fast-map program, which gives a detailed path and directions when he or she checks in,” says Breaux. Groups get similar maps, including walking directions to the meeting registration desk at the convention center, and there are electronic kiosks that print out directions throughout the building. In addition, the hotel assigns groups to sections within the property, so that it is more like a “hotel within a hotel,” adds Breaux.
There's always something new at the Gaylord Opryland. Religious groups will especially appreciate a new 37,000-square-foot outdoor pavilion with a clear span of 25 feet. “It's perfect for groups that have outgrown our exhibit hall, or for outdoor concerts, or barbecues,” says Breaux.
Other exciting news: The Gaylord Opryland soon will begin construction on a 27,000-square-foot, European-inspired spa, Relâche, scheduled to open next year.
A Relâche spa is open at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center on Lake Grapevine, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the newest property in the Gaylord Hotels brand. Meeting planners would do well to inquire about meetings at the Nashville, Dallas, and Orlando areas (Gaylord Palms); all three are sold by a network of national sales professionals.
“We have been tremendously successful in selling the group of hotels. If planners can consider a rotation pattern over multiple years, we can give them the greatest deal, particularly for those large gatherings that want to meet under one roof.”