Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
A large Nashville resort hotel and convention complex known for its extensive indoor atriums, meeting facilities, entertainment venues, and connection to the Grand Ole Opry.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is a major resort hotel and convention destination in Nashville, Tennessee. The property occupies land beside the former Opryland USA amusement park and was developed to support the Grand Ole Opry after that country-music institution moved to the area in the 1970s. It opened on November 24, 1977, as Opryland Hotel, with 580 guest rooms and a ballroom. From its beginning, the hotel combined conventional lodging and meeting functions with theatrical Southern architecture and highly landscaped interior spaces. The resort grew through several major expansions. Work undertaken between 1983 and 1984 added more than 400 rooms and introduced the Garden Conservatory, an indoor Victorian-style garden maintained at a controlled temperature and filled with thousands of plants. A further 1988 expansion added 797 rooms and created the Cascades Atrium, whose tropical landscaping and large indoor waterfall became defining visual features. The largest early expansion was completed in 1996. It approximately doubled the resort's size, adding about 1,000 guest rooms, meeting rooms, a large exhibit hall, and a ballroom. Its Delta Atrium used a Cajun and Mississippi Delta theme, including an indoor river that guests could travel by flatboat. These spaces helped establish the property as both a destination resort and a large-scale convention venue. The hotel was initially part of the Opryland entertainment and hospitality portfolio. As Gaylord Entertainment developed additional resort properties in Florida and Texas, the Nashville property was renamed Opryland Hotel Nashville. In 2001, the Opryland lodging division was rebranded Gaylord Hotels, and the Nashville property adopted its current name, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. The name change positioned the resort within a broader upscale convention-resort brand while preserving its association with the Opryland legacy. The property suffered extensive damage during the May 2010 Tennessee flood. Water reportedly reached as high as approximately 10 feet in parts of the hotel, and guests were evacuated. After repairs and renovations to guest rooms, restaurants, and atrium areas, the resort reopened on November 15, 2010. The recovery reinforced its role as a high-capacity Nashville hospitality and events venue. A major ownership and operating change followed the sale of the Gaylord Hotels brand and management rights to Marriott International. Announced in 2012 and effective January 1, 2013, the transaction made Marriott the operator of the Gaylord resorts, while the property owner reorganized as Ryman Hospitality Properties and retained ownership of the real estate. Gaylord Opryland therefore operates within the Marriott-managed Gaylord Hotels portfolio while remaining part of Ryman's broader Nashville entertainment and hospitality assets. The resort has continued to expand its guest experience beyond rooms and convention facilities. SoundWaves, an indoor and outdoor water attraction, opened on December 1, 2018, and is primarily available to overnight resort guests for an additional fee. The property remains known for its large climate-controlled atriums, extensive gardens, restaurants, entertainment programming, convention infrastructure, and proximity to Nashville attractions including the Grand Ole Opry. Its positioning centers on combining a self-contained destination resort with a high-volume meetings and events complex.
History
Gaylord Opryland began as Opryland Hotel, a hospitality project linked to the Grand Ole Opry and the Opryland USA entertainment complex. The Grand Ole Opry had relocated to the Nashville site in 1974, and the hotel opened nearby on November 24, 1977. Its original 580-room configuration included a ballroom and a Southern mansion-inspired Magnolia Lobby, establishing the property's combination of lodging, music heritage, and themed architecture. The resort expanded rapidly as Nashville developed into a larger corporate meetings and convention market. Additions made in 1983 and 1984 brought more than 400 rooms and the Garden Conservatory, an indoor planted environment designed to resemble a Victorian garden. In 1988, the resort added 797 rooms and the Cascades Atrium, featuring tropical vegetation, a large waterfall, and expanded guest circulation and check-in facilities. A major expansion completed in 1996 approximately doubled the resort's scale. It added roughly 1,000 rooms, ten meeting rooms, a 289,000-square-foot exhibit hall, and a 57,000-square-foot ballroom. The Delta Atrium introduced a themed indoor river, flatboat rides, musical water features, and extensive tropical landscaping. This expansion strengthened the property's identity as a self-contained convention resort rather than simply a hotel serving the neighboring amusement park. The surrounding entertainment context changed in the late 1990s. Opryland USA closed at the end of 1997 and was later replaced by Opry Mills, which opened in 2000. During the same period, Gaylord Entertainment announced plans for additional Opryland hotels in Florida and Texas. To distinguish the original property from those planned resorts, it was called Opryland Hotel Nashville. In 2001, the company renamed its lodging division Gaylord Hotels and adopted the current Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center name for the Nashville property. In May 2010, severe flooding in Tennessee caused substantial damage to the resort. Guests were evacuated as water rose through portions of the complex. The hotel underwent extensive repairs and renovations, including work on its atriums, guest rooms, and dining facilities, and reopened on November 15 of that year. Gaylord Entertainment explored additional destination development in the early 2010s. In 2012 it announced a proposed partnership with Dolly Parton's Dollywood Company for a Nashville water and seasonal snow park. The proposal was withdrawn after Gaylord's transaction with Marriott was announced, and the project did not proceed in its announced form. The ownership and operating structure changed on January 1, 2013. Marriott International acquired the Gaylord Hotels brand and the right to manage the four Gaylord resorts, while Gaylord Entertainment reorganized as Ryman Hospitality Properties and retained ownership of the real estate. Gaylord Opryland consequently became a Marriott-operated resort within the Gaylord Hotels portfolio. The resort later invested in a dedicated water attraction. Ryman Hospitality Properties announced SoundWaves in 2017, and the indoor and outdoor facility opened on December 1, 2018. It was designed mainly for overnight resort guests, with access generally sold separately from accommodation. The property continues to combine guest rooms, convention infrastructure, restaurants, gardens, themed atriums, entertainment, and resort amenities, while benefiting from its location near the Grand Ole Opry and other Nashville attractions.
- 2018
SoundWaves opens
[1]The resort opens its indoor and outdoor SoundWaves water attraction for overnight guests.
- 2013
Marriott begins operating the resort
[1]The Marriott transaction takes effect, with Marriott operating the Gaylord resort portfolio and Ryman Hospitality Properties retaining property ownership.
- 2010
Flood recovery and reopening
[1]After major flood damage and a temporary closure, the renovated resort reopens on November 15.
- 2001
Property adopts the Gaylord Opryland name
[1]The Opryland lodging division becomes Gaylord Hotels, and the Nashville hotel is renamed Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
- 2000
Opry Mills opens on the former amusement-park site
[1]The former Opryland USA site becomes Opry Mills, changing the commercial surroundings of the resort.
- 1996
Delta Atrium and convention expansion completed
[1]A large expansion approximately doubles the resort's size and adds rooms, meeting rooms, exhibit space, a ballroom, and the Delta Atrium's indoor river.
- 1988
Cascades Atrium added
[1]The resort adds 797 rooms and the Cascades Atrium, including a major indoor waterfall and tropical plantings.
- 1984
Garden Conservatory expansion
[1]An expansion adds more than 400 guest rooms and creates the indoor Garden Conservatory.
- 1977
Opryland Hotel opens
[1]The 580-room Opryland Hotel opens beside the Opryland USA amusement park and near the Grand Ole Opry.
Products and positioning
An immersive destination resort and convention complex that combines large-scale business events with landscaped indoor environments, family attractions, dining, entertainment, and Nashville country-music heritage.
Accommodation · 1977
Guest rooms and suites
The resort's core lodging product supports leisure travelers, families, group tours, and convention attendees. Accommodation is integrated into a large destination complex with indoor atriums, restaurants, entertainment, and event facilities. The property has expanded repeatedly since its original 1977 opening, making room inventory a central component of its convention-resort model.
Meetings and events · 1977
Convention facilities
Gaylord Opryland provides meeting rooms, ballrooms, and exhibit areas for corporate conventions, trade events, conferences, weddings, and large social functions. The 1996 expansion significantly increased its event capacity and reinforced the property's role as a major Nashville meetings destination.
Resort attractions · 1984
Indoor atriums
The Garden, Cascades, and Delta atriums form the resort's signature architectural and experiential offering. They use climate-controlled interior landscapes, waterfalls, tropical plants, themed scenery, water features, dining, and walking areas to create a destination environment independent of Nashville's weather.
Water attraction · 2018
SoundWaves
SoundWaves is an indoor and outdoor water attraction opened at the resort in 2018. It is designed primarily for overnight guests and is generally accessed through an additional charge, extending the property's family-resort offering beyond accommodation, dining, and atrium sightseeing.
Controversies
2014
Wi-Fi hotspot interference controversy
The FCC fined Marriott $600,000 after finding that its hotel personnel had interfered with consumer-owned Wi-Fi hotspots in convention areas. The agency said the activity disrupted personal connections and encouraged users to purchase the hotel's paid internet service. Marriott maintained that its equipment and conduct were intended to protect networks and disputed the agency's legal interpretation.
Brand decisions
2017
Develop SoundWavesProduct launchBackground
Ryman Hospitality sought to add a resort-exclusive family attraction and deepen the property's destination positioning.
Action taken
Ryman announced construction of SoundWaves, an indoor and outdoor water park for resort guests.
Aftermath
SoundWaves opened in December 2018 and became an additional paid amenity for overnight guests.
Announced project cost. $90 million (Announced January 25, 2017)
2012
Transfer Gaylord brand and management rights to MarriottM&ABackground
Gaylord Entertainment sought to change its corporate structure while preserving ownership of its resort real estate.
Action taken
Gaylord announced a $210 million sale of the Gaylord Hotels brand and management rights for its four resorts to Marriott International. The transaction became effective in 2013, while Gaylord Entertainment reorganized as Ryman Hospitality Properties.
Aftermath
Marriott became the operator and Ryman retained ownership of Gaylord Opryland and the other resort properties.
Transaction value. $210 million (Announced May 31, 2012; effective January 1, 2013)
2012
Cancel proposed Nashville water and snow park partnershipStrategyBackground
Gaylord Entertainment had announced a proposed project with Dolly Parton's Dollywood Company on land near the resort.
Action taken
Dolly Parton withdrew from the partnership after the Marriott transaction was announced, ending the proposed project.
Aftermath
The announced Nashville theme-park development did not proceed in its original form.
2010
Rebuild after the Tennessee floodOtherBackground
Severe flooding caused extensive damage and required the evacuation of guests.
Action taken
The resort closed for repairs and renovations affecting guest rooms, atriums, restaurants, and related facilities.
Aftermath
Gaylord Opryland reopened on November 15, 2010, with renovated public areas and expanded dining offerings.
2001
Adopt the Gaylord Opryland identityStrategyBackground
Gaylord Entertainment was developing additional resort hotels and needed a unified lodging identity distinct from the earlier Opryland name.
Action taken
The company renamed its lodging division Gaylord Hotels and changed Opryland Hotel Nashville to Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.
Aftermath
The Nashville property became the flagship resort associated with the Gaylord Hotels convention-resort portfolio.
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