Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center is a large resort hotel and convention venue in Kissimmee, Florida, near Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on February 2, 2002, as the Florida property of the Gaylord Hotels portfolio. The resort was initially planned under the name Opryland Hotel Florida, but Gaylord Entertainment’s decision to rebrand its Opryland Hotels division as Gaylord Hotels in October 2001 led to the property being named Gaylord Palms instead. The property combines destination-resort accommodation, themed attractions, food and beverage, wellness facilities, seasonal entertainment, and extensive event infrastructure. It is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties and operated by Marriott International. The hotel is part of a group of large Gaylord resorts that includes properties in Nashville, Texas, Maryland, Colorado, and California. It also functions as a major convention venue for the Orlando tourism corridor and has been described as the de facto convention center for Osceola County while the county considers development of a separate dedicated facility. Gaylord Palms is organized around a 4.6-acre glass-covered atrium containing more than 500,000 plants and representations of Florida landscapes, wildlife, and architecture. Its themed areas include St. Augustine, Key West, The Everglades, Emerald Bay, and Gulf Coast. These environments are designed to make the resort itself an attraction rather than simply a base for visitors to Central Florida’s theme parks. The St. Augustine area includes a wedding gazebo, an interpretation of Castillo de San Marcos, an alligator exhibit, and artifacts associated with the wreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha. Key West draws on the atmosphere of Mallory Square and includes the MOOR seafood restaurant, which is centered on a large sailboat feature. The Everglades area contains Old Hickory Steakhouse and the resort spa, while Emerald Bay incorporates meeting facilities, suites, retail, and guest amenities. The resort’s convention business is a central part of its identity. Its approximately 500,000 square feet of meeting space includes the Florida Exhibition Hall, a large exhibition and prefunction area, and the Osceola Ballroom, which has a permanent performance stage and related backstage facilities. Accommodation includes guest rooms, suites, and themed areas with distinct room inventories. A major expansion completed in 2021 added more than 300 rooms and suites, approximately 100,000 square feet of convention space, and an expanded Cypress Springs Water Park with an action-river attraction. Seasonal programming is another important component of the property’s positioning. Its Christmas offering has included large-scale programming such as Best of Florida Christmas and ICE!, an indoor ice attraction carved from roughly two million pounds of ice and maintained at a temperature of about 9 degrees Fahrenheit. The resort also provides a complimentary shuttle to the four Walt Disney World parks and Disney Springs, reinforcing its appeal to leisure travelers as well as convention delegates. In 2025, Gaylord Palms announced or unveiled a renovation valued at $134 million. The work covered the main lobby, 1,418 guest rooms and suites, two principal dining venues—Old Hickory Steakhouse and Socio—and approximately 77,000 square feet of meeting space. The property is also a member of the Great Hotels of the World alliance. Its overall proposition is a self-contained, experience-led convention resort that uses Florida-themed architecture, indoor attractions, entertainment, and large-scale event capacity to differentiate itself within the competitive Orlando-area hospitality market.

Gaylord Palms was developed as a Florida resort and convention property for the Gaylord Hotels division, which was associated with Gaylord Entertainment Company. The project was originally expected to carry the name Opryland Hotel Florida, reflecting the earlier identity of Gaylord’s hotel business. On October 26, 2001, Gaylord Entertainment announced the rebranding of its Opryland Hotels division as Gaylord Hotels. The Florida project subsequently received the Gaylord Palms name, linking it to the new national resort portfolio while emphasizing its Florida setting. The resort opened in Kissimmee on February 2, 2002. Its location placed it in the Central Florida tourism corridor, close to Walt Disney World Resort, Interstate 4, the Central Florida GreeneWay, and U.S. Route 192. Rather than relying solely on proximity to theme parks, the property was designed as an attraction in its own right. A large glass-covered atrium became the architectural and experiential center of the resort. The atrium is divided into themed districts representing different aspects of Florida and contains extensive vegetation, water features, wildlife displays, restaurants, shops, event areas, and guest accommodation. The principal atrium districts are St. Augustine, Key West, The Everglades, Emerald Bay, and Gulf Coast. St. Augustine uses colonial Spanish references and includes a wedding gazebo, a representation of Castillo de San Marcos, an alligator exhibit, and displays connected with the wreck of Nuestra Señora de Atocha. Key West evokes the Florida Keys and includes a large sailboat feature associated with the MOOR restaurant. The Everglades area is built around the visual language of Florida’s wetlands and includes Old Hickory Steakhouse and the spa. Emerald Bay includes suites, shops, and meeting space, while Gulf Coast contains additional guest rooms and suites. From its opening, Gaylord Palms combined lodging with a substantial convention operation. The resort has approximately 500,000 square feet of meeting space, including the Florida Exhibition Hall, the Osceola Ballroom, prefunction areas, and a permanent performance stage with backstage support. This capacity made the property an important event venue for Osceola County and the wider Orlando market. It has also been characterized as the county’s de facto convention center pending the development of a separate public facility. The property developed a seasonal-entertainment identity in addition to its meetings business. Its Christmas programming has included Best of Florida Christmas and ICE!, a temperature-controlled ice attraction made from roughly two million pounds of ice. These programs extend the resort’s appeal beyond overnight guests and business events, helping it compete as a family and holiday destination. The resort also offers transportation to Walt Disney World’s four theme parks and Disney Springs, supporting its position within the broader Orlando leisure ecosystem. In 2021, Gaylord Palms completed its largest expansion to that point. The project added more than 300 rooms and suites, approximately 100,000 square feet of convention space, and an expanded Cypress Springs Water Park featuring an action-river attraction. The investment increased both the resort’s accommodation capacity and its ability to host large meetings and exhibitions. The property is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties and operated by Marriott International. It remains part of the Gaylord resort family, alongside Gaylord Opryland, Gaylord Texan, Gaylord National, Gaylord Rockies, and Gaylord Pacific. In 2025, the resort unveiled a further renovation valued at $134 million. The project addressed the main lobby, 1,418 rooms and suites, Old Hickory Steakhouse, Socio, and approximately 77,000 square feet of meeting space. These updates indicate an ongoing strategy of maintaining the property as a large, self-contained resort while refreshing its rooms, public areas, dining offer, and convention infrastructure.

• 2025

  Major renovation unveiled

  [1]Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Centeren.wikipedia.org

  A renovation project refreshed the main lobby, 1,418 rooms and suites, two dining venues, and approximately 77,000 square feet of meeting space.

• 2021

  Largest expansion completed

  [1]Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The resort added more than 300 rooms and suites, approximately 100,000 square feet of convention space, and an action-river attraction within the expanded Cypress Springs Water Park.

• 2002

  Resort opens in Kissimmee

  [1]Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center opened on February 2, 2002, near Orlando and Walt Disney World.

• 2001

  Opryland Hotels becomes Gaylord Hotels

  [1]Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Gaylord Entertainment rebranded its Opryland Hotels division as Gaylord Hotels. The Florida project, initially associated with the Opryland Hotel Florida name, was subsequently named Gaylord Palms.

A large-scale, themed destination resort and convention center serving leisure travelers, families, weddings, corporate meetings, exhibitions, and seasonal-event visitors in the Orlando-area market.

• Hotel accommodation · 2002

  Guest rooms and suites

  Gaylord Palms provides a large inventory of hotel rooms and suites distributed through themed sections of the resort. The property’s accommodation is integrated into the atrium experience, allowing guests to stay within a Florida-themed environment while accessing dining, entertainment, water-park, spa, and convention facilities. The 2021 expansion added more than 300 rooms and suites, and the 2025 renovation refreshed 1,418 rooms and suites.

• Convention and event services · 2002

  Gaylord Palms Convention Center

  The convention center offers approximately 500,000 square feet of meeting and event space for corporate gatherings, exhibitions, conferences, performances, weddings, and social functions. Its facilities include the Florida Exhibition Hall, a large exhibition and prefunction area, the Osceola Ballroom, and a permanent performance stage with green rooms and dressing rooms. The venue is a major convention asset for the Orlando-area market and Osceola County.

• Seasonal attraction

  ICE!

  ICE! is a large, temperature-controlled holiday attraction presented as part of the resort’s Christmas programming. The attraction uses roughly two million pounds of ice that is hand-carved into themed displays and maintained at approximately 9 degrees Fahrenheit. It gives Gaylord Palms a seasonal entertainment product capable of attracting both overnight guests and day visitors.

• Seasonal entertainment

  Best of Florida Christmas

  Best of Florida Christmas is part of Gaylord Palms’ holiday programming. The program uses the resort’s atrium and themed environments for large-scale seasonal displays and activities, complementing ICE! and positioning the property as a Christmas destination in the Central Florida market.

• Resort recreation

  Cypress Springs Water Park

  Cypress Springs Water Park is the resort’s aquatic recreation offering. Its expansion in 2021 added an action-river attraction, broadening the family-oriented amenities available to hotel guests and strengthening the property’s destination-resort proposition beyond accommodation and convention services.

• Restaurant

  Old Hickory Steakhouse

  Old Hickory Steakhouse is Gaylord Palms’ signature steakhouse, located in the Everglades-themed area. It is one of the resort’s principal dining venues and was included in the 2025 renovation program.

• Restaurant

  MOOR

  MOOR is a seafood restaurant in the Key West-themed area. Its setting is organized around a large sailboat feature approximately 65 feet long, reinforcing the restaurant’s maritime and Florida Keys-inspired identity.

• Bar and lobby venue

  Socio

  Socio is the bar in the resort’s main lobby. It was included in the 2025 renovation program, which refreshed the lobby experience and dining and beverage offer.

• Christmas at Gaylord Palms

  United States · Central Florida

  The resort’s Christmas programming combines large-scale seasonal events, themed atrium decoration, family activities, Best of Florida Christmas, and the ICE! attraction. The program is designed to make the hotel a holiday destination as well as an accommodation and convention venue.

  Outcome. The programming became a recurring seasonal component of the resort’s destination positioning.

  Source

• 2025

  Property-wide renovationStrategy

  Background

  The resort continued to refresh its large-scale accommodation, public spaces, dining venues, and meetings infrastructure.

  Action taken

  A reported $134 million renovation redesigned the main lobby and 1,418 guest rooms and suites, renovated Old Hickory Steakhouse and Socio, and refreshed approximately 77,000 square feet of meeting space.

  Aftermath

  The work updated the resort’s guest-facing and convention facilities while preserving its themed destination-resort model.

  Renovation investment. $134 million (2025)

  Source

• 2021

  Large-scale resort and convention expansionGeneration change

  Background

  The resort sought to increase both its lodging capacity and its ability to host large conventions while adding more family-oriented recreation.

  Action taken

  A reported $158 million project added more than 300 guest rooms and suites, approximately 100,000 square feet of convention space, and an action-river attraction at Cypress Springs Water Park.

  Aftermath

  The expansion increased the property’s capacity as an integrated leisure and meetings destination.

  Project investment. $158 million (2021)

  Source

• 2001

  Florida project renamed as part of Gaylord Hotels rebrandStrategy

  Background

  The property had originally been associated with the planned Opryland Hotel Florida name. Gaylord Entertainment rebranded its Opryland Hotels division as Gaylord Hotels in October 2001.

  Action taken

  The Florida resort adopted the Gaylord Palms name rather than opening as an Opryland-branded hotel.

  Aftermath

  The property became part of the Gaylord resort portfolio and was positioned as a major Florida destination resort and convention venue.

  Source

• 2020-12-04

  Gaylord Palms announces Wild Florida wildlife partnership[2]Gaylord Palms宣布与Wild Florida建立野生动物合作关系prnewswire.com

  Reported: 2020-12-04

  Gaylord Palms announced Wild Florida as its new wildlife partner, with Wild Florida providing educational and interactive guest experiences, including animal encounters and live shows.

1. 1Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Centeren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Gaylord Palms宣布与Wild Florida建立野生动物合作关系prnewswire.com