Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center
A large resort hotel and convention center in Grapevine, Texas, with extensive meeting facilities, guest accommodations, seasonal attractions, and event programming.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center is a large-scale resort and meetings property in Grapevine, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth area of the United States. The resort opened on April 2, 2004, and was developed as part of the Gaylord Hotels portfolio, a collection of destination resorts designed to combine substantial convention capacity with full-service lodging, entertainment, dining, and seasonal attractions. The property is owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties and operated by Marriott International. The resort’s principal business is accommodation and large-event hosting. It has 1,814 guest rooms and approximately 486,000 square feet of meeting space, making it a significant venue for corporate conventions, trade gatherings, association meetings, competitions, and other organized events. Its location in Grapevine places it close to the Dallas–Fort Worth region while allowing it to operate as a self-contained destination resort. The property’s offer therefore extends beyond ordinary hotel rooms: its convention business, event infrastructure, restaurants, entertainment venues, seasonal programming, and indoor resort environments are central to its identity. Gaylord Texan is part of a broader group of destination properties that includes Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, and Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. The properties share a focus on combining large convention facilities with distinctive regional or thematic resort environments. At Gaylord Texan, the positioning emphasizes a Texas-oriented destination experience linked to business events and leisure stays. One of the resort’s recurring attractions is its winter holiday programming. The property has presented ICE! and related Lone Star Christmas events, with the ice exhibition receiving a different theme in different years. Past themes have included A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Nutcracker, Shrek, and Frosty the Snowman. These programs supplement the resort’s convention calendar and help broaden its appeal during the holiday season. The Glass Cactus nightclub, located at the property, was recognized by Billboard in 2012 as one of its 25 Hottest Clubs in North America. The resort has hosted a wide range of recurring and one-off gatherings. It has served as a venue for QuakeCon in multiple years, including 2004, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018, and 2023 through 2026. It hosted the National Conference of the Technology Student Association in 2015 and the organization’s national competition in 2022. Other documented events include Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in January 2020, the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ annual meeting in 2023, and the Turning Point USA Young Women's Leadership Summit in June 2025. The hotel has also been used for the College Football Playoff selection committee’s weekly rankings meetings during the latter part of the NCAA Division I football season, including the final meeting that determines the four teams advancing to the national championship. Like other Gaylord Hotels properties, Gaylord Texan temporarily closed in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened in June 2020 with new safety protocols. The property remains an active hotel and convention venue, although publicly available reference material does not establish a separate legal corporate entity, a standalone stock listing, or a current individual executive roster for the property itself.
History
Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center opened on April 2, 2004, in Grapevine, Texas. The property was created as a destination resort and convention center serving the Dallas–Fort Worth market. Its business model combines hotel accommodation with a very large inventory of meeting and exhibition space, allowing it to host conventions, association meetings, corporate gatherings, competitions, entertainment events, and seasonal leisure programs under one roof. The resort contains 1,814 guest rooms and approximately 486,000 square feet of meeting space. These dimensions place it among the larger convention-oriented hotel properties in the region. Rather than operating solely as a conventional lodging facility, Gaylord Texan was designed to function as an integrated destination. Its convention infrastructure is supported by resort amenities, food and beverage operations, entertainment, nightlife, and recurring attractions intended to keep both event participants and leisure guests on the property. Gaylord Texan belongs to the Gaylord Hotels family of destination resorts. Its sister properties include Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, and Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. The group’s properties are characterized by the combination of substantial meeting capacity and themed or regionally distinctive resort settings. Gaylord Texan’s identity is tied to Texas and to its location near the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Ownership is held by Ryman Hospitality Properties, while Marriott International operates the hotel. The property has developed a recurring calendar beyond business conferences. Its winter programming has included ICE! and Lone Star Christmas, with the ICE! exhibition changing themes over time. Documented themes include A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Nutcracker, Shrek, and Frosty the Snowman. The seasonal program gives the resort a consumer-facing holiday attraction in addition to its convention business. The Glass Cactus nightclub at the resort also gained external recognition when Billboard named it among the 25 Hottest Clubs in North America in 2012. Gaylord Texan has been used by organizations from a broad range of sectors. It hosted QuakeCon in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018, and again during the 2023–2026 period. The resort hosted the National Conference of the Technology Student Association from June 28 to July 2, 2015, and the National TSA Competition in 2022. In January 2020, it hosted Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, an annual event for the heavy-duty truck industry. The property also hosted the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ annual meeting in 2023 and the Turning Point USA Young Women's Leadership Summit in June 2025. The resort has also had a role in college football administration. During the latter half of the NCAA Division I football season, the College Football Playoff committee convenes at the hotel on a weekly basis to rank the top 25 teams. Its final meeting determines the four teams that advance to the national championship competition. This recurring use illustrates the property’s importance as a national meeting venue rather than only a local hotel. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the resort’s operations. Gaylord Hotels properties across the United States closed in March 2020, including Gaylord Texan. The hotel reopened in June 2020 after adopting new safety protocols. Public reference material confirms the property’s continuing operation but does not provide a complete chronology of later renovations, ownership transactions, financial performance, or individual property executives. Gaylord Texan is therefore best understood as an active, owner-operated destination hotel within the Ryman Hospitality Properties portfolio and a Marriott-operated venue with a strong convention and seasonal-attraction focus.
- 2025
Young Women's Leadership Summit
[1]The Turning Point USA Young Women's Leadership Summit took place at the resort in June.
- 2023
National Association of Landscape Professionals meeting
[1]The resort hosted the association’s annual meeting.
- 2022
Technology Student Association national competition
[1]Gaylord Texan hosted the National TSA Competition.
- 2020
Pandemic closure and reopening
[1]The resort closed in March during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened in June with new safety protocols.
- 2015
Technology Student Association national conference
[1]The property hosted the National Conference of the Technology Student Association from June 28 through July 2.
- 2012
Glass Cactus recognized by Billboard
[1]The resort’s Glass Cactus nightclub was named to Billboard’s list of the 25 Hottest Clubs in North America.
- 2004
Gaylord Texan opens
[1]The resort hotel and convention center opened in Grapevine, Texas, on April 2.
- 2004
First documented QuakeCon hosting
[1]Gaylord Texan hosted QuakeCon, a Texas-based gaming convention, in 2004.
Products and positioning
A destination resort in the Dallas–Fort Worth region that combines large convention capacity with full-service lodging, entertainment, seasonal attractions, and a Texas-themed hospitality environment.
Hotel accommodation · 2004
Guest rooms
Gaylord Texan provides 1,814 guest rooms as part of its destination-resort model. The lodging inventory supports convention attendees, business travelers, families visiting seasonal attractions, and other leisure guests staying at the property.
Events and business hospitality · 2004
Convention and meeting facilities
The resort offers approximately 486,000 square feet of meeting space. The facilities are used for corporate conventions, trade gatherings, association meetings, student competitions, industry events, and other large organized programs.
Seasonal attraction
ICE! and Lone Star Christmas
The resort’s annual holiday programming includes ICE! and Lone Star Christmas activities. ICE! exhibits use changing themes, with documented past themes including A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Nutcracker, Shrek, and Frosty the Snowman.
Nightlife and entertainment
Glass Cactus
Glass Cactus is the nightclub located at Gaylord Texan. It received national nightlife attention in 2012 when Billboard included it among the 25 Hottest Clubs in North America.
Marketing campaigns
- ICE! and Lone Star Christmas
United States
Gaylord Texan runs recurring holiday programming centered on ICE! and Lone Star Christmas. The ICE! exhibition changes its theme in different years and has featured properties and characters including A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Nutcracker, Shrek, and Frosty the Snowman.
Outcome. The program serves as a recurring seasonal attraction that complements the resort’s convention and lodging businesses.
Brand decisions
2020
Reopening with COVID-19 safety protocolsStrategyBackground
Gaylord Hotels properties in the United States closed in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Action taken
Gaylord Texan reopened in June 2020 with new safety protocols.
Aftermath
The reopening restored the property’s hotel and convention operations after the pandemic-related closure.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/gaylord-texan-resort-hotel-and-convention-center · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled