GAYLORD OPRYLAND HOTEL IS
A WORLD UNTO ITSELF
by
Marlene
Alexander
Nashville, Tennessee – Hotels rarely rate superlatives like
"amazing" or "extraordinary" but then most
hotels don’t have nine acres of indoor gardens or a river
complete with boat rides under their roof. The Gaylord Opryland
Hotel has all of that and more. Each of the four different
sections of the Hotel was given a title appropriate to its
theme. We walked out of the lobby and into my idea of heaven.
Cascades, as its name implies, is all about water with a 12,500
sq. ft. lake as its focal point and masses of tropical plant
life. At one end of the lake, three waterfalls ranging from 23
to 35 ft. tall tumble down a 40 ft. high mountain. In the middle
of the lake is the Cascades Terrace, a revolving lounge and at
the far end is the Cascades Restaurant, which serves, what else,
seafood. While the lightening flashed and a storm threatened, we
dined confidently under the six-story glass dome and watched
water mushrooming from small fountains and rock formations
squirting streams of water back and forth in perfectly
choreographed arcs.
While my husband and his partner conducted a search engine
workshop at the conference center, I explored the Garden
Conservatory. This was the first indoor garden of its kind at
the Gaylord Opryland and all of the hotel’s indoor gardens are
patterned after this one. It’s an Eden-like setting, free of
winged pests and inclement weather, just right for taking a
peaceful stroll along paths winding past gurgling streams, pools
of fringetail goldfish and a picturesque waterfall. Secluded
park benches make great places for romantic interludes and,
perhaps, to pop the proverbial question. The walkways also lead
to unique places to eat like Ristorante Volare, an Italian
restaurant in a setting suggestive of a sidewalk cafe.
The section called the Delta has 4.5 acres of indoor gardens
under its glass dome. A waterfall flows into the indoor Delta
River, home of Opryland’s flatboat rides. As we boarded, my
fellow passengers and I were asked to keep the center platform
free, as this is reserved for those in wheelchairs. While we
enjoyed the 15-minute, quarter mile ride, we were informed that
each of the hundreds of glass panels in the dome are three
inches thick and able to withstand golf ball-sized hail and high
winds. The Delta River winds leisurely around Delta Island and
abounds with eel, catfish, carp and bass, some over 40 pounds.
We traveled past several waterfalls and the centerpiece fountain
that contains dozens of small waterspouts and one large central
spray that periodically sends a column of water 85 feet into the
air. About every ten minutes, this fountain performs a
ten-minute musical "dance" and at night, coloured
lights lend an additional beauty to the presentation. The
plaques alongside the Delta river ride recount the more than
1700 sites around the world where water was obtained and
"blended" into the Delta River to commemorate the
opening of Phase lV – The Delta – at Opryland.
Delta Island reminded me of a portion of amusement park with
its New Orleans-themed ambiance. A variety of themed shops, like
the Coca Cola General Store, complete with soda fountain, along
with a souvenir cart and the flatboat ride added to that
feeling. There is also a food court, which serves up chicken,
pizza, BBQ ribs, and deli sandwiches. Cookies, yogurt and ice
cream can also be found throughout Delta Island. The Old Hickory
Steakhouse, a two-story antebellum house seating 400, dominates
the scene in the Delta.
The luxuriant gardens beneath the hotel’s three glass-domed
atriums consist of about 50,000 plants made up of 445 species,
including banana trees, Amazon lilies, gardenia and a wide
variety of palm trees. In fact, over 90% of the hotel plants
come from exotic climates like Africa, India and Japan. It takes
a crew of 100 gardeners to care for all of the plant life inside
and out. Many of the inner rooms at the Gaylord Opryland have
balconies overlooking the beauty of the inner courtyards. In
total, there are 2,884 guest rooms and 200 suites including the
lavish Presidential Suite.
The section of the hotel called Magnolia was the original
concept for the Gaylord Opryland. The magnificent central
staircase put me in mind of an interior shot from the movie
"Gone With the Wind". Magnolia boosts several unique
shops and lounges like Miss Scarlet’s Jewelry and Gifts, The
Pickin’ Parlor and Rusty’s Sports Bar, which is a
ballpark-like setting with stadium and boxing ring seating and
25 televisions.
It’s easy to see why a map of the hotel came with our key
card. The Gaylord Opryland’s four hotel sections include over
20 shops, 24 restaurants and lounges and three pools. Add to
that an extensive convention center with five ballrooms, nine
exhibit halls and dozens of meeting rooms and the Gaylord
Opryland has earned its title as the largest hotel and
conference center under one roof in the world.
The Opryland Hotel is only about a ten-minute walk to the
famous Grand Ole Opry and other attractions, including The
General Jackson; a paddle wheel steamboat that takes passengers
for cruises on the Cumberland River. You can buy tickets for
these events right in the hotel and a shuttle bus service is
available to take you to all of the attractions connected with
the hotel.
See other
Hotels the SEO Workshop is scheduled to visit
The Gaylord Opryland Hotel is located at 2800 Opryland Drive,
Nashville, TN 37214, telephone 615-889-1000. For more
information visit their website at www.opryhotel.com or email
them at info@gaylordhotels.com.
