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By Mandy Phillips
Staying at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel truly was like being transported to an ideal world where lush tropical surroundings make any real-life troubles vanish under the bright lights of the glass atrium rainforests! (I honestly think I could write a novel about my two-night stay at this unbelievable resort, but for the sake of space and time, I'll do my best to hit on the high points!) Upon check-in, I was greeted by what I would soon discover is one of the friendliest, most accommodating staffs I've ever encountered. Every person I met and talked to at the hotel had a smile on their face, the information I needed, and a positive attitude unlike any other I've seen.
Hotel Overview
At check-in, I received a map to the sprawling, 40-acre complex, a guide to the services, restaurants, features, and other highlights, and a color-coded room key. I have to say that the color-coded system at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel is a pure stroke of genius. The colors on the map correspond to the color of each guest room key, which also correspond to the color of the carpet in each section of the hotel. The resort has three incredible tropical atriums under glass, and it would be easy to get confused as to which one you were currently in. The color-coded system let me know, though, that when I was on sage-colored carpet that matched my sage-colored key, I was in the right place. Brilliant!
The highlight of the hotel is, of course, the three sprawling tropical atriums. Waterfalls, fountains, lush foliage, tropical trees, and a temperate environment can be found in all three. The only problem is my lack of ability in finding the words that do the hotel justice! It truly is a place you have to see to believe. To illustrate that, I'll share a little story about my co-worker Andrew. In the amount of time that I've known him, I've only seen Andrew get even remotely excited about anything one time. Even then, it was a fleeting moment of expression that was followed quickly by his signature stoicism. When he arrived inside the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, though, Andrew was nearly squealing (sorry, Andy!) with excitement. He was clearly awestruck, something I never would have imagined would come from the likes of him.
Guest Rooms
Ernie, the extremely polite gentleman who showed me to my room, offered up some great information about the atriums and the hotel altogether. I was fortunate to have a Garden View room overlooking the Garden Conservatory. The Garden View rooms cost a bit more than standard rooms, but the spectacular views and the sound of bubbling waterfalls and splashing fountains is well worth it. After I managed to tear myself away from the incredible garden views, I got a chance to explore the rest of the room. As I would find out later that night, sleeping on the plush King bed was a dream unto itself, and the large flat-screen television featured plenty of channels for anyone who managed to have extra time. (A side note for country music fans: The cable television provided at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel featured both major country music video channels - CMT and GAC - which I thought was just the coolest thing in the world!).
Even the little details were remarkable. In all honesty, hotel bath amenities don't usually hold a whole lot of thrill for me, but as with most everything else at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, I was amazed at how incredible even the bath soap and lotion were! As evidenced by the positive attitudes held by every staff member I encountered, the hotel clearly has a strong dedication to service. As a matter of fact, even the guest room telephone featured a button labeled "Consider It Done." Push that button, and you're directed to customer service representatives who seemed more than happy to accommodate any request.
A word to the wise for anyone staying at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel - don't make the mistake of overbooking your time in Nashville! You'll want to spend at least the better part of a day exploring this resort. Nine acres of the resort is housed under glass, and you can stroll along the paths, enjoy a ride on the Delta Flatboats, dine at some of the many restaurants, shop for gifts and souvenirs, and much more. While it is somewhat easy to get turned around as you cross bridges and pass by streams, the hotel features countless map stands to help you find your way. As I mentioned earlier, the staff here is also incredible and it was easy to find plenty of folks to help point you in the right direction.
Delta Flatboat Ride
Again, I was a little bit skeptical about the Delta Flatboats. What could you possibly see from the boats, I wondered, that you couldn't see from the walkways, bridges, and balconies overlooking the Delta Atrium? As it turned out, quite a bit! Our guide offered plenty of interesting facts about the resort along the way, including details about the Delta River itself. The resort sent out more than 1,700 empty Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey bottles across the United States, and asked folks to fill the bottles with water from local lakes, rivers, and streams to send back. That water was added to the Delta River, along with plenty of water from the nearby Cumberland River, to create a truly All-American waterway. To make things even more fun, the hotel erected several plaques along the river that show what water bodies have samples in the river, making it fun to read along to see what rivers and lakes near your home are included in the river.
But back to the ride. Along the route, several species of fish - including carp, largemouth bass, catfish, a unique albino catfish, perch, and other - swam alongside the boat, and ducks splashed around in the water. There were also several large waterfalls and fountains that I hadn't seen from the walkways or balconies. Best of all, though, it offered a peaceful look at this incredible venture away from the concrete sidewalks and murmuring voices. As my co-worker pointed out, it truly was like a utopia!
Dining & Entertainment
The convenience of having so many restaurants on-site made dining a breeze during my stay here. Shortly after arriving on Monday, we had lunch at the Cascades Restaurant. With the sound of waterfalls and chirping birds in the background, we looked over the huge selection on the menu. The restaurant also features a popular sushi bar, and the cordial waitstaff brought over a sushi menu for those choosing that delicacy to select exactly what they wanted. I opted for the Fresh Seasonal Fruit Plate, and was spell-bound when it arrived. Although the fruit apparently alternates throughout the year, my enormous platter featured pineapple, kiwi, bananas, grapes, raspberries, orange slices, a bran muffin, and more. It was beautiful to look at, and even more pleasing to eat. Plus, I had plenty left over to take back to my room.
For dinner that night, we headed over to Volare Ristorante. As we dined under the glowing lights designed in the style of an outdoor Italian cafe, we looked over the menu. The atmosphere here was amazing, and as the sun set over the edge of atrium, soft Italian music played in the background. (Fantastico!) Volare offers a full wine and drink menu, as well as a huge selection of pastas, salads, and speciality dishes. I'm admittedly a very simple person, though, so I choose the Quatro Formaggio pizza and a Caesar salad. Now I realize that to some folks, a salad is a salad, but this was hands-down the best salad I've ever had in my life! The pizza wasn't far behind, either, as it was one of the tastiest four-cheese pizzas around!
I enjoyed lunch the next day aboard the General Jackson Showboat, and with just a few minutes in the evening following another tour before the Grand Ole Opry, I grabbed a quick salad at the Conservatory Cafe. The cafe is a small venue located just at the edge of the Garden Conservatory atrium, so I enjoyed great views of the atrium as I enjoyed the well-priced salad. It was quick and affordable, and I highly recommend it for anyone in a bit of a rush. The cafe also served pastries, deli sandwiches, and more.
Both evenings found my co-worker and I at the Jack Daniels Saloon, where live music made it an exciting nightlife spot. I'll admit it was pretty amazing to be enjoying a drink, an incredible band, amazing service, and a tropical atmosphere all within sight of my hotel room window! While some folks settled in for a snack and drinks inside at the bar or tables, we joined the group of people outside the restaurant (although it was still, of course, inside the atrium!). The doors were swung open wide, so we could still hear and see the band, and friendly servers took care of everything while we were there.
Final Thoughts
Truth be told, I probably could have continued on and on about everything there is to see and do at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. (After all, I haven't even mentioned incredible features like De-Vine, the fountain shows, other restaurants, Relache Spa, the Delta Island Food Court, and other great features yet!) Although I highly recommend staying at the hotel, you could still make time for dinner and a Delta Flatboat ride even if you don't have a room here. Even after two nights at the resort, I feel like there was still plenty to see and do that I didn't have time for. Plus, the hotel is within walking distance to attractions like Opry Mills Mall, the Grand Ole Opry, and more, and shuttles run to those attractions, the General Jackson Showboat, and the Wildhorse Saloon downtown throughout the day from the hotel (additional charges apply for the Wildhorse Saloon shuttle).
While the atriums are certainly the highlight of the hotel, it's the obvious commitment to service that makes the Gaylord Opryland Hotel truly a dream-like resort in Nashville. With so many smiling faces, friendly greetings, and informative details awaiting at every turn, it made my first visit to Nashville a breeze. It's true that every person I encountered in Music City had the concept of Southern hospitality down to a fine art, but nowhere else did I find so many people as willing to go the extra mile as I did at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel!