Opryland
Hotelby Kathleen Walls
|
|
Opryland
Hotel is just a little over 30 years old but it has packed a lot of history into those
years. It opened in 1977 with 600 guest rooms and in just six years needed a major
addition to accommodate the throngs of guests looking to visit its adjourning Opryland Theme
Park and Grand Old Opry. In 1983 it added 467 additional rooms and its first signature
atrium, The Garden Conservancy.
When it
expanded again in 1996, it was the largest construction project in Nashville history at
the time.
|
Opryland's Delta is quite a view |
Today,
the hotel has 2,881 rooms and its Delta Atrium is reminiscent of the Louisiana bayou
county with the convenience of New Orleans restraints thrown in for good measure. It is the largest non-casino hotel in the world.
Guests can ride a "Delta Flatboat" through a guided tour of the atrium via the
"Delta River" which had samples from more than 6,000 rivers throughout the world
including every registered river in the United States poured into it at the christening
ceremony.
When I
stayed there my balcony overlooked the Delta and it was all I could do to tear myself away
from the window. I did leave my curtains open all the time so I could enjoy the view.
Although the hotel's official name is now
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, no one ever refers to it as anything but
the Opryland Hotel.
Walking
about the ground of the Opryland is like being in a small city. It even has a radio
station. Historic WSM Nashville the voice of the Grand Old Opry is in the lobby. You can
stand and look at eh DJ's through the glass window as they play music, country of
course.
|
Opryland's atrium is like being in a tropical rainforest with the added
benefit of cozy little bars snuggled into it. |
My
favorite place to stroll in the hotel is in the glass-enclosed atriums. You can walk amid
the 50,000 tropical plants and cascading waterfalls and envision a tropical rainforest, a
rainforest with convenient restaurants and lounges.
Opryland
Hotel is said to be haunted by the ghost of a "Mrs. McGavock." Several employees
and guests claim they have seen her walking around the hotel. Opryland Hotel is one of the
most luxurious hotels in the Volunteer State, and is the last place one would think of as
being haunted, so it's strange indeed to hear such tales
In years
gone by, I remember parking free at the Opryland Hotel and riding the shuttle bus to Opryland
Theme Park the Grand Old Opry. Now the tables are turned, Parking at the hotel is $20 per
day and Opryland Theme Park is no more. It is replaced by Opry Mills, a
"shoppertainment" mall where shopping and live entertainment. Here you can watch
a craftsman build a Gibson Guitar or browse Outdoor World's interactive exhibits. Of
course they have entertainment. Now the trick is to park free at the Opry Mills lot and
ride the shuttle over to the hotel.
Stories
about Opryland Hotel and many other hotels, attractions and places of interest are
included in my book, Hosts With
Ghosts: Haunted Historic Hotels in the Southeast.
|