Search

×

Flood-stricken Gaylord Opryland Resort reopens after 6 months

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE The 2,881-key Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, the largest hotel in the United States outside of Las Vegas, has reopened following six months of repairs due to severe flooding.

The property has been closed since experiencing damage following historic flooding in Nashville on May 2 and 3. The flooding caused an estimated US$200 million in damages, in addition to lost revenue from the hotel’s closure.

Damage to the hotel was extensive—approximately 70% of the common areas and 100% of the subterranean areas were under water—but the property returns with a number of improvements and redesigns to enhance the guest experience. These include the addition of three new restaurants and a wine bar, the redesign of hundreds of guestrooms that were untouched by floodwaters and improved meeting rooms and equipment. Owner Gaylord Entertainment Co. also invested in superior energy efficiency and sustainability in its power generation and HVAC systems, as well as its laundry facilities.

“This is not only a tremendous moment for Gaylord, but for the whole city of Nashville,” says Gaylord Entertainment Chairman and CEO Colin Reed. “Although the road to this point has been a challenging one for our company, I am incredibly proud of the passion and spirit with which our entire team responded.

“We have every confidence that the hotel will seamlessly return to business as usual and be a strong contributor to our brand—a belief supported by the fact that we already have 50 points of occupancy booked at the property for 2011.”

Gaylord will be hosting a three-day grand reopening event at the property this weekend. The company has invited 1,000 of the industry’s leading meeting planners and other travel industry leaders to Nashville for the event, which is designed to showcase the entire city as a travel destination. The celebration will kick off with the traditional holiday lighting ceremony to begin Gaylord Opryland’s annual “A Country Christmas” festivities.

Comment