Today marks a significant milestone in the return to business of the U.S. hotel industry, as three sprawling resorts reopen their doors. Ready to welcome back travelers this summer, Gaylord Rockies in Colorado, Gaylord Palms in Florida and Gaylord Opryland in Tennessee join the recently opened Gaylord Texan to offer four hotel and entertainment destinations that provide a multitude of experiences within acres of indoor space as well as outdoor pool play. Diverse summer programming includes family-friendly activities and live entertainment for all ages while socially distanced; the hallmarks of what consumers need from a summer escape in today’s travel environment.
In accordance with Marriott’s “Commitment to Clean” protocols, the resorts will provide enhanced cleaning technology, hospital-grade disinfectants, attendants dedicated to sanitizing frequently throughout the day, new social distancing protocols, and hundreds of new cleaning processes to take care of guests while they enjoy the resorts’ amenities. Additionally, the Gaylord Hotels ownership group, Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. selected Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a leader in medical research, as its official wellness advisor. These combined efforts will further support the multi-phased health and sanitation plans, procedures, and employee training.
Frequent guests of Gaylord Hotels also know the brand to have phenomenal convention and meeting space. As the meetings industry focuses on the right way back to business, Gaylord Hotels have taken the opportunity to introduce new processes that will help meeting planners understand and navigate what business gatherings could look like in the months ahead. Each property has 400,000 square feet or more of meeting space, and as events reschedule, the hotels are working with groups to embrace and incorporate new technology such as live streaming and contactless options. Marriott’s Meeting Services App allows meeting planners to request meeting room adjustments like temperature, set up and audio visual services, as well as review billing, and Marriott Bonvoy Members can access Mobile Check-In via the Marriott Bonvoy app. Gaylord Hotels’ new meeting and event protocols include changes to banquet guidelines and meeting space. Banquet food and beverage standard updates include the elimination of self-service buffets and reduced seating at dining tables from 10 persons to six. Meeting space guideline changes include reduced capacity, adding chair space for theater style set ups, and additional sanitization of all meeting room touch points, hard services and chairs.
“The reopening of the Gaylord Hotels marks a key moment for the industry. These remarkable hotels have customized programming for guests, plenty of space and are innovating with technology appropriate for the times,” said Mike Stengel, Senior Vice President of Gaylord Hotels at Marriott International.
Providing “everything in one place” for visitors, Gaylord Hotels are delivering re-imagined summer experiences and amenities to meet the demand of drive-market leisure travelers. Highlights of these summer offerings include:
Gaylord Rockies – Aurora, CO
Visitors will experience a summer escape full of adventure, from a Colorado Explorer Scavenger Hunt where children and adults alike become real-life explorers, to the Grand Lodge featuring a winding walkway, tranquil lake and bubbling rapids. The resort’s water experience, Arapahoe Springs, features indoor and outdoor pools, three waterslides, and a 720-foot long lazy river.
Gaylord Palms – Kissimmee, FL
Guests can relax and soak up the Florida sun at Cypress Springs Water Park featuring a zero-entry swimming pool, multi-level water playground, racing slides, drop slide and FlowRider® surf simulator. In addition to spaced pool seating, guests can rent private cabanas that include shaded seating, flat-screen televisions, refrigerators and snacks. Premium guaranteed pool seating will also be available for purchase.
Gaylord Opryland – Nashville, TN
Visitors of the “Music City” resort will be entertained by live musical performances, fountain and light shows, indoor flatboat rides, garden tours, scavenger hunts, and golf at Gaylord Springs Golf Links. Guests can also book packages that include access into SoundWaves™ Water Attraction, a 4-acre upscale indoor/outdoor resort water attraction featuring a wave pool with 37-foot video screen, double FlowRider® surf stimulator, multi-level play structures, lazy rivers, multiple winding waterslides and adults-only exclusive pools and bars.
Gaylord Texan – Grapevine, TX
Guests can splash into Texas-size fun at Paradise Springs, a 10-acre outdoor pool complex offering a 600-foot long lazy river, 6,000-square-foot family lagoon, multi-level water playground, zip-lining, multiple winding waterslides, and plush private cabanas for rent. Summer activities include canvas painting, morning yoga, live music performances, scavenger hunts and more.
In addition to the family-friendly events and outdoor pools, each of the four reopened Gaylord Hotels provide acres of airy indoor atriums under soaring glass ceilings, kept at a comfortable 72 degrees, where visitors can roam, play, and discover lush gardens and waterfalls – all while supporting social distancing protocols.
For more information about summer travel or upcoming meetings and events, please visit www.gaylordhotels.com.
ABOUT GAYLORD HOTELS
Gaylord Hotels, part of the Marriott portfolio of brands, offers extraordinary environments with everything in one place—diverse dining options, full-service spas, pools, top-notch entertainment, shopping and more. Locations include Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee; Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida; Gaylord Texan on Lake Grapevine, Texas; Gaylord National on the Potomac in National Harbor, Maryland; and Gaylord Rockies in Aurora, CO.
