Staying at the Gaylord Opryland Resort hotel

My husband and I did a quick trip to Nashville, my old stomping grounds, and stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel. Honestly, I use to dream of staying at this Marriot hotel because inside is absolutely stunning with the 9 acres of inside gardens. When I lived in Nashvegas, I would go to this hotel during the holidays; the lit up, Disneyland pristine atmosphere gave me all the feels. I can’t wait to show you inside this hotel and tell you all the thing.

First off, while we did go explore Nashville, hit up the Broadway strip, the Gulch, and a swanky rooftop bar that looked over the city, we mostly stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel. We had a conference to go to for our church, and so, I thought I would pull double duty and make a travel post out of it for you and give you the inside scoop on this luxury resort hotel.

What to do at the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel?

Now that I am a parent, I seriously regret not bringing my kids along for this mini vacation. Ezra and I said about a bajillion times how much our kids would absolutely love this hotel. I feel like it’s cool for both adults and kids, which is a major win in my opinion.

Soundwaves Water Park + Other Pools

There are tons of kid friendly activities, three pools, including the new Soundwave water park which, sadly, we didn’t get to experience. We did get a little tour on the last day of our stay, and to be honest, had major FOMO. It was so cool looking. Next time.

Inside of the Soundwaves water park is rock climbing wall, an arcade, huge movie screen sitting in front of one of the pools. Waterslides of course, a cool place to eat, and much more. Basically, everything a kid needs for a good time all in one spot.

The Workout Facility

There was so much good food at the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel that working out was not an option. The workout facility was a pretty good size and it overlooked one of the pools which was pretty cool. Sometimes the gym in a hotel can be hit or miss, but the equipment was all new, updated, and current.

Where to eat?

We did not hit up a ton of the restaurants inside of the Opryland Hotel. But we did go to a few and I will tell you what I got and give you a little rating on if it was good or not.

• Wasabi: Got the Barbacoa sandwich with gluten free bread and a chipotle sauce. This was ridiculously good food. I mean…so good. Rating is 5 out of 5
• Stax: Got a lettuce wrapped burger. Greasy, and got my order wrong 2 times. Fries were cold. Rating is 1 out of 5. I mean, I ate it.
• Findleys: This was not a cheap place to eat. But let me tell you something, the house cut fries with beer cheese is something I will dream about for the rest of my entire life. I also got the Roast Chicken which was really good too. Rating is 5 out of 5.
• Solario Cantina: I went when they had a buffet, which I’m usually not a big fan of. I don’t know if this is a normal thing for them or not, because I see on their website that they actually do have a menu. Anyways, it was good, but there were not chips and salsa, which are my life, so, this was sad. Rating 3.5 out of 5
• Starbucks: Coffee at a hotel is always a toss up. I threw away one of my lattes because it was burnt and gross, and one I drank. If you are a coffee snob like me, this is a big deal.
• Mission BBQ: This restaurant is at the Opry Mills hotel which is a few minutes away. If you are looking for good BBQ, this is to die for. Also, the pricing isn’t bad. Serious yum. Rating 5 out of 5.

Exploring the Opryland Resort Gardens

I think what blows my mind so much about the Gaylord Opryland Resort is the attention to detail. Ezra and I kept saying how immaculate and beautiful the architecture is. You feel like you are in another world.

Opryland Resort at Night

Hotel Room at the Opryland Hotel

I don’t have a ton of content for the hotel room to be honest. We got the basic room, but trust me, there are a ton of really nice rooms with cool balconies that would have made for the perfect photo op. My window wasn’t clean on the outside, so, I couldn’t get a good shot of my view. Sorry.

With that said, the room was sparkling clean (I’m the person that checks the sheets by the way), and the bed was uber comfy including the pillow choices. Also, the bottled water in the room was complimentary, so, that was a win. I am picky when it comes to hotel rooms, and, while this one may not have been the fanciest, or the most modern, it was still relaxing.

Next time, I’m upgrading to a room with a balcony and a better view. My room didn’t do the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Hotel any justice. Also, I’m bringing the kids. We might go check out the Opryland in Dallas as it’s just a few hours away. Has anyone ever been?

xo,

Kendra