There are six Gaylord resorts located across the U.S. in the following destinations: Nashville; Kissimmee, Florida; Aurora, Colorado; Grapevine, Texas; National Harbor, Maryland; and Chula Vista, California.
Each location has the requisite guest rooms, pools and fitness centers that you’d expect, but a Gaylord resort is more than a hotel — it’s a destination.
I’ve visited several Gaylord locations over the years, and I can attest that there is so much food and fun that I’ve spent entire weekends exploring the resort without ever leaving the property.
There are some things you’ll want to know before you go so you can make the most of your visit, save a little money and fully embrace the Gaylord experience.
Here are six tips to keep top of mind when planning a stay at a Gaylord resort.
It’s more than a hotel: It’s a destination
Cypress Springs Water Park at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Gaylord resorts are designed to celebrate the culture, heritage and natural landscape of their location.
For example, at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida, you can observe local flora and fauna — including gators — in the resort’s 4.5-acre glass atrium and dine on fresh seafood in a life-size sailboat.
Gaylord Palms guest room with Florida artwork. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Meanwhile, at Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, the resort’s massive atrium features replicas of Lone Star State landmarks, including the Alamo and the San Antonio River Walk.
Each resort features distinct theming, but there’s one thing all the resorts have in common: You can spend hours strolling the meandering paths in the enchanting signature atriums while you explore caves, waterfalls and gardens.
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Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
In and around those atriums, you’ll also find so many shopping, dining and entertainment options that you may forget to leave the hotel during your stay.
Each Gaylord resort has multiple restaurants, including pizza joints, sports bars and fine-dining establishments for date night. You can also get your morning caffeine fix at the on-site Cocoa Bean coffee shop, which serves a full Starbucks menu.
Between meals, you can shop for souvenirs with local flair, visit the full-service spa, go for a swim at the pool or water park, or participate in seasonal holiday activities.
You can book with (or earn) Marriott Bonvoy points
Gaylord resorts fall under the Marriott umbrella of brands and, therefore, participate in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. That means you can earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for stays at any Gaylord hotel.
Just as if you paid with cash, points pricing varies based on the date and room type. In general, pricing at Gaylord hotels starts at around $300 or 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. You can sometimes find pricing closer to $200 or 32,000 points per night if your dates are flexible, but nightly rates can climb above $500 or 60,000 points during holidays and special events.
Related: Best Marriott credit cards
Marriott Bonvoy members also receive additional perks at Gaylord hotels. Silver Elite members and above receive a points bonus and late checkout, and Gold Elite members and above also receive a complimentary room upgrade (subject to availability).
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
When you visit during one of Gaylord’s seasonal events, Marriott Bonvoy members often have access to exclusive offers that include bonus points and room and ticket discounts. Check the hotel’s “Special Offers” page to view the current deals.
Related: The complete guide to earning Marriott elite status with credit cards
Earning Marriott elite status requires at least 10 qualifying stays per year, but you can fast-track your way to Marriott elite status to reap some of the aforementioned benefits with certain cards. For example, cards like the American Express Platinum Card® and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card will net you automatic elite status (enrollment is required).
Rooms with an atrium view are worth the added cost
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Most Gaylord hotels feature rooms with balconies that overlook the atrium. The only exception is Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, which offers select rooms with mountain views instead.
You’ll need to reserve an atrium-view room at the time of booking to guarantee you wake up to views of the serene indoor gardens below.
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center pricing. MARRIOTT
Atrium-view rooms typically cost between $70 and $100 more per night than standard rooms; however, this is where the complimentary room upgrade for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite members and above comes into play.
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
There’s no guarantee that an upgrade will be available, but if you are willing to take the risk, you can book a standard room and cross your fingers and toes for an upgrade to an atrium-view room. It may be helpful to call a day or two before check-in to make the request by phone and have a customer service agent add a note to your reservation.
There are special offers to take advantage of
If you are looking for extra perks or discounted rates, be sure to check the hotel’s website and social media pages for special offers. These offers vary by location and time of year, but you may see discounts of up to 50% off packages with rooms and tickets to special events (like Gaylord’s signature holiday event, “Ice!”).
“Pomp, Snow & Cirquemstance” show at Gaylord Opryland. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Other specials may include complimentary breakfast, daily resort credits, spa treatments or water park access (the latter is only applicable at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, where water park access is not included in the cost of your stay).
Each resort has a year-round water park or pool
Cypress Springs Water Park at Gaylord Palms. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Speaking of water parks, each Gaylord resort has an on-site pool or water park that is open year-round.
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center and Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center have outdoor water parks, while Gaylord hotels that aren’t located in states where the temperatures are conducive to being outside any time of year have indoor-outdoor water parks or pools that can be enjoyed no matter the season.
Related: Hotels with the best lazy rivers to beat the heat and float away
With the exception of Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, which has only an indoor pool and an outdoor sundeck, Gaylord water parks are some of the best hotel water parks around. You’ll find large splash structures for kids, lazy rivers, slides, pools and more.
Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. MARRIOTT
Only Gaylord Opryland’s water park has a separate entrance fee. At this resort, you’ll need to book a package that includes water park admission to avoid paying the additional fee upon arrival. Water park admission is included in the cost of your stay at every other Gaylord property.
Holidays are especially fun times to visit
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
If your schedule allows, you’ll get the most out of your time at a Gaylord hotel when you visit during one of the brand’s seasonal events.
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
During the winter holiday season, you can build gingerbread houses, take photos with Santa, explore the Christmas trees and decor in the atrium, participate in wintertime activities like ice skating and snow tubing, and visit a festive walk-through experience made entirely of ice that’s aptly named “Ice!”
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
“Ice!” brings your favorite holiday stories to life using more than 6,000 blocks of ice expertly carved into beloved scenes and characters from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Elf” and more. Each location has several rooms depicting different scenes and includes interactive elements for memorable photo ops and a two-story slide made of ice.
Ice! at Gaylord Palms. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Halloween ushers in lots of spooky (but kid-appropriate) activities, including trick-or-treating and monster dance parties. And around Easter, you can meet the Easter bunny, decorate cookies and participate in a spring-themed scavenger hunt.
Summer is also a particularly fun time, as the Gaylord properties host a “Pirates & Princesses” event featuring adventure-oriented activities for kids.
Alligator Springs at Gaylord Palms. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY
Even if you can’t make it during one of these special events, there’s always a schedule of activities around the resort like atrium light shows, movie nights, animal encounters, scavenger hunts and more. You can request an activities schedule at the front desk, but you’ll likely find a QR code in the lobby or your guest room with a link to view the calendar for your visit.
Bottom line
We’ve shared almost everything you need to know to plan a perfect Gaylord resort stay, but there’s one thing we can’t provide: the fun. That part is up to you, but luckily, Gaylord makes it easy with ample activities, delicious dining and beautiful scenery. The only thing that’s missing is you.
