If you’re a Nashville local, or just visiting Music City, one of the absolute best places to stay is Gaylord Opryland Resort! Boasting over 2800 rooms, a 9 acre waterfall wonderland atrium with over 10,000 plants, plentiful meeting space, and one of the most amazing indoor/outdoor waterparks, SoundWaves, you could ever imagine….you could spend a few days here and still not see or experience it all.
We recently stayed 2 nights and could have stayed a few more! Opryland had just recently reopened after being closed for a few months for the coronavirus. I loved how I felt that they were taking every precautionary step to ensure the safety of their guests. Every employee was wearing a mask and they were encouraging all the guests to do the same. They also had additional employees wiping down everything behind the guests, such as elevators, rails, countertops and more.
We stayed in a parlor suite to have a little more room with the kids. The room was exceptionally clean and very spacious. Our room had two double beds, and the parlor also had a Murphy bed. The couch pulled out into an additional bed so there was plenty of room for everyone! It also included a small fridge which was great for keeping leftovers and waters.
The best part of our stay was definitely SoundWaves. The kids had THE best time and could have stayed all day! SoundWaves includes an indoor and an outdoor waterpark. Outside has a huge wave pool with a large screen above the pool projecting music videos. I forgot how much I loved music videos! Also outside are 4 racing slides and 2 drop down slides (one is very steep!). My kids loved the excitement of the floor actually dropping out from under your feet on those 2 slides! There is also a great play area outside for smaller children with slides, water fun, and a giant bucket that fills up and pours out every few minutes!
The great thing about having indoor and outdoor options is you can still have fun even when it rains or gets too hot! The indoor park features a lazy river and a much faster walking/swimming river! It also has a few more waterslides, including a fun family inner tube slide! There is also an additional children’s play area. The kids favorite thing was the Flowrider! A simulated surfing wave to boogie board or surf. My kids honestly wanted to stay inside the whole day!
If you get hungry Decibels Cafe has great food and is located on a terrace above the indoor waterpark! I enjoyed the summer salad and the kids loved the chicken tenders! Jason liked the chicken wings and the quesadilla. You order food inside but can enjoy inside or outside in designated eating areas.
If you really want to enjoy the day a Cabana is a great option! Opryland offers indoor and outdoor cabanas. The cabanas are for up to 6 guests and a great option to help keep up with your group, or if you have a little one who may need to nap. You can also order food and beverages directly to the cabana.
You do have to be a guest of the hotel to enjoy SoundWaves but another fun option is to rent a party room. SoundWaves also offers birthday parties where you can rent a party room for 6-30 guests starting at $42 per person. The party room includes all-day access to SoundWaves with pizza and drinks. This is a great way to enjoy all the fun for the day!
Opryland features many great restaurants. With our recent stay, only a few of the restaurants were open, but usually they have over 12 different restaurants to choose from! With everything from a great steak house to causal pizza options! We dined at Cascades during our stay and everything was wonderful!
After dinner you can always enjoy the Delta River boat or the water show! Every evening at 9pm in the Delta you can enjoy an amazing water show with music and lights!
If you find yourself eating too much and your legs are not tired from all the walking, you can always check out the first class fitness center. Most hotels usually just have a few pieces of equipment, but Opryland has an amazing selection. From multiple treadmills overlooking the indoor pool to full sets of weights and workout machines.
If you are looking for a way to unwind and relax be sure to check out the spa at Relache. Here they offer everything from facials to massages. The spa is not to be missed!
You can stay as busy or as relaxed as you would like during your stay at Opryland. Obviously with kids it is a different pace, but I would love to come back without the kids and take advantage of the adult only pool areas. Opryland offers some great packages and great ways to save. If you are a Davidson County resident you can save up to 40% off with code L9Z and Tennessee residents can save 25% off with code M16. Of course you can always use Marriott points and keep an eye out for other deals. But if you think about it, for one night you are paying for 2 days at an amazing waterpark, so for us it was a no brainer! I promise the kids will say it’s the best vacation ever!