There are six Gaylord resorts positioned throughout the U.S. within the following locations: Nashville; Kissimmee, Florida; Aurora, Colorado; Grapevine, Texas; Nationwide Harbor, Maryland; and Chula Vista, California.
Every location has the requisite visitor rooms, swimming pools and health facilities that you just’d count on, however a Gaylord resort is greater than a lodge — it is a vacation spot.
I’ve visited a number of Gaylord places through the years, and I can attest that there’s a lot meals and enjoyable that I’ve spent complete weekends exploring the resort with out ever leaving the property.
There are some stuff you’ll wish to know earlier than you go so you may benefit from your go to, save a bit cash and totally embrace the Gaylord expertise.
Listed here are six tricks to maintain high of thoughts when planning a keep at a Gaylord resort.
It is greater than a lodge: It is a vacation spot
Gaylord resorts are designed to rejoice the tradition, heritage and pure panorama of their location.
For instance, at Gaylord Palms Resort & Conference Middle in Kissimmee, Florida, you may observe native natural world — together with gators — within the resort’s 4.5-acre glass atrium and dine on recent seafood in a life-size sailboat.
In the meantime, at Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Middle in Grapevine, Texas, the resort’s large atrium options replicas of Lone Star State landmarks, together with the Alamo and the San Antonio River Stroll.
Every resort options distinct theming, however there’s one factor all of the resorts have in widespread: You’ll be able to spend hours strolling the meandering paths within the enchanting signature atriums when you discover caves, waterfalls and gardens.
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In and round these atriums, you may additionally discover so many buying, eating and leisure choices that you could be overlook to depart the lodge throughout your keep.
Every Gaylord resort has a number of eating places, together with pizza joints, sports activities bars and fine-dining institutions for date evening. You may as well get your morning caffeine repair on the on-site Cocoa Bean espresso store, which serves a full Starbucks menu.
Between meals, you may store for souvenirs with native aptitude, go to the full-service spa, go for a swim on the pool or water park, or take part in seasonal vacation actions.
You’ll be able to e-book with (or earn) Marriott Bonvoy factors
Gaylord resorts fall below the Marriott umbrella of manufacturers and, due to this fact, take part within the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Meaning you may earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy factors for stays at any Gaylord lodge.
Simply as should you paid with money, factors pricing varies primarily based on the date and room sort. Usually, pricing at Gaylord inns begins at round $300 or 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening. You’ll be able to typically discover pricing nearer to $200 or 32,000 factors per evening in case your dates are versatile, however nightly charges can climb above $500 or 60,000 factors throughout holidays and particular occasions.
Associated: Greatest Marriott bank cards
Marriott Bonvoy members additionally obtain extra perks at Gaylord inns. Silver Elite members and above obtain a factors bonus and late checkout, and Gold Elite members and above additionally obtain a complimentary room improve (topic to availability).
If you go to throughout certainly one of Gaylord’s seasonal occasions, Marriott Bonvoy members usually have entry to unique provides that embody bonus factors and room and ticket reductions. Verify the lodge’s “Particular Presents” web page to view the present offers.
Associated: The entire information to incomes Marriott elite standing with bank cards
Incomes Marriott elite standing requires no less than 10 qualifying stays per yr, however you may fast-track your option to Marriott elite standing to reap among the aforementioned advantages with sure playing cards. For instance, playing cards just like the American Specific Platinum Card® and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Specific® Card will web you automated elite standing (enrollment is required).
Rooms with an atrium view are definitely worth the added price
Most Gaylord inns characteristic rooms with balconies that overlook the atrium. The one exception is Gaylord Rockies Resort & Conference Middle, which provides choose rooms with mountain views as a substitute.
You may want to order an atrium-view room on the time of reserving to ensure you get up to views of the serene indoor gardens beneath.
Atrium-view rooms usually price between $70 and $100 extra per evening than customary rooms; nonetheless, that is the place the complimentary room improve for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite members and above comes into play.
There is no assure that an improve will probably be out there, however if you’re keen to take the danger, you may e-book a typical room and cross your fingers and toes for an improve to an atrium-view room. It might be useful to name a day or two earlier than check-in to make the request by telephone and have a customer support agent add a word to your reservation.
There are particular provides to benefit from
In case you are on the lookout for additional perks or discounted charges, you should definitely examine the lodge’s web site and social media pages for particular provides. These provides differ by location and time of yr, however you may even see reductions of as much as 50% off packages with rooms and tickets to particular occasions (like Gaylord’s signature vacation occasion, “Ice!”).
Different specials might embody complimentary breakfast, each day resort credit, spa therapies or water park entry (the latter is barely relevant at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Conference Middle, the place water park entry isn’t included in the price of your keep).
Every resort has a year-round water park or pool
Talking of water parks, every Gaylord resort has an on-site pool or water park that’s open year-round.
Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Middle and Gaylord Palms Resort & Conference Middle have out of doors water parks, whereas Gaylord inns that are not positioned in states the place the temperatures are conducive to being exterior any time of yr have indoor-outdoor water parks or swimming pools that may be loved irrespective of the season.
Associated: Accommodations with the perfect lazy rivers to beat the warmth and float away
Excluding Gaylord Nationwide Resort & Conference Middle, which has solely an indoor pool and an outside sundeck, Gaylord water parks are among the finest lodge water parks round. You may discover giant splash buildings for teenagers, lazy rivers, slides, swimming pools and extra.
Solely Gaylord Opryland’s water park has a separate entrance charge. At this resort, you may have to e-book a package deal that features water park admission to keep away from paying the extra charge upon arrival. Water park admission is included in the price of your keep at each different Gaylord property.
Holidays are particularly enjoyable instances to go to
In case your schedule permits, you may get essentially the most out of your time at a Gaylord lodge once you go to throughout one of many model’s seasonal occasions.
Throughout the winter vacation season, you may construct gingerbread homes, take photographs with Santa, discover the Christmas timber and decor within the atrium, take part in wintertime actions like ice skating and snow tubing, and go to a festive walk-through expertise made solely of ice that is aptly named “Ice!”
“Ice!” brings your favourite vacation tales to life utilizing greater 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 extra. Every location has a number of rooms depicting completely different scenes and consists of interactive components for memorable picture ops and a two-story slide product of ice.
Halloween ushers in numerous spooky (however kid-appropriate) actions, together with trick-or-treating and monster dance events. And round Easter, you may meet the Easter bunny, embellish cookies and take part in a spring-themed scavenger hunt.
Summer season can be a very enjoyable time, because the Gaylord properties host a “Pirates & Princesses” occasion that includes adventure-oriented actions for teenagers.
Even if you cannot make it throughout certainly one of these particular occasions, there’s all the time a schedule of actions across the resort like atrium gentle exhibits, film nights, animal encounters, scavenger hunts and extra. You’ll be able to request an actions schedule on the entrance desk, however you may doubtless discover a QR code within the foyer or your visitor room with a hyperlink to view the calendar in your go to.
Backside line
We have shared virtually all the pieces it’s good to know to plan an ideal Gaylord resort keep, however there’s one factor we will not present: the enjoyable. That half is as much as you, however fortunately, Gaylord makes it straightforward with ample actions, scrumptious eating and delightful surroundings. The one factor that is lacking is you.
