Gaylord Reveals Reopening Schedule, Official Press Release
June 4, 2010
Projected Timeline for Reopening
Based on damage assessments and the remediation/restoration plan underway, the planned timeline for the reopening of Gaylord’s Nashville properties is as follows:
- The Wildhorse Saloon and General Jackson: June 5, 2010
- Grand Ole Opry House: October 1, 2010
- Gaylord Opryland: November 15, 2010
Damage and Restoration Overview
Restoration efforts at Gaylord Opryland, Grand Ole Opry and the other Nashville-area assets include:
At the Gaylord Opryland;
- Restaurant, sushi bar, and Cascades Terrace lobby bar will require complete renovation.
- In the Garden Atrium, Volare’s Restaurant and Jack Daniel’s Restaurant will require renovation and will be redesigned to enhance the guest experience.
- 117 guest rooms were flooded and will require complete renovation.
- The ground floor exhibition space requires extensive cleaning and the information technology infrastructure in this area will require full replacement.
- Ryman A breakout space, the laundry facility, and the sales offices will require full restoration.
- The power plant suffered significant damage, along with the majority of the electrical, mechanical and information technology infrastructure, which will be replaced.
At the Grand Ole Opry;
- The majority of the ground floor was damaged and items such as the stage, pews, the artists’ dressing rooms and the retail store will need to be replaced. The mechanical and power systems, stage curtains and house rigging will also need to be replaced.
At Gaylord’s other attractions;
- The General Jackson ticketing building was damaged and requires restoration.
- The basement area of the Wildhorse Saloon was also damaged and restoration efforts at that building are nearly complete.
At Gaylord’s administrative buildings and warehouses;
- The Company is working to restore these buildings and warehouses and/or consolidate locations in order to avoid the cost of restoration at select buildings.
In addition to the repair and restoration work going on at the hotel, approximately $24 million in capital improvements are being performed that were already planned for the facility in the coming months and years.
Room Night and Rescheduling Information
Gaylord has been and continues to diligently work with event planners and business organizations whose conventions were planned for the Gaylord Opryland over the next five months. The Company’s top priority for its loyal customers is to find alternative locations and solutions that meet the logistical needs of the host organizations as well as the hospitality and entertainment needs of convention guests. More than 329,900 room nights were booked for convention travelers at the hotel over the next six months. Whenever possible, conventions are being relocated to other hotels within the Gaylord network, including the Gaylord Palms, Gaylord National, and Gaylord Texan. To date, the Company has officially transferred 35,946 room nights to these properties.
Gaylord is also working to accommodate group travelers into other hotels in Nashville to help lessen the impact to the city’s economy and tourism industry. To date, the Company has officially transferred 61,984 room nights to other hotels in the Nashville area, as well as another 4,228 room nights to hotels throughout the State of Tennessee.
Click here to read the official release from Gaylord Entertainment Co.