The New Opryland Hotel Celebrates Reopening Of Cascades Lobby
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The New Opryland Hotel reopened its Cascades Lobby to the public today during a morning ceremony, after months of construction.
The completion of the Cascades Lobby is part of an $80 million, 3-year renovation project at the hotel. The Cascades Lobby renovation is a $2.5 million investment designed to "create a sense of arrival. We want our guests to say 'Wow' when they enter the hotel," said Dave Jones, CEO and president of the Opryland Hospitality Group.
Guests will arrive to the monumental scale exterior derived from the opulence of grand plantations. A semi-circular foyer of beautifully patterned stone inlays invites the guest into an awe-inspiring vision that is anchored by a paladin-domed guest service area. The space is then divided by stained glass barrel vaults and circular columns illuminated by oversized sconces.
The stone flooring pattern in cremes, greens, and terra cottas creates a warm atmosphere in the traditional seating area. In intimate groupings, the new furniture evokes the past with residential-style soft seating of rich velvets, tapestries, and mahogany and inlays.
The Cascades also features a new lobby service bar, which is conceived from a late 19th century verandah in which guests are drawn to experience another facet of hospitality, the blending of brands, Opryland and Churchill's Coffee.
The three-year renovation at Opryland Hotel Nashville also includes upgrades to the Magnolia Lobby, new retail outlets, restaurants, guest rooms, corridors and ballrooms in the convention center of the hotel.
"We can never forget our bread and butter-- meetings. Last year, we completed a renovation of the Governor's Ballroom. This year, the Presidential Ballroom is being renovated with a current color scheme of today's industry trends--sage greens, amber hues and periwinkle accents, " said Jones.
Creating positive entertainment experiences is still a core-value at Opryland, and new retail options provide guests with a variety of new and exciting options. The hotel is home to the only Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Shop in Tennessee. The Coca-Cola General Store is also one-of-a-kind for the country, located on the Delta Island. Other new retail vendors include Christie's Cookies, Godiva and a Kinko's Business Center.
Opryland Hotel Nashville is a property of Gaylord Entertainment, a diversified entertainment company operating in three business groups: hospitality and attractions, creative content and interactive media. Among its properties are WSM Radio and the Grand Ole Opry, Opryland Hotels, the Ryman Auditorium, Acuff-Rose Music Publishing, Word Entertainment, Opryland Productions, WWTN Radio, Gaylord Sports Management, , and Country Music Television International. It is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:GET).
