My oh my this place is something else…read more..
My husband had a work conference here at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center so we packed our bags and my toddler and I came too. I was looking into pictures of this place and was so confused as to what was the resort and what wasn't. There's no way all these pictures that look like different places can be all in one place... well my friends... it is. As we pulled up, I realized just how big this place is and I got really excited to go inside and finally figure out what's what.
This place is gorgeous. Part of it looks like a lodge, part of it looks like a mall, part of it looks like a convention center... because it is, part of it looks like a hotel, part of it looks like the riverwalk, etc... and yet it all blends together seamlessly.
There are 4 main restaurants, at least 2 bars, two coffee shops, one is also a marketplace, shops that sells clothes, a kids store, an arcade, a spa, a gym, a FedEx business center, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, another restaurant down the street that is also part of the resort, a water park down the street that is part of the resort... I'm FOR SURE forgetting something... or multiple somethings.
There's no way to do it all in a week while also attending a conference. So we didn't hit up everything. It's okay though, my toddler mostly wanted to just walk around. Nonstop.
There's plenty to see by doing that. There's a scavenger hunt that you can do, a virtual animal safari, model trains that we stopped to watch multiple times, a mini Build-A-Bear Workshop right in the middle of things... I'm telling you, this place has it all. We arrived on a Monday, left on a Friday, and didn't have enough time to do and see everything.
We ate at 3 of the 4 main restaurants. We tried to eat at the Riverwalk Cantina - and I was admittedly most excited about that one. However, the first two nights they were having a buffet. We wanted to order from the menu. We said we'd come back. The third night my husband had a business meeting at the steakhouse so that was a no go. The fourth night we went down there to eat... they were closed. Getting ready for a private event. *sad face* We left the next day and never got the chance to try it out.
Things are a bit pricey, but you pay a convenience fee, and the fact that they literally had everything we needed in one place without leaving the resort was just that... convenient. So I wasn't complaining, especially with a two-year-old in tow. Even the option to have food delivered to your room was great since I could order breakfast to be delivered before my kiddo woke up for the day.
The room was nice. It was pretty modern and spacious. We were on the first floor so it was also convenient. We didn't have a fancy view. It was a side parking lot, but the fact that it was part of a block of rooms reserved for the conference meant that we weren't expecting a room with a view or anything. I slept comfortably, but brought my own pillow which I believe was a big part of my comfort. My husband said the typical hotel bed was too hard. It wasn't as enjoyable of a sleeping situation for him. I could've stayed longer and been just fine lol.
Anyways, I know this review is very long and I'll cut it off here, but I will say that there are so many more things I could say, but you just have to experience this place for yourself.
I will review the restaurants we tried separately.
Texan Station Sports Bar & Grill
Zeppole
Old Hickory Steakhouse