NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc., a lodging real estate investment trust, has announced plans to add approximately 108,000 square feet of premium, carpeted meeting space to its flagship Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville.
The expansion will include a new 31,000-square-foot ballroom, additional 38,000 square feet of breakout space, and approximately 39,000 square feet of pre-function space. The expansion project is expected to be finished by spring 2027. After completion, the project will bring Gaylord Opryland’s total dedicated event and meeting space to approximately 756,000 square feet and its meeting space per guest room to approximately 260 square feet—solidifying its status as the country’s largest non-gaming hotel by exhibit and meeting space.
“In recent years, Nashville’s popularity as a top meetings destination has skyrocketed, and we anticipate annual visitors and spending to continue this upward trajectory,” says Mark Fioravanti, president and chief executive officer of Ryman Hospitality Properties. “Our premium group customers are seeking modern, flexible carpeted meeting space, and this expansion will deliver the high-quality experience our guests have come to expect from us. In addition, we believe this expansion will attract new corporate groups to Music City.”
This meeting space expansion is part of a multi-phase plan to improve the guest experience at Gaylord Opryland. Previous project announcements include a $17 million transformation of the Governor’s Ballroom and pre-function space (expected to be completed end of January 2025); a $36 million renovation and reconfiguration of the Presidential Ballroom and pre-function space (expected to be completed by mid-2025); and a $40 million new 550-seat sports bar, 6,200- square-foot event lawn, and 3,000-square-foot pavilion, expected to be completed late 2025.
“Gaylord Opryland has been an iconic national destination for nearly 50 years, and we expect that these transformational projects will drive its next phase of growth,” says Fioravanti.
