- Owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Gaylord Opryland’s ongoing expansion efforts span the next three years.
- The expansion comes as Nashville’s popularity as a convention destination continues to grow.
Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center this week announced a major expansion to its meeting and event space as part of a $224 million overhaul set to be completed in full by 2027.
The upgrades will make Opryland the U.S.’s largest non-gaming hotel by exhibit and meeting space, according to owner 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,” Ryman president and CEO Mark Fioravanti said. “In addition, we believe this expansion will attract new corporate groups to Music City.”
Ryman Hospitality Properties, which also owns the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry and multiple locations of Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, has been expanding its hospitality businesses in Nashville and in other markets across the country. The company recently opened its collaborative restaurant and entertainment venue with Luke Combs, called Category 10.
The expansion already began with a $17 million remodel of the Governor’s ballroom and adjoining space set to be completed as early as this month’s end. A $36 million renovation of the property’s Presidential ballroom is slated to finish by mid-year 2025, and a $40 million, 550-seat sports bar and outdoor space will be complete later this year.
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Next, they will add more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space to the convention center. That is set to finish by Spring 2027 and will cost an estimated $131 million.
The improvements build on Nashville’s growing reputation as a prime convention and meeting destination. Opportunities for massive conventions and events to land in Music City increase in 2027 after the new Nissan Stadium opens on the East Bank. That new event venue combines with more international flight options and the continued growth in popularity of country music to keep up the demand for convention and hotel space, Fioravanti said.
“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,” he said.
Included in the overhaul is a 31,000-square-foot ballroom, around 38,000 square feet of breakout space and 39,000 square feet of adjoining group space, bringing Gaylord Opryland’s total exhibit and meeting space to more than 750,000 square feet.
“Ultimately, this investment doesn’t only demonstrate our confidence in Opryland, it’s also an expression of our confidence in Nashville and where the city is heading as a destination,” Fioravanti said.
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