Opryland Hotel, Nashville - bigger than some small third world nations (Opryland Hotel)

Member Name: mgoldman

Product:	Opryland Hotel
Date:	01/06/01 (120 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: novelty value, size

Disadvantages: too big, impersonal

Not through choice, I ended up at the Opryland for a conference. Since I have been there, I have seen several reviews on TV (mostly accurate) and it is also mentioned in Bill Bryson's Notes from a Big Country (also accurate). The first evidence of the hotel is at the airport in Nashville, where the hotel has its own shuttle service desk in the concourse area. If there is more than one of you, forget this. For the same money as two shuttle rides, you can have the comfort of your own cab. We had a truly friendly redneck, who turned round, took one look at me and my colleague (Born in Gudjerat) and said "You guys aint from round here". We felt it best to agree with him.

The hotel is huge, in fact bigger than huge. It is so big, they have created a river running through it, and you can take boat rides through the hotel. Its a long way to everything, and whilst at the conference, I found it took me about 20 minutes to walk from my room to the conference suite. The conference suites are big, and part of the conference was a sit down dinner for 2000 delegates. The hotel is laid out as layered atria with adjoining wings. The atria are like small villages, with shops, restaurants, bars, all as distinct buildings.

The hotel of necessity has several restaurants, but most of them are fairly upmarket. Expect to have to book dinner, and wait for breakfast when a conference is in town. Its at the high end. The trouble is that there is nothing outside as an alternative. There is a small shopping precinct just across the road when you have walked through the premises (they charge guests for parking their cars), but not really anywhere practical to go and eat - no diner or middle american restaurants. Food is typical american, and even the attempt at colonial European comes out american.

Rooms are excellent, and the only complaint I had was that the airconditioning could not be adjusted. It is controlled centrally, and there is a continual w
hoosh of white noise from the air outlets. Rooms are well equipped and comfortable.

I was daunted by the hotel. It is so big (I think it has about 4000 rooms,) that comfort is not an appropriate word. It is a phenomenon that is used to dealing with hig numbers of people.

Nashville is country music. If you don't like country music, then forget a visit to the town, as there is nothing else there. The only shopping I got in was at the Adidas factory outlet shop across the road, which was good value.

If I was given the choice, I would not go there again, except as part of a necessary business trip. It is just too big to look after its guests as individuals.

Summary: