Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
Encyclopedia
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center is a hotel
and convention center
, opened in Kissimmee, Florida
, on February 2, 2002. It also acts as the de facto convention center for Osceola County, Florida
, until plans for their own dedicated convention center are realized. With 400000 sq ft (37,161.2 m²) of total meeting space, the Gaylord Palms has the second most meeting space of any hotel in the state of Florida
. It also has a total of 1,406 guest rooms.
Gaylord Palms is owned and operated by Gaylord Hotels, a division of Gaylord Entertainment Company
, and is a sister hotel to the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
, Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. It is located at the corner of International Drive South
and Osceola Parkway
, about ½ mile (800 m) east of Interstate 4
, ½ mile (800 m) west of the Central Florida GreeneWay, 1 miles (1.6 km) north of US 192 and only a few miles away from Walt Disney World Resort
.
Gaylord Palms was originally to be named Opryland Hotel Florida. However, when Gaylord Entertainment decided to re-brand their Opryland Hotels division to Gaylord Hotels on October 26, 2001, the name Gaylord Palms was given to the Florida hotel.
To local residents, Gaylord Palms is best known for its Christmas programming with large-scale events like Best of Florida Christmas and ICE!, an attraction hand-carved from two million pounds of ice.
Gaylord Hotels has a tentative plan to expand the Gaylord Palms. This expansion may include an additional atrium containing up to 500 more rooms. There will be an added entertainment center, (which may contain a night club/disco), along with two new restaurants as well. This project will include and additional 400,000 to 600000 sq ft (55,741.8 m²). of meeting/convention space, in effect doubling the current convention space. This planned expansion will also add at least one parking garage to the property.
Gaylord Palms is a member of Great Hotels Of The World
alliance. It was featured in the top 150 hotels in the 2011 Great Hotels Of The World Pure Hotels Collection .
Osceola County, Florida, at one point had aspirations to build its own convention center. One of the available plans was to give $103 million to Gaylord Hotels to expand the Gaylord Palms' convention center to 1.1 million ft². Under the agreement, the convention center would be renamed the Osceola County Convention Center at Gaylord Palms, and profits would be shared by the county and the hotel.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
, opened in Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
, on February 2, 2002. It also acts as the de facto convention center for Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
, until plans for their own dedicated convention center are realized. With 400000 sq ft (37,161.2 m²) of total meeting space, the Gaylord Palms has the second most meeting space of any hotel in the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It also has a total of 1,406 guest rooms.
Gaylord Palms is owned and operated by Gaylord Hotels, a division of Gaylord Entertainment Company
Gaylord Entertainment Company
The Gaylord Entertainment Company operates a number of hotel, resort, and media companies that were built by Edward Gaylord. It was previously a subsidiary of the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Publishing Company, which is owned by the Gaylord family and publishes the Daily Oklahoman newspaper...
, and is a sister hotel to the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, formerly known as Opryland Hotel, is a large hotel and convention center located in Nashville, Tennessee and owned by Gaylord Hotels, a division of Gaylord Entertainment Company...
, Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. It is located at the corner of International Drive South
International Drive
International Drive is the main tourist strip of Orlando, Florida, located several miles southwest of proper Downtown Orlando in the southernmost limits of the city...
and Osceola Parkway
Osceola Parkway
The Osceola Parkway, signed as County Road 522 since around 2003 , is a long, partially-tolled arterial road extending east-west across the northern boundary of Osceola County, Florida, USA roughly paralleling the border with Orange County...
, about ½ mile (800 m) east of Interstate 4
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...
, ½ mile (800 m) west of the Central Florida GreeneWay, 1 miles (1.6 km) north of US 192 and only a few miles away from Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
.
Gaylord Palms was originally to be named Opryland Hotel Florida. However, when Gaylord Entertainment decided to re-brand their Opryland Hotels division to Gaylord Hotels on October 26, 2001, the name Gaylord Palms was given to the Florida hotel.
To local residents, Gaylord Palms is best known for its Christmas programming with large-scale events like Best of Florida Christmas and ICE!, an attraction hand-carved from two million pounds of ice.
Gaylord Hotels has a tentative plan to expand the Gaylord Palms. This expansion may include an additional atrium containing up to 500 more rooms. There will be an added entertainment center, (which may contain a night club/disco), along with two new restaurants as well. This project will include and additional 400,000 to 600000 sq ft (55,741.8 m²). of meeting/convention space, in effect doubling the current convention space. This planned expansion will also add at least one parking garage to the property.
Gaylord Palms is a member of Great Hotels Of The World
Great Hotels of the World
The Great Hotels of the World, Ltd. is a hospitality consortium owned by Big Worldwide. It represents over 200 hotels and resorts worldwide and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom....
alliance. It was featured in the top 150 hotels in the 2011 Great Hotels Of The World Pure Hotels Collection .
Hotel Areas
Gaylord Palms is built around a 4.6 acres (18,615.6 m²) glass-covered atrium, divided into four areas, each with their own activities and guest rooms.- St. Augustine has an old-worldOld WorldThe Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
colonial SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
theme based on North America's oldest existing permanent settlement. Among its features are a wedding gazebo, a replica of the Castillo de San MarcosCastillo de San MarcosThe Castillo de San Marcos site is the oldest masonry fort in the United States. It is located in the city of St. Augustine, Florida. Construction was begun in 1672 by the Spanish when Florida was a Spanish territory. During the twenty year period of British possession from 1763 until 1784, the...
(North America's oldest fort), an alligatorAmerican AlligatorThe American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
exhibit featuring animals from the GatorlandGatorlandGatorland is a theme park and wildlife preserve located along South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, Florida. It was founded by Owen Godwin in 1949, and still privately owned by his family today...
theme park, and a display with treasures from the Spanish galleonGalleonA galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
Our Lady of Atocha, sunk off the Florida coast in 1622. - Key West is inspired by Mallory SquareMallory SquareMallory Square is a plaza located in the city of Key West, Florida, United States.It is located on the waterfront in Key West's historic Old Town, adjacent to the cruise ship port. It is located just west of the northern end of Duval Street, facing the Gulf of Mexico. It runs the entire length of...
, the central area of the major Florida KeysFlorida KeysThe Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
port city. It has a 65 feet (19.8 m)-long sailboatSailboatA sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
, which is designed around a seafood restaurant called Sunset Sams. - The Everglades is themed on the river of grassEvergladesThe Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
. In addition to Gaylord Hotels' signature restaurant, Old Hickory Steakhouse, The Everglades boasts an award-winning 20,000-ft² (about 2,000 m²) Relache Spa. - Emerald Bay is dubbed a "hotel within a hotel," as it has 15344 sq ft (1,425.5 m²) of dedicated meeting space and the most luxurious accommodations in the resort, with 26 luxury suites. Several shops and boutiques can be found on the ground floor of this locale.
Convention Center
The Gaylord Palms Convention Center has 400000 sq ft (37,161.2 m²) of dedicated meeting space. More than half of that space is one large bay called the Florida Exhibition Hall, which has 210300 sq ft (19,537.5 m²) including prefunction space. It also features a permanent 101- by 40 ft (12.2 m). performing stage with green rooms and dressing rooms connected to its Osceola Ballroom.Osceola County, Florida, at one point had aspirations to build its own convention center. One of the available plans was to give $103 million to Gaylord Hotels to expand the Gaylord Palms' convention center to 1.1 million ft². Under the agreement, the convention center would be renamed the Osceola County Convention Center at Gaylord Palms, and profits would be shared by the county and the hotel.
External links
- Gaylord Palms Official Website
- Great Hotels of the World