[3] The hotel was originally built to support the Grand Ole Opry, a Nashville country-music institution that had moved to the area three years before.

Flatboats were introduced to carry guests along the river, and past a water feature that included jets which were choreographed to music.

Repairs and renovations to the famed hotel included the addition of five restaurants and restoration of the atriums and guest rooms.

As part of the transaction, Gaylord Entertainment Company would be renamed Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. and see its corporate structure transitioned into a real estate investment trust.

[10] Called "Soundwaves", the water park opened December 1, 2018 and is available exclusively to overnight resort guests for an additional fee.

[11] Day packages for area residents were temporarily offered in 2020 as a result of the reduced resort traffic related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[12] On October 3, 2014, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission imposed a $600,000 fine on Marriott for willful interference with private wi-Fi hotspot connections linking its clients' portable computers to client-owned mobile telephones in the hotel's convention space.

The scheme abused a "containment" feature of a wi-Fi monitoring system which was designed for the nominally lawful purpose of removing unwanted "rogue access points" from corporations' own local area networks.

"[13] Despite the substantial fine, Marriott continues to deny that its conduct is illegal, saying it was using FCC approved equipment to protect its customers from hackers.