Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center is a hotel and convention center located at National Harbor, Prince George's County, in the U.S. state of Maryland.[2] The hotel is situated along the shores of the Potomac, downriver from Washington, D.C., and across the river from Alexandria, Virginia. It is owned by Gaylord Hotels, a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties (formerly known as Gaylord Entertainment Company), and operated by Marriott International. The hotel opened April 1, 2008, as part of a new mixed-use (office, residential, and retail) development in National Harbor.[3] It is one of the largest non-gaming hotel and convention centers on the East Coast of the United States.[4] It cost $870 million to build.[5]

Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland in October 2007
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General information
LocationNational Harbor, Maryland, U.S.
Coordinates38°46′54.5″N 77°0′59.5″W / 38.781806°N 77.016528°W / 38.781806; -77.016528
OpeningApril 1, 2008
OwnerRyman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
ManagementMarriott International
Technical details
Floor count19
Design and construction
Architect(s)Gensler
Other information
Number of rooms1996
Number of suites110
Number of restaurants3
Website
gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-national/
[1]

The center was originally named the Gaylord Potomac Resort & Convention Center; the name was changed in the planning stage. The hotel contains 2,000 guest rooms, 95 event rooms, 537,430 square feet (49,929 m2) of meeting space, seven restaurants, and a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) spa. It employs 2,000 people. It features a 19-story glass atrium with views of the Potomac River.[5]

It had over 1.3 million room nights booked before its formal opening on April 1, 2008. Other adjacent hotels and facilities were under construction at the time.[6]

Events

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The convention center hosted the 2011 Republican National Committee Winter Meeting, at which the 2011 Republican National Committee chairmanship election took place.[7] It also hosts Katsucon, a celebration of anime. The Gaylord also has hosted MAGFest, a yearly festival celebrating video games, video game music, and culture, since 2012.[8] The annual Scripps National Spelling Bee has been held at the Gaylord since 2011.[9]

In 2014, the Gaylord hosted the 36th annual Technology Student Association National Conference.[10]

In 2016, the hotel also hosted Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings. In 2019, the hotel hosted the 41st annual Technology Student Association National Conference.[11]

Some departments within the property are represented by different trade unions, the largest being Local 25 of the Unite Here! trade organization.

In 2024, the annual Conservative Political Action Conference was held at The Gaylord.[12] Also in 2024, the Restaurant Facility Management Association (RFMA) held its annual conference there.[13]

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References

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  1. ^ Gaylord Entertainment FactSheet Archived July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine PDF
  2. ^ Site and building plans (2006). National Harbor. Retrieved on July 22, 2007. Archived October 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Mixed use communities: National Harbor, Prince George's County, MD Archived 2007-06-24 at the Wayback Machine (2006). The Peterson Companies. Retrieved on July 22, 2007.
  4. ^ Facts Sheet Archived 2008-09-20 at the Wayback Machine PDF Retrieved on March 14, 2008
  5. ^ a b High Hopes at Hotel's Grand Opening
  6. ^ Gaylord National Resort Set to Open Archived 2008-04-15 at the Wayback Machine WJLA. Retrieved on March 14, 2008
  7. ^ RNC bounces Steele, taps Wisconsin GOP leader as new chairman
  8. ^ MAGFest X Roundup, Part One Archived 2013-09-06 at archive.today</r A Fond Look Back at MAGFest 11
  9. ^ "Longest-running spelling competition". Guinness World Records. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  10. ^ "2014 National TSA Conference | Technology Student Association". Archived from the original on 2014-09-11. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
  11. ^ "2019 National TSA Conference". Archived from the original on 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  12. ^ "CPAC touted as the 'most influential gathering of conservatives': See the 2024 conference". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  13. ^ "RFMA 2024 WASHINGTON, DC GAYLORD NATIONAL RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER". www.rfmaannualconference.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
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