Opryland Hotel Indoor Garden and Collections

Description:

• Hotels aren't usually tourist attractions, but this one is an exception. With 2,881 rooms, the place is beyond big, but what makes it worth a visit are the three massive atria that form the hotel's three main courtyards. Together these atria are covered by more than 8 acres of glass to form vast greenhouses full of tropical plants. There are rushing streams, roaring waterfalls, bridges, pathways, ponds, and fountains. There are also plenty of places to stop for a drink or a meal. In the evenings, live music and a laser light show can be seen in the Cascades Atrium.

  The largest of the three atriums here is the Delta, which covers 4 1/2 acres and has a quarter-mile-long "river," a 110-foot-wide waterfall, an 85-foot-tall fountain, and an island modeled after the French Quarter in New Orleans. On this island are numerous shops and restaurants, which give the hotel the air of an elaborate shopping mall. You can take boat rides on the river and, at night, catch live music in a nightclub on the island. Allow 20 to 30 minutes.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010