A major hotel deal happened today when Gaylord Hotels announced its sale for $210 million to Marriott International. Gaylord Hotels is a convention hotel brand with four properties in the U.S. in Nashville, Orlando, National Harbor Maryland (near D.C.) and Dallas Texas. Apparently the brand name will remain Gaylord Hotels within the Marriott International hotel brands portfolio.

I have attended the Carlson Rezidor Hotels Group Global Conference at the Orlando (2010) and National Harbor (2011) properties. These hotels are designed to handle groups of several thousand attendees. Personally I love the large glass enclosed atriums of the two Gaylord Hotels where I have stayed. These hotels are truly self-sufficient crystal cities of restaurants, entertainment and activity. Gaylord Hotels are convention hotels that I would not mind visiting for leisure travel.

Gaylord Palms Orlando, Florida

These hotel major deals take time to work through and it might be 2013 before these hotels are integrated into the Marriott Rewards system based on how long it took to integrate AC Hotels into the system. The fact that there are only four U.S. properties might hasten the integration process.

Interestingly, Gaylord Hotels had a difficult time selling its hotel offers during the U.S. Travel Association/American Express Daily Getaways last month.

I wrote about a Gaylord Hotels 2nd night free wedding anniversary offer for 2012 back in February.

Gaylord National, National Harbor, Maryland

The article from Hotel Interactive states three other hotel companies were in play for making this deal. I have to wonder if Carlson Rezidor was one of those three companies since they have used the Gaylord Hotels for their annual global business conference.

This will be a good conference hotel acquisition for the 38 million Marriott Rewards members.

Ric Garrido, owner and writer of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. You can follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.

Gaylord Hotels offers couples the 2nd night free on a two-night weekend stay during the month of your anniversary for stays through May 31. The offer changes for those with anniversary dates June through December to a $100 resort credit for two paid nights.

The catch is you must have proof (i.e. copy of marriage certificate) of your anniversary date in the month of your stay. My wife and I had our anniversary in January so this offer has passed us by for 2012.

Rates are around $199 to about $250 per night for the 2nd night free anniversary offer. The links below are set for the anniversary offer booking.

For travel Now – May 31, 2012, get your FREE night at any of these Gaylord Hotels:

• Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN
• Gaylord Palms in the Orlando/Kissimmee area
• Gaylord Texan in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area
• Gaylord National in the Washington, D.C. area

Gaylord Hotels’ Unforgettable Anniversary for travel June – December 31, 2012 includes $100 credit with two paid nights:

• Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN
• Gaylord Palms in the Orlando/Kissimmee area
• Gaylord Texan in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area
• Gaylord National in the Washington, D.C. area

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Two nights at any of four Gaylord Hotels in the U.S. is being offered at 12 noon ET (New York time) today through Discover America Daily Getaways offers for $230 (American Express payment or $255 for another credit card). These stays require Thursday, Friday or Saturday check-in and are valid through May 31, 2012. Stays must be booked at least 21 days before arrival.

There are 99 items for sale in this offer. Maximum one item per purchase. DiscoverAmerica.com sale link.

There are only four Gaylord Hotels.

Gaylord Texan in Dallas, Texas.

Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, Tennessee

Gaylord National at National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington D.C.

Gaylord Palms, Orlando, Florida.

The hotel lobbies have a signature characteristic of huge glass atriums filled with abundant plants and trees, water features and waterfalls and plenty of light in the day and charmingly lighted at night.

Gaylord Palms atrium, Orlando, Florida

These hotels are designed as convention hotels. For example, Gaylord Opryland in Nashville has 2,881 rooms.

The convention hotel environment is the total opposite of a boutique hotel, yet in many ways these hotels are unique and offer a Disneyesque experience for the solo or family traveler.

I stayed in Gaylord Palms Orlando last year and Gaylord National Harbor in February this year during the Carlson Hotels global conferences. The standard rooms at both hotels provided all the amenities needed for a hotel stay and the facilities, restaurants and pools and entertainment are extensively sufficient to make the hotel a self-contained environment for relaxing spaces, eye-catching atriums and plenty of on-site food and entertainment options.

Ship dining inside the hotel at Gaylord Palms Orlando

Sample rates I checked for random dates show $115 per night is a big discount:

Gaylord Opryland, Nashville

• July 7-9, 2011 = $199/night + tax.

Gaylord National, National Harbor, MD

• October 7-9, 2011 = $199 + tax.

Gaylord Texan, Dallas

• June 7-9, 2011 = $299/night + tax.

Picking up a two night stay for $115 per night all-in through today’s Discover America Daily Getaways is a good deal for any of these four Gaylord Hotels. They really are an experience to stay in just due to their sheer size and variety of displays to see and activities to do. I think Gaylord Hotels  make a great family weekend getaway hotel choice.

Gaylord National atrium fountain