| Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center: The Heart of Texas |
| Featured Spotlights | |||
| Written by Eric Slack | |||
| Sunday, 01 March 2009 | |||
 Backed by an employee-first culture, this Texas-sized resort and convention center boasts the whole package of best-in-class service and amenities.
it is a service-based culture founded on the principles of putting employees first that has made this resort and convention center a success in five short years.  John Imaizumi, senior VP and GM Gaylord Texan opened its doors in April 2004 after breaking ground in the summer of 2000. The facility is enormous and has 1,511 guest rooms, 127 suites, six restaurants, seven lounges, a full-service spa and fitness center, and several entertainment venues. In addition, there are 400,000 square feet of convention space, including 180,000 square feet for the facility’s exhibit hall. The facility also has three indoor atriums with 4.5 acres of landscaped gardens and a river running from one end of first atrium to end of the third atrium. The resort and convention center is part of the larger Gaylord Resort Hotels and Convention Centers organization, which has properties up and running in Nashville, Orlando, and Washington, DC. The corporate office provides assistance in areas like IT, brand marketing, and operational resources that help general managers run the facilities better. “It is very important that everyone is on the same page so we are empowered to do what we need to do to improve our service,” said Imaizumi. “The strong partnership we have with the corporate office provides us with the support and resources to do that.” Each Gaylord facility is located in an area known for a high volume of travelers and reflects the unique culture of each region. Gaylord Texan is no different, as it is centrally located between Dallas and Ft. Worth and exudes Texas charm. The Lone Star Tower is the luxury wing of the hotel, with 476 guestrooms and 34 suites. Restaurants like Riverwalk Café (modeled after the San Antonio River Walk) and Silver Bar (similar to an Old West saloon) tie the resort and convention center firmly to Texan heritage. Shining stars But what really makes Gaylord Texan stand out isn’t its impressive size or rich amenities. It is the culture created and maintained by every member of the Gaylord family as a result of treating its employees like stars. In fact, Gaylord Texan doesn’t actually have “employees”—it has Stars. An acronym for smiles, teamwork, attitude, reliability, and service with a passion, this employee-first philosophy links growth and profitability with service excellence, which the organization believes can only be accomplished by putting employee needs before all else. “When our Stars are taken care of first, you see their smiles, enthusiasm, and passion to serve passed along to our guests. Some of the great benefits we offer them include a cafeteria with a variety of healthy eating options, a private fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment, and a large number of purchasing perks,” said Imaizumi. As for its business model, Gaylord Texan was clearly built with conventions in mind. Of its 400,000 square feet of meeting space, the largest ballroom is 50,000 square feet and comes complete with a full theatrical stage and green rooms. At the same time, the facility has another 32,000-square-foot ballroom and a smaller 3,300-square-foot ballroom. The convention center has fiber-optic cable wired throughout the entire meeting, breakout, and exhibit area. Combined with the 180,000 square feet of exhibit space, Gaylord Texan has everything a meeting planner could ever need and then some. “Meeting planners don’t have to bring everything they need when they come here. They can call ahead and have all their materials ready the day they arrive without shipping costs. We can even have two large meetings at the same time, and they wouldn’t cross over each other,” Imaizumi said. “Our loading docks also differentiate us because with 17 bays, one group can move in while another is moving out, which can save a day on the front and back end for meeting planners.” And though 80% of its business stems from conventions, the resort is proving to be a popular destination for leisure travelers as well. All rooms come equipped with high-end amenities that Gaylord Texan treats as basics, like high-speed Internet access, electronic lock and key systems, safes with built-in laptop recharging capabilities, refrigerators, and coffeemakers. In addition, venues like Texan Station Sports Bar, with its 52-foot big screen TV and 50 flat screen TVs, and the $16 million Glass Cactus Nightclub can make a trip to Gaylord Texan a memorable experience for any traveler. Continuous improvement Despite its young age, the resort undergoes what Imaizumi called perpetual renovations. Rather than wait until entire wings need to be overhauled, Gaylord Texan constantly looks to make improvements to rooms and common areas as occupancy allows. Demand has been so high since it first opened that the resort is already planning a major expansion project once the capital markets begin to recover. The expansion will add about 500 guestrooms and another 200,000 square feet of meeting space. Last year, the resort completed construction on a new two-level parking garage in part to prepare for the eventual expansion project. The resort is also working to improve sustainability and energy efficiency procedures to benefit the environment and control expenses. A massive recycling program recycles everything from pallets, light bulbs, and batteries to paper, metal, and glass. Gaylord Texan is working to achieve LEED certification in this year, and last May it received the Sylvania Ecologic Certification Award for transitioning at least 75% of its lighting to environmentally friendly products. But with the economy making travelers and meeting planners alike take a closer look at the bottom line, the differentiator in the end for Gaylord Texan comes back to the employee-first attitude that makes people want to work there. That passion and commitment to coming to work determined to give the guest a memorable experience is the key to thriving in lean times. “In times like these, you have to appreciate what you have, and to me the silver lining is that it will make us do our jobs even better,” Imaizumi said. “You can’t be a mediocre manager in tough times. You have to be exceptional and fanatical about results. Anything less just won’t do.” |
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