1JAR

Thought I'd provide some f/u as there were some nice Fodorites who helped alot.
Spent last 9 days Dallas at Gaylord Texan Grapevine area North of DFW airport.
Avis rental car staff gave me a map to get OUT of the airport & am I glad I had a map as all rental car people are bused to a remote location at the airport and it is DIFFICULT to find your way out of the airport side streets onto a city street or freeway.
GAylord Texan not far about 15 minute drive once out of the airport depending on traffic.
Then the charging at GT began...self park $9 a night plus tax is about $10. Valet $22. a night. Self park gqarge is far enough away to be a hassle with luggage if traveling by self or with family. GT has a few 15 minutes spaces up front..park there and check in.
I got a good rate..alot a people paying almost $200. GT adds a $10 a day amenitie fee..2 bottled waters, newspaper. Tried to get them to delete ..no luck. With tax was closer to $11
As expected restaurants inside GT were expensive..$18 breakfast buffet without tip..only other option was Java Coast deli yoghurt and sm bottle of juice close to $6

I had asked Fodorites for suggestion to eat away from GT and they kindly provided suggestions East 10 minutes to Grapevine Outlet Mall (suggestion Corner Bakery had the best choice 3 salad options for $6) and going West 10 minutes are 2 grocery stores and Main Street Old town Grapevine with lots of choices.
I bought a few groceries and filled up the refrdg in the room. My yogurt was .99 cents...
I did have room servcie 1 night : soup cup , cobb salad and cheescake $42. GT adds 19% gratuity and $3 delivery fee automatically..food great, servcie good and fast not worth more tho for tip...
Room nice but inside rooms facing Riverwalk interior very noisy. Also the rooms can not be cooled below 65 and it was over 100 when I was there...maids servcie would reset air conditioner to 75 after cleaning so rooms were HOT when returning..took a long time to cool.

Concierge was pleasant and helped with maps to local areas and printed boarding passes for rtn home.

Check out bill had several errors...I stayed at my brothers in Tyler 1 night and GT still charged me for parking..even tho you have to use your hotel key card to get in/out..
Also had room charge extra night...

Oh and BTW they have a nice Spa onsite..I asked for a plain pedicure and was charged minimum $60...they pleaded to upgrade to $75 (my feet are not that bad!)and I said no!

Nice hotel/resort intended to be all contained onsitr but prices were very high in my opinion..BTW stayed at Gaylord Palms in Orlando too last year...found the same thing to be true...

egret

We stayed at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville and had just about the same experience. Glad to see it once, but would never go back.

Seamus

I had the same experience - nothing was really bad, but the prices were all high and not a good price to value ratio. The place is in the middle of nowhere and relies on guests feeling captive. In that regard it's rather like a theme park that knows it can get away with charging inflated prices because you don't want to hassle with leaving the park. I was there for a conference, would not go back on my own and strongly recommended to the meeting organizers that they not re-use the facility.

turista

All inclusive resorts are that way everywhere and make most of their money from conference folks who are "free shuttled" to the place and then have no means to go any where else. We were just at the Marriot Dessert Inn in Scottsdale last month and it was just beautiful. We were there for a conference but we had a car and were able to leave the premises for sightseeing and eating off the compound, but we paid dearly for the valet parking and tipping too. Breakfast was the downstairs Starbucks or one of the more expensive restaurants. Next year's conference is slated for the Gaylord Texan, so I guess it won't be any different for us!

Seamus

turista, just to avoid any confusion for other posters/readers - you don't mean "all inclusive" as in the type of resort where meals and drinks are included in the price of the room? That's absolutely not how Gaylord Texan works. Some meals may be included if you are there for a sponsored event and they arrange to have catering, but otherwise everything is a la carte, and with a pretty heft price tag, too. Nothing I had there was outright bad, and I sure don't mind shelling out for something special I really want, it's just that I'm one of those persnickety old farts who detests being restricted to just one high priced choice because I am a virtual captive at the property. Yeah, I did sneak in my own candy at the movies when I was a kid!

ChristieP

I'm glad the directions to other places to eat and buy groceries in Grapevine were useful to you. I've gone to the GT to look at their Christmas light display, which was stunning, but I agree their food is all quite overpriced.

missypie

As a Grapevine resident, it drives me crazy that they charge hotel guests for parking. Where do they think they are? Sure, if you're in Manhattan, downtown Chicago, or San Francisco, land is at a premium, so you expect to pay to park. But the Gaylord is in the middle of acres and acres undeveloped land...shameless of them!

wsoxrebel

If you visit locally and buy a drink, you can get your parking validated.

RE the pedicure - is $60 now the minimum spa price for any service? I had my nails painted last year for under $20 and I got to enjoy the spa all day. That spa is wonderful and I would love to go back.

1JAR

Just checked back in to Fodors..loved all the posts......and loved the comment about parking..Honestly..you have to admire the marketing and business savey!
I did enjoy things and yes it was a splurge for the pedicure