Wyndham Nashville, which is conveniently located near the legendary Grand Ole Opry and the immense Opry Mills outlet mall, features two outdoor swimming pools and spa, an indoor swimming pool, fitness center and an extensive activities center. The resort is one of four vacation ownership properties in Tennessee, including Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Glade, Wyndham Smoky Mountains and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Great Smokies Lodge. After closing down completely to repair the more than $10 million in damages caused by the massive flood that devastated the region in early May 2010, Wyndham Nashville is once again making music and welcoming Club Wyndham Plus owners and their guests back to the property. “We’re excited to open our doors again and welcome our owners back…Nashville is an iconic American vacation destination that was absolutely devastated by this flood, but the community is really showcasing its resiliency and character as it gets back on its feet and we’re happy to be a part of that”, said Franz Hanning, President & CEO of Wyndham Vacation Ownership.
Reconstruction efforts began on May 6, 2010 to repair the damage caused to all 19 buildings. The property, which features 252 guest units, sustained damage to approximately 66 first floor units as well as to the sales, amenities and maintenance buildings. While some renovations are still underway, the main reconstruction projects were completed on August 26.
As part of Wyndhams’ commitment to improving guests experiences, there had been wide-spread reconstruction initiatives in the works prior to the reactive efforts resulting from the floods. All said, “the effort comes just months following a widespread planned renovation of the property, which originally opened in 1996. This phased renovation, which began in 2008 and was completed this past spring, involved comprehensive overhauls of guest units on the first four floors of the property, including replacing all furniture and appliances”. Like many homes and businesses in the area, Wyndham Nashville was flooded with more than two feet of water on May 2 when the Old Hickory Dam was opened in an effort to relieve strained water levels that resulted from more than 14 inches of rainfall. In the days that followed the devastating aftermath, the onsite staff moved approximately 500 owners and guests and their personal belongings, including vehicles, off the property. The company then cancelled all incoming reservations, coordinated temporary housing for employees whose homes were impacted and connected with other Wyndham properties in the area to reroute employees so they could continue working until Wyndham Nashville was reopened. “As the timeshare industry leader, we have an obligation to give back to the communities where we operate…while it was important to get our property fully operational as quickly as possible, we also recognize that we need to help take care of the local residents whose whole lives were impacted by this disaster”, stated Hanning.
In addition to repairing the property, the company is also committed to helping rebuild the Nashville community. As part of the grand re-opening celebration, Wishes by Wyndham, the company’s philanthropic program, will make a $25,000 flood relief donation to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The check will be donated by the Wyndham Worldwide Foundation at the request of Wishes by Wyndham.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, a nonprofit organization overseeing 770 charitable funds, is addressing needs as they emerge and evolve throughout flood relief and long-term recovery efforts through its flood relief funds. The Community Foundation works to impact the widest range of charitable needs and makes grants to local nonprofits on the front lines getting help to those impacted by the flood.
Wyndham Vacation Ownership, a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, is the world’s largest vacation ownership business, as measured by the number of vacation ownership resorts, individual vacation ownership units and owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and is supported by approximately 12,500 employees globally.
