NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 23, 2008 - Gaylord Entertainment Company (NYSE: GET) today announced the promotion of Peter Weien to senior vice president and general manager of Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn., effective July 7, 2008.

With more than 25 years of hospitality and service industry experience, Weien has established a strong record of leadership. He joined Gaylord Entertainment in 2004 as the chief operating officer of property management subsidiary ResortQuest and subsequently was appointed to the position of vice president and hotel manager of the Opryland property in 2007.

Prior to his tenure at Gaylord Entertainment, Weien honed his skills through 12 years with Harrah's Entertainment, during which he served as the general manager of two Harrah’s Midwest casinos as well as other senior management positions such as senior vice president, vice president of corporate development and corporate director of gaming development.

Weien replaces former general manager Arthur Keith, who has made the decision to move back to Las Vegas and take a position as president of a local casino and hotel.

“Gaylord Opryland has undergone an incredible transformation to reclaim its legitimate spot as one of the top convention properties in the country, thanks in large part to the work of Pete, Arthur and the rest of this exceptional team,” said Colin V. Reed, Gaylord Entertainment chairman and chief executive officer. “I am confident that Pete’s experience in the industry and his track record at Gaylord make him the perfect successor to continue the momentum created at Opryland and we’re enthusiastic about the property’s growth potential and the continued value it adds to the Gaylord portfolio.”

With continued strong revenues and demand from meeting planners and transient guests, Gaylord Opryland has grown considerably in recent years. As part of the company-wide focus on exceptional service and experiences for each guest, the property recently completed a three-year $125 million upgrade to its leisure and outside-the-room offerings. The effort included the renovation of more than 2,000 rooms, the addition of the Relache Spa, an indoor pool and exercise facility as well as new entertainment and dining venues.

Under Weien’s leadership, the property will undergo an expansion to increase its offering to 3,281 hotel rooms and more than 1 million square feet of convention and meeting space to address the continued excessive demand for the Opryland experience. As the premier facility for meetings and conventions in the Nashville area, the Opryland property has seen consistently strong advanced bookings and occupancy levels as well as meaningful growth in its RevPAR, Total RevPAR and outside-the-room spending levels.

“Arthur’s leadership distinguished him as an important player during his time at Gaylord and we’re grateful for his service. He’s been a catalyst for positive change and we wish him all the best as he follows his aspirations back into the gaming industry,” said Reed.

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ABOUT GAYLORD ENTERTAINMENT
Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn., owns and operates Gaylord Hotels (www.gaylordhotels.com), its network of upscale, meetings-focused resorts, and the Grand Ole Opry (www.opry.com), the weekly showcase of country music’s finest performers for more than 80 consecutive years. The Company's entertainment brands and properties include the Radisson Hotel Opryland, Ryman Auditorium, General Jackson Showboat, Gaylord Springs Golf Links, Wildhorse Saloon, and WSM-AM. For more information about the Company, visit www.GaylordEntertainment.com. 

This press release contains statements as to the Company’s beliefs and expectations of the outcome of future events that are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made.  These include the risks and uncertainties associated with economic conditions affecting the hospitality business generally, the timing of the opening of new hotel facilities, increased costs and other risks associated with building and developing new hotel facilities, the geographic concentration of our hotel properties, business levels at the Company’s hotels, our ability to successfully operate our hotels and our ability to obtain financing for new developments.  Other factors that could cause operating and financial results to differ are described in the filings made from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission and include the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.  The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements made by it to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof or the occurrence of unanticipated events.

The Company calculates revenue per available room (“RevPAR”) for its hospitality segment by dividing room sales by room nights available to guests for the period. 

The Company calculates total revenue per available room (“Total RevPAR”) by dividing the sum of room sales, food & beverage, and other ancillary services revenue by room nights available to guests for the period.

CONTACT: Gaylord Entertainment
Investor Relations:
David Kloeppel, 615-316-6101
CFO
dkloeppel@gaylordentertainment.com
or
Mark Fioravanti, 615-316-6588
Senior Vice President and Treasurer
mfioravanti@gaylordentertainment.com
or
Rob Tanner, 615-316-6572
Director Investor Relations
rtanner@gaylordentertainment.com
or
Sloane & Company
Media:
Elliot Sloane, 212-446-1860
esloane@sloanepr.com
or
Josh Hochberg, 212-446-1892
jhochberg@sloanepr.com