American Airlines Flights from Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL) to Las Vegas (LAS)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on American Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL) to Las Vegas (LAS) regularly scheduled to depart at 9:00am and arrive at 10:20am. Usually an Airbus A319 is flown for this route. The average travel time from Guadalajara, Mexico to Las Vegas, NV is 3 hours and 20 minutes.
During your Las Vegas vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
The Gold Spike
Despite an updating (after a serious fire), the Gold Spike remains deliciously, or frighteningly (depending on your aesthetic views and desires) dated; it may no longer have that '70s-era shag carpeting and wood paneling, but it has the modern-day spiritual equivalent. It's still one of those dingy, forgotten Downtown spaces that we usually criticize. So what? Here, everyone is equal, and everyone is having a good time, or at least they can sincerely join you in your misery. Best of all, they have penny slots! (Not very many, to be sure, and getting a seat at one can require patience.) Hey tightwads, take a buck and spend a few hours.
Luxor IMAX Theater/In Search of the Obelisk
This is a state-of-the-art theater that offers both motion-simulator films and IMAX projects, some in standard two dimensions and one in 3-D. The glasses for the latter are really cool headsets (though they're a little too heavy for comfort) that include built-in speakers, bringing certain sounds right into your head. The movies change periodically but always include some extraordinary special effects. If you have a fear of heights, be sure to ask for a seat on one of the lower levels.In Search of the Obelisk is a motion-simulator ride encompassing an action adventure involving a chase sequence inside a pyramid. Two other less-Egyptian-theme-tie-in simulator rides that also play at the Luxor are Fun House Express and Dracula's Haunted Castle.
Gameworks
What do you get when Steven Spielberg and his DreamWorks team get in on the arcade video-game action? Grown-up state-of-the-art fun. High-tech movie magic has taken over all sorts of traditional arcade games and turned them interactive, from a virtual-reality batting cage to a Jurassic Park game that lets you hunt dinosaurs. There are motion-simulator rides galore and even actual-motion activities like rock climbing. But classic games, from Pac-Man to pool tables, are here too, though sometimes with surprising twists, such as air hockey where multiple pucks occasionally shoot out at once.All this doesn't exactly come cheap. There are two routes to pricing. First is the standard version where $15 gets you $15 in game play, $20 gets you $25, or $25 gets you $35. Alternatively, you can purchase a block of time ($20 for 1 hr., $25 for 2 hr., $27 for 3 hr.; or if you get there at opening or closing you get 2 hr. for $20), which goes on a debit card that you then insert into the various machines to activate them. But you do get value for your money, which makes this a viable alternative to casinos, particularly if you have children (though it's clearly geared toward a college-age-and-older demographic). Children probably should be 10 years old and up -- any younger and parents will need to stand over them, rather than go off and have considerable fun on their own. Note: If you don't like crowds, come here earlier rather than later when it can get packed.
The Venetian
One of the most elaborate hotel spectacles in town, The Venetian falls squarely between an outright adult Disneyland experience and the luxury resort experience that many of the other recently renovated Vegas hotels offer. Its exterior, which re-creates most of the top landmarks of Venice (the Campanile, a portion of St. Mark's Square, part of the Doge's Palace, a canal or two), ranks right up there with New York-New York as a must-see, and since you can wander freely through the "sights," it even has a slight edge over New York-New York. (This may be the only hotel in Vegas where it seems inviting to wander around outside in the front.) As stern as we get about re-creations not being a substitute for the real thing, we have to admit that the attention to detail here is impressive indeed. Stone is aged for that weathered look, statues and tiles are exact copies of their Italian counterparts, security guards wear Venetian police uniforms -- all that's missing is the smell from the canals, but we are happy to let that one slide.Inside, it's more of the same, particularly in the lobby area and the entrance to the extraordinary shops, as ceilings are covered with hand-painted re-creations of Venetian art. With plenty of marble, soaring ceilings, and impressive pillars and archways, it's less kitschy than Caesars but more theme park than Bellagio. The lobby says classy hotel, if "classy hotel on steroids." The lobby, casino, and shops can all be accessed from outside through individual entrances, which helps avoid that irritating circuitous maneuvering required by most other locations. This is all the more appreciated because the casino seems to have a most confusing layout, with poor signage; perhaps it's just our problem with spatial navigation, but we consistently got lost on the way to the guest elevators.The rooms are among the largest and probably the most handsome in town, with a flair that's more European than Vegas. They are all "suites," with a good-size bedroom giving way to a sunken living area, complete with pullout sofa bed. The decor features just one too many patterns, but it manages to work, and nice touches abound. Rooms have somewhat stately furniture, including painted, scallop-topped armoires; thickly draped half canopies over the beds; and crown moldings on ceilings. The marbled bathrooms rocketed virtually to the top of our list of favorites, in a tie for second place with those at Bellagio. (Mandalay Bay's THEhotel are the best.) Glassed-in showers, deep soaking tubs (though your feet can easily kick the plug out), double sinks, fluffy towels, and lots of space -- that does it for us every time. Devices for the hearing-impaired (ranging from door-knock lights to vibrating alarm clocks and telecaption decoders) are available upon request.Despite the niceties, there is a certain amount of price gouging at this hotel that unpleasantly reminds one of the real Venice. There is a charge for that in-room faxing and printing, and the minibar is automated so that if you so much as rearrange items inside, you are charged for it.And all this is even before the new Venezia Tower, with over 1,000 more rooms, with the same large and lush footprint and style as the originals. The tower has its own check-in and gestalt -- somehow, it comes off even more lush than the original hotel, which is pretty frilly to start. It's like a Four Seasons on human growth hormones, with over-the-top opulence. The gas lamp-lit lobby hallway slays us, as do the flatscreen TVs in the bathrooms. Rooms here cost about $35 more a night (in theory -- in practice, anything goes with hotel pricing in Vegas) and we would spend it. The new trend towards casino hotels adding additions that are away from a casino -- "Nope, no slot machines here. We are just a luxury hotel. Really!" -- is a disingenuous stance that is actually entirely genius. There are many who prefer their Vegas at arm's length, whose finest compliment for a hotel is "it doesn't seem like it's in Vegas." These people are willing to spend extra to stay in a grown-up atmosphere, and certainly are more inclined to want a comfortable room -- and nothing says "comfortable room" like "plasma TV in the bathroom."Many celebrity chefs and high-profile restaurants are in residence at The Venetian. Reviews of Bouchon (by Thomas Keller, perhaps America's top chef), Delmonico Steakhouse, Canaletto, Valentino, Lutèce, and Pinot Brasserie can be found in Restaurants. Also worth noting is that Zeffirino's chef, Paolo Belloni, has cooked for some of the most eminent judges of Italian food: the Pope and Sinatra. And, of course, there is an elegant but confusingly laid-out casino.The Venetian has five pools and whirlpools, but its pool area is disappointing -- sterile and bland. Pools are neoclassical (think rectangles with the corners lopped off), and the fourth-floor location probably means that more dense foliage is not going to be forthcoming. The Venezia Tower has a courtyard pool area that is amusing, but the water space is tiny.The Canyon Ranch SpaClub is run by a branch of arguably the finest getaway spa in America. This is an unbelievably lavish facility, certainly the finest hotel spa in town. From the Bed Head and Bumble & Bumble products on sale in the shop to the nutritionists, physical therapists, and acupuncturists on the staff, to the vibrating massage chairs that you rest in during pedicures -- geez, what more could you want? Well, we want our own home gym to be as nice as the one here, with ample equipment, racks of big TVs, and a staff eager to help you with advice and bring you bottled water. The $30-a-day fee is high, but it does include a full day's worth of classes ranging from regular aerobics to yoga, Pilates, and dance. Did we mention the rock-climbing wall?The Grand Canal Shoppes rank with Caesars' shops as an absolute must-see. Like Caesars, the area is a mock Italian village with a blue, cloud-studded, painted sky overhead. But down the middle runs a canal, complete with singing gondoliers. (The 10-min. ride costs about $12, which seems steep, but trust us, it's a lot more in the real Venice.) The whole thing finishes up at a small re-creation of St. Mark's Square, which features glass blowers, traveling musicians, flower sellers, and the like. Expect to run into famous Venetians such as a flirty Casanova and a travel-weary Marco Polo. It's ambitious and a big step up from animatronic figures. Oh, and the stores are also probably worth a look -- a decent mixture of high-end fashion and more affordable shops.And let's not forget that this is the only hotel in town with a branch of the famed Guggenheim Museum, called the Guggenheim/Hermitage.And finally, because in Vegas more is always more, in 2005 the Venetian will begin work on an entirely new hotel, this time not Venice themed, with 3,000 more posh suites, a huge casino, and who knows what else.Facilities: Casino; wedding chapel; showroom; 19 restaurants; 6 outdoor pools; health club and spa; video arcade; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; business center; shopping arcade; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executive-level rooms.
Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower
A really neat idea, in that Vegas way, in a really bad location. At 1,149 feet, it's the tallest building west of the Mississippi. In theory, this should have provided yet another attraction for visitors: Climb (okay, elevator) to the top and gaze at the stunning view. But despite being on the Strip, it's a healthy walk from anywhere -- the nearest casino is the Sahara, which is 5 very long blocks away. This, and possibly the hefty price charged for the privilege of going up to the top of the tower, may have conspired to keep the crowds away.And while the crowds might have been justified before, they -- and by "they," we mean "you" -- might reconsider, especially if you are looking for a friendly place to hang your hat, but nothing more. The smaller-size rooms here are basically motel rooms -- really nice motel rooms, but with that level of comfort and style. Then again, you can often get such a room for around $29 a night. (And do join the casino's players club -- they tend to offer free rooms with more or less minimal play.) Perfect if you are coming to Vegas with no plans to spend time in your room except to sleep (if even that).That isn't to say there aren't other elements to like here, including the aforementioned casino, a midway area with kiddie-oriented rides, a pool with a view, and some of the friendliest, most accommodating staff in town. You can still ride the following incredible thrill rides (provided the wind isn't blowing too hard that day) on top of the tower: the world's highest roller coaster -- aka the High Roller -- (it careens around the outer rim of the tower 909 ft., 108 stories, above ground); the Big Shot, a fabulous free-fall ride that thrusts passengers up and down the tower at speeds of up to 45 mph; and the new X-Scream, a giant teeter-totter-style device that gives you the sensation of falling off the side of the building. Indoor and outdoor observation decks offer the most stunning city views you will ever see, especially at night. For the price, this might be the right place for you. Just remember you need a rental car or a lot of cash for cabs to get to the true thrills down the Strip.In addition to the casino, the hotel also sports two productions shows: American Superstars (an impression-filled production show) and Viva Las Vegas (Las Vegas-style revue), which are reviewed in Nightlife.Facilities: Casino; showrooms; wedding chapel; 11 restaurants; large new pool area with great views of the Strip; children's rides and games located at the base of the tower; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; shopping arcade; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executive-level rooms.
Crowne Plaza
An upscale sister of the Holiday Inn chain, this business-oriented hotel is right next to the Hard Rock, but is hardly a Gen-X destination. Each room is technically a suite, but apparently after building its five-story atrium, the hotel didn't have a lot of space left for the rooms, and so each is on the small side, made more so by the sheer amount of stuff crammed into them. Expect a wet bar, a sitting area complete with convertible sofa bed, a fridge, and a desk. Summertime can find calypso bands playing by the pool, making it a party spot for the many flight crews who regularly stay here.
