Continental Airlines Flights from Manzanillo, Mexico (ZLO) to Houston (IAH)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Continental Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Manzanillo, Mexico (ZLO) to Houston (IAH) regularly scheduled to depart at 3:00pm and arrive at 5:27pm. Usually an Embraer RJ is flown for this route. The average travel time from Manzanillo, Mexico to Houston, TX is 2 hours and 27 minutes.
During your Houston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Houston Museum of Natural Science
This is quite a lot more than your average natural history museum. Yes, it has everything you expect (and some you might not): dinosaur skeletons, displays of Texas wildlife, a stunning gem and mineral collection, a Foucault pendulum, and exhibits on early cultures of the Americas, climatology, chemistry, and oil and gas exploration. But what gets most of the buzz is the miniature rainforest environment created in the Butterfly Center. You can walk among hundreds of living butterflies as they dance about in the steamy air amidst a small waterfall. As you enter, you pass through the insect zoo, which holds some fascinating and bizarre living specimens of beetles, spiders, and other bugs that you wouldn't necessarily want running around freely with you.Also in the museum are an IMAX theater and a planetarium. The museum recently reequipped the planetarium with new computer animation projectors that enhance the quality of its programs about stars, galaxies, nebulas, and other astral bodies. In years past, the directors have assembled some great temporary exhibits, so ask about any temporary shows that might be open during your visit. The museum occupies a corner of the Hermann Park about 3 blocks from the Museum of Fine Arts next to the equestrian statue of Sam Houston.
Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is the visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center. It's the product of the joint efforts of NASA and Disney Imagineering. Easily the most popular attraction in the Houston area, there's nothing like it anywhere else in the world. You'll find plenty of exhibits and activities to interest both adults and children, and they do a great job of introducing the visitor to different aspects of space exploration. The center banks heavily on interactive displays and simulations on the one hand and actual access to the real thing on the other. For instance, the Feel of Space gallery simulates working in the frictionless environment of space by using an air-bearing floor (something like a giant air hockey table). Another simulator shows what it's like to land the lunar orbiter. For a direct experience of NASA you can take the 1 1/2-hour tram tour that takes you to, among other places, the International Space Station Assembly Building and NASA control center. You get to see things as they happen, especially interesting if there's a shuttle mission in progress. You might also see astronauts in training. And, on top of all this, Space Center Houston has the largest IMAX in Texas. Plan on staying here 3 to 4 hours.
Menil Collection
Here, on display in an unremarkable neighborhood near the University of St. Thomas, is one of the world's great private collections. Jean and Dominique de Menil arrived in Houston in the 1940s, fleeing the war in Europe. For more than 4 decades, they purchased and commissioned works of art; brought artists, architects, and academics to the city; organized groundbreaking exhibitions; and did much for Houston's art museums and for the art departments of Rice University and St. Thomas University. Their collection, especially the modern art, is vast, so much so that only a fifth of it can be exhibited in the museum at one time. The structure housing the collection was designed by Renzo Piano, who worked closely with Mrs. de Menil. It is graceful and personable and doesn't seek to impress the visitor or impose itself on the collection. In these qualities it is the physical embodiment of Mrs. de Menil's ideas about experiencing art. When you walk into the museum there is nothing between you and the art -- no grand lobby with marble stairway, no large banners or gift shop vying for attention, no tickets to buy, no tape-recorded tours. Viewing the art becomes a direct and personal experience.The Menil Collection is concentrated in four areas: antiquity, Byzantine and medieval, tribal art, and 20th century. This may seem an incongruous mix, but, strangely enough, it holds together. The collectors never intended to gather up the most representative of a period; they simply followed their own tastes, which were modern. And one interesting consequence of this fact (intended or not) is that, in walking through these galleries one right after another, the viewer gradually discerns a universality in some modern art that connects it all the way back to antiquity and across the boundaries of Western culture to the tribal peoples of other continents.In addition to the main museum, four satellite buildings form a museum campus. One of these satellite buildings is the much-talked-about Rothko Chapel, with its 14 brooding paintings by Mark Rothko, created specifically for this installation and the last works before the artist's death. In front of the chapel stands Barnett Newman's Broken Obelisk. A block south of the Rothko Chapel is the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum, which is worth seeing as much for the building that houses them (designed by François de Menil, son of Jean and Dominique) as for the frescoes themselves, which were ransomed from international art thieves. Across the street from the main museum, in a building also designed by Renzo Piano, is a permanent exhibition of the works of Cy Twombly, which, though perhaps difficult to approach, are easy to view because of the gallery's exquisite light. It lends a luminous quality to the large artworks, and somehow just being in the place livens one's spirits. Finally, Richmond Hall, 2 blocks south of the campus, holds an installation by neon light artist Don Flavin.
Hotel Icon
I like a hotel that's not afraid of a bit of fringe, a splash of gold damask, a touch of refined decadence. So many hotels I see opt for the zero-risk approach to traditionalism: conservative furniture with American Colonial or neoclassical elements -- what I call the George-Washington-slept-here look. This place goes more for the Lola-Montez-slept-here look: lots of texture, ornament, and a definite "boudoir" feel to the rooms, all of which makes this hotel a fun place to stay. In renovating the old Union National Bank Building (ca. 1911), the designers sought to capture something of the feel of that golden age of refinement and exuberance. The most fun is to be had in the suites on the top floor, each named after a glorious old hotel. These rooms are extra large and extra plush and touched by a bit of idiosyncrasy (although I can't tell how much of this is the product of the original building's floor plan and how much was by design). The standard rooms are laden with atmosphere and amenities. The higher rate is for rooms with extra-large bathrooms equipped with a pass-through above the large tub that opens up to the bedroom. To set the mood for your stay, I recommend having a drink at the mezzanine bar, which is really in character. Bank Jean-Georges, the hotel's restaurant, is reviewed below. The location is excellent.
Westin Galleria and Westin Oaks
Similar in size, name, and appearance, these two hotels are often confused by travelers who arrive believing the destination has been reached only to find that they must yet again negotiate the mall parking lot. The Westin Oaks is on the east side of the Galleria mall (the side closest to Loop 610) and faces Westheimer Road. It's a family hotel, with no alcohol in the minibars. The Westin Galleria is attached to the west side of the Galleria and faces West Alabama Street. It targets business travelers, offering a business center and more formal dining than the Westin Oaks.In other aspects the hotels are much alike. I find them a mix of good and bad. On the good side, they have the great location that allows you to walk from your hotel room into the shopping mall without ever having to leave the great indoors. The rooms are extra large, the beds are comfortable, and the balconies -- an uncommon feature in urban hotels -- offer the best way to enjoy the view of perpetual motion below and the serene skyline above (get a north-facing room at the Westin Oaks, a south-facing room at the Westin Galleria). On the bad side, the rooms are awkwardly designed and plainly furnished. Another problem is the service: There wasn't enough staff present on my visits, and the concierge, once located, didn't inspire confidence. Having said that, I must add that all of this would be perfectly fine for a hotel in a lower price range, and that might be just what we're looking at here. I found the discounting of rates so common that I don't believe anyone pays the published rate here.Facilities: 1 restaurant in each hotel; 1 bar in each hotel; heated outdoor swimming pool; health club access ($11/day fee); children's program; concierge; car-rental desk; business center; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; same-day laundry service/dry cleaning.
Sara's Bed and Breakfast Inn
For the traditional B&B experience -- period decor, themed rooms, beautifully furnished common rooms -- this is the place to stay. Sara's occupies a large Texas Victorian house in the Heights. From here it's easy to get to all of central Houston. The house is immaculately kept and brightly decorated. Most rooms come with a queen-size or king-size bed. Several are inspired by other cities of Texas, including Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Galveston. The carriage house suite is extra large and has a king-size and a double bed. The hosts serve a full breakfast except on Mondays.
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights to Houston (IAH) on Continental Airlines