I stayed here for one night and it was very dissapointing. I had visited the hotel a year prior and had a pleasent stay. The rooms looked very old and outdated. There is a major construction project going on right next door. There is a new hotel being built and during most of the day there is a lot of noise going on. Hotel staff was mostly friendly but they refused my guest entry to the hotel after 11pm. Was very upset as i was not told of any guest curfews. The few postives of the hotel is the location to the Plaza del Sol shopping mall and the area seemed pretty safe.

We stayed 2 nights in GDL on our way to a diffrent destination. Loved the mall, lots of restaurants and other food options, fun for the kids. The rooms were okay. Carpet looked dirty, but had decent AC and clean bathroom.
My only complaint is that the walls are PAPER THIN!! I heard everything next door and it was not pretty. We had a 1 and 2 year old and it was not appropriate conduct of our neighboors, especially at 2 in the morning, then at 4!!!
The hotel breakfast restaurant was great. I really don't recommend this hotel if you have young kids.

Ok So just to give a little background, I am a young man and lived and worked in Guadalajara for over three years and am very familiar with the city. I only recently came back to the United States to start working and had been planning my wedding for several months that was to take place in Guadalajara in July of '08.

So after much consideration, when the time drew near for the wedding I chose to put my family and friends up at the Vista Plaza del Sol since they would all be coming down for the big day. Main reasons were: Location and Price. I had never been in the hotel but knew exactly where is was because while living in GDL all of my apartments were in the general area.

The hotel was also to be where I would be staying with my new bride on our wedding night before heading out on the honeymoon, so keep that in mind.

Well for me, the hotel was pretty much what I expected and I didn't have any issues. Keep in mind that with an 'Economy' Hotel in Mexico you shouldn't expect too much, but for me it had all the basics - AC, descent TV, a GREAT View and fair accomodations.

The hotel is OLD. Roughly 40 years or so I would bet. They were doing some rennovating the week we were there (How Lovely), so it might be in somewhat better shape here in the near future. Either way, didn't really bother me. It is somewhat run-down, but not in horrible shape. The staff is quite friendly, even when they were really under a lot of pressure from other guests, they were always very nice and willing to help out. Being Guadalajara the parking situation was insane and the valet guys were always willing to hook me up with a spot so long as I wasn't going to be too long, so I took care of them and tipped them.

The rooms were ok. Don't expect anything nicer than a Motel 6 and you're golden. It doesn't feel super-clean, I think mostly b/c of the carpet. Carpet is not common at all in Guadalajara so maybe they aren't very keen on how to keep it up. But again, for me, the room was fine - sufficient AC, a GREAT View of the city (we were in the round-tower, on the North-East side) and a good bed that was comfy enough.

However my mom was very uncomfortable upon arriving. Within a few minutes of getting there she was very unimpressed with the Lobby and we discovered in her and my dads room that their bathroom light was burnt out, that there were all kinds of hairs on her bed sheets, and, the best part, there was a BIG booger on her pillow. That was my favorite. All of this was caught before the bell boy had come and gone, so I asked him to remedy the situation and I also politely talked to a maid passing by and they did great in getting the room clean and the light fixed. Even so, mom wasn't very happy with the whole situation.

The hotel was also very full while we were there and kids all over the place. So the pool was pretty much unusable. It was pretty mediocre anyway though and I wouldn't have gotten in there either way. I wouldn't buy anything or eat at the hotel either, but being located where it is, who on earth would want to anyway??

OK now for the good - One thing that was really cool was that my dad, with his very limited Spanish, arranged that they put a really impressive flower bouquet decor in my room for me and my new bride on our wedding night as a suprise. I think my dad probably paid around $30 US or so but the Hotel employee that oraganized that really went all out and it was incredibly gorgeous. 30 Bucks in flowers will go about 4x further than it would in the states. Anyway, that just goes to show that the Hotel Staff really did their job and then some. Anyhow, bottom line - the MAIN thing this hotel has going for it above all else, is the LOCATION. It is technically IN and apart of the Outdoor mall, Plaza del Sol. By no means is Plaza del Sol the prettiest mall in the City (They have some awesome Malls!) but the location couldn't get any better and is just very practical, safe and attractive all-around.

There are dozens of good, safe places to eat in and around the mall and there is a Huge Super Market where you can get anything you need, especially bottled water, etc.. There is also a Pharmacy if needed, and of course lots of great shopping. This mall is very centrally located and you can get a cab just outside the hotel at essentially any time - day or night, so another big bonus there.

One interesting word of advice though regarding the location - This area is notorious for what the night brings, which is: Transvestites. Yes, thats right. Now, for me it doesn't really make the area less safe or unattractive, but it's a good thing to keep in mind especially if you have children or if you want to go walking to a nearby bar at night. They can only be found late at night and generally only on weekends, but if you go looking around during that time on the main street of Lopez Mateos right outside the hotel, you are sure to find them. Just avoid any conversation or eye contact and you'll be fine; but especially don't mistake them for pretty girls just hanging around. A lot more than meets the eye!

My bottom line is: if you really want economy in a great location, than look no further. But if you don't mind spending a little extra, then stay at the Presidente Intercontinental which is much nicer and is right across the street (but about 2x the price). For me, if I ever bring family and friends again I would put them up in the recently rennovated Posada Guadalajara which is down the street a little way. The location isn't as prime as the Vista, but for roughly the same price I think that is a much nicer hotel, especially for picky Americans.

So, we stayed a week here in a kitchenette suite. The only thing I could really say I did not like was the fact that this is not a travelers hotel. We did not meet very many people because it caters mostly to business clientele, meeting space and conferences. It had a very safe feeling to it. It is in a nicer area of town and the bellman were the same everyday, so they got to know us (at least by sight) The room was clean, the kitchen had everything we needed. It was right on the intersection of two main bus routes for easy navigation around the city. The huge outdoor shopping mall (including a supermarket) is right out the front door, so anything one would need is within 2 blocks. The pool was small, but clean. The service was excellent. We did not eat in the restaurant, so I can't comment on that.