Club Level at HRH

[CaliforniaDreaming]

How is the Club Level at the Hard Rock Hotel? What services do they provide, and is it worth it?

Thanks!

 

[goofyfordisney]

bump! Wondering the same thing too!

 

[poolmom]

Hi Cali,

Just returned from HRH club level. Our room was 7030 at the end of the hall with a fabulous pool view. The amenities are great. There are complimentary drinks like pop, water, coffee, tea all day. Complimentary continental breakfasts including pastries, cereal, bagels, fresh fruit, yogurt, juice, etc. A huge savings on breakfasts especially if you're a family of 5 as we were. There is also complimentary alcoholic beverages and h'or douevres at 5:30 to 7:30pm. And cookies and milk every night. There is complimentary use of the fitness centre and a 50% discount rental of a beach cabana. Also concierge is on hand to make reservations, help with plans etc.

I think it is well worth it to be on the club floor. We saved a ton on drinks and water alone. We had booked a garden view room at the ent rate of $117. We asked if there were upgrades available at check-in and were instantly upgraded to Club. Obviously a great deal for us but I think it's worth it for the extra bucks.

Cali, I've been following your fabulous FAQ page on the Grand Floridian and know you are a great fan but I have to let you know we checked into the GF after the Hard Rock and it was a huge disappointment. It could not compare with the Hard Rock in every aspect. The new pool was tiny compared to the HRH. The atmosphere was certainly less fun. My kids hated it there. It is certainly beautiful but when one is paying almost triple the Hard Rock's nightly rate one's expectations are higher. I realize I made a mistake in choosing the GF for my family but I want people to know that if you love the Hard Rock don't spend a lot of money booking the GF. Perhaps the Poly would be more fun.

 

[goofyfordisney]

Poolmom,

Just a few questions about club level...is the room a good size or on the small size? Do they have club "deluxe" rooms? When I called to book 2 months ago, they only had availability for the club rooms. I actually only requested a pool view--maybe I'll get a deluxe, pool-view, club level room!!! That sounds good huh? We will be going to BC after our stay at HRH--I hope we don't encounter the same let down!

How many days were you at Universal/IOA? What are the ages of your kids? What were their opinions about the different parks??

Thanks in advance for your answers!

 

[poolmom]

Hi Goofyfordisney,

I believe all the club floor rooms are the same standard size. It's larger than most standard hotel rooms. It was larger than the room we had at Grand Floridian. There were five of us in the room.
We had a rollaway bed brought in. When it was down for the night, it was a bit cramped and we had to climb over the beds but when it was up for the day we found we had enough room to feel comfortable. There are two queen beds, two very comfy armchairs with ottoman and lots of counter and drawer space. The bathroom is split up into a water closet with bath/shower, toilet and small sink. Then there is a vanity area with another sink and large counter area. This arrangement worked well for 5 people getting ready in the morning.

Our room was at a great location at the end of the hall. Very private and quiet. We did not encounter any maid service problem. By the time we came back from the parks around noon, the room was completely clean and comfy. At around 6pm, they'd return to turn down the beds. They often placed the kids' stuffed animals in cute configurations to surprise them. They also laid out the robes and left a goodnight favour. Not the usual chocolate but distinctive souveniors like hard rock magnets, keychains, etc.
Towels were also changed twice daily. We had a great poolview. I could see the entire pool and slide and vollyball area. I could keep track of my kids during the afternoon from the room.

My kids are 13, 10 and 9 year old boys. They were at Disney 7 years ago. The 2 younger ones don't remember much from that trip. They absolutely loved Universal and IOA and Citywalk. They also loved the Hard Rock and the pool. They all met kids their own age especially the 13 year old when he sort of "crashed " a birthday party with 9 girls his own age. The atmosphere was a lot of fun. We spent every afternoon at the pool and every night after touring. We were there for four nights and wished we stayed longer. The best thing of all was the front of the line perk. Nothing can beat that. We were let in without any wait whatsoever, all walk ons. You can imagine how special your kids will feel when they walk past huge lines of people to board the next ride.

So it was a huge letdown to go to Disney after that. I think it would have been better for us to go to the Poly. We went to Ohana's for dinner one night and the minute we walked in the lobby the atmosphere was different. My 9 year old noticed immediately and asked why we didn't stay there instead. Perhaps you can go to Disney first then Universal. That way you won't feel the let down. We met many people at the club lounge who warned us of it. All agreed that the HardRock/Universal experience was much more fun and more value for the money. The only thing my kids liked at Disney were the water parks (very crowded), Test Track, Rock and Roll Coaster, A Bug's Life and the character meals. All the other rides were lame and boring even to the 9 year old. Hope this helps.

 

[goofyfordisney]

Thanks for the quick reply poolmom!

Your posts really helped! Unfortunately, we are already planned to do Universal/IOA first, then WDW! Oh, well! I also have boys--8 & 13--so, I found your information VERY helpful! My kids are really into rides. They are both REALLY into Disney stuff still. My 13-year-old practically lived at Disneyland when he was younger. (we lived in So. Cal. then)--he seems to be getting more interested in the IOA stuff, since we don't have that in California. He gets on this web-site and others all of the time to check stuff out!

We will be at HRH the weekend before Thanksgiving and at Beach Club for 5 nights --hope it's not too cool to take advantage of the pool! We are also planning on dinner at O'hana's at the POLY the first night we go to WDW. It seems like it's a good place for the whole family!

Well, if you think of anything else, let me know! Thanks again!

 

[packy]

We just got back from a split stay at USF and Disney. We had a pool view at HRH on the 6th floor - you could see IOA and the big coasters as well as the pool and the spinning guitar. I like the USF and HRH alot. But it is hard to compare with Disney as they are definetly different. For the stroller set, there is nothing like Disney but as you children grow, USF offers a different experience but one my oldest (10) found to be preferable to Disney. I like them both but after a number of vactations to Disney over the past 6 years, and my experience at USF, now believe that Disney is slipping a little. I don't know if it has gotten too big, too fast or whether the profit motive has become too strong, but it is not the same as when we first went - and it is expensive compared to what you get at USF. Hope this helps.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Thanks for the replies.

We are a family of 4, and would want a room with 2 queen beds. We'd also like a rollaway bed. Can they guarentee a rollaway?

We'd do Universal/IOA for 2-3 nights (HRH Club Level) then go to the WDW (GF Concierge) for 7-8 nights. We have a Concierge Deluxe booked at the GF, does the HRH have these?

Thanks again!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Thanks for the replies.

We are a family of 4, and would want a room with 2 queen beds. We'd also like a rollaway bed. Can they guarentee a rollaway?

We'd do Universal/IOA for 2-3 nights (HRH Club Level) then go to the WDW (GF Concierge) for 7-8 nights. We have a Concierge Deluxe booked at the GF, does the HRH have these?

Thanks again!

 

[SherryfromOK]

You said you went to the pool every afternoon, did you tour in the morning first, then go to pool, then tour again after that? It sounds good, but did you have time to do much at the park?

 

[poolmom]

SherryfromOK,

The first day we were at Universal (which is a short 8 minute walk) around 8:30am. The park was empty. Before 10am we didn't even use our FOTL privileges. By noon we had done all the attractions and some more than once. It was brutally hot by then. We headed back to the HRH and jumped into the pool. We went to IOA around 4:30 and were able to ride Hulk,Spiderman, Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish and Duelling Dragons before making our 6:30 PS at Mythos.

The other days we realized we didn't need to get to the park that
early with FOTL so it was usually 9:30 or 10 before we got to the park. Tour until 12:30, return for lunch and the pool and then back to Citywalk for dinner around 6:30. A few times we squeezed in a few rides before the park closed. The kids always went back to the pool around 9pm til closing.

You will have plenty of time to tour the parks and still take time out in the afternoons. Hope this helps.

 

[goofyfordisney]

Poolmom,

Thanks for all the great info! We can't wait to go! Just a few more questions for you:

What time does the pool close at HRH?

How is Citywalk? We've been to the one in California--wondering if it's basically the same??

How did your kids like Mythos? What did your kids eat?

Thanks in advance!

 

[poolmom]

Goofyfordisney,

The HRH pool closed at 11pm when we were there. There is also a beach volleyball court. My 13 year old met a lot of people there.

Citywalk is a blast. I've never been to the one in California so cannot compare. We ate at Margaritaville which was a lot of fun with the volcano blasting off every 45 minutes or so, great music and Buffet concert videos. Food was good and reasonable. They give the Fun Card/AAA discount. Hard Rock Cafe is a must-do. Surprisingly good food and fast service. Discount also available. Great memobilia to look at and also great music videos. NBA City is fun if you are a basketball fan. A bit more expensive. Nascar was the only one I was not too fond of. Diner-like atmosphere. I had the chicken pie which I returned as lukewarm. When it came back it was slightly better. Since it was a cream sauce I had a bit of a stomach upset the next day. Should have known better to avoid any cream sauces. My husband had the ribs which was a full rack and very reasonable. This was our most inexpensive dinner. There are many street shows and acrobats and so forth. We didn't go to any clubs but look like a real happening place.

We ate dinner every night around 6 to 6:30pm. At that time we were able to be seated immediately. By the time we finished dinner there would be a substantial wait.

Mythos was our favourite restaurant. Decor is beautiful, excellent service and great food. My kids all loved the sushi tempura. They ate all my portion. They had the seafood pasta, cheeseburger, and grill chicken. There is also a kids menu if you are worried about your kids. My husband had the sushi salad. It was absolutely amazing. We made a PS but the restaurant was half empty. We don't understand why people are afraid to try something more adventurous than your usual bar food. They change their menu every two months so you may encounter something different.

Here's a tip. Have dinner at Mythos before 6:30, finish before 7:20, then walk across to Poseidan's Fury and see the last show at 7:30.

Have a great trip.