We just got back last night from 5 nights at RPH and 4 nights at HRH. This was our first experience staying at Club level. Overall I enjoyed the experience and thougt it was worth the money (APH rate). I especially liked the fact that the early risers (myself and DD, age 10) had a place to go in the morning while the later risers (DH and 13-year-old DD) slept in. I would have my coffee in the lounge while reading the newspaper, and DD would watch Spongebob while we waited for the others.
My observations concerning the lounges is as follows:
Food:
Breakfast:
RPH: bagels, toast, danishes, mini muffins, donuts, fresh fruit, cereal, yogurt, and dried fruit. There were pretty pots of cream cheese (regular and mango).
HRH: Bagels, toast, donuts, mini muffins, fruit salad, and cereal. Individual sevings of cream cheese, which tasted like lite cream cheese.
I'd give the edge to RPR for breakfast, but there wasn't a huge difference.
Happy Hour:
RPR: taco chips with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, veggie tray, cheese and crackers, fresh fruit. One night they had a pasta salad. Beer was Corona, Amstel Light or Bud.
HRH: 2 "real" foods every night (eggrolls/chicken sate, meatballs/antipasto, cheese tortillas, etc.), veggie tray, fruit salad, and cheese (but never any crackers, which was odd). Beer was Heineken, Bud, and Bud Light.
HRH was better at that time.
Dessert time:
RPR: Cheesecake (usually chocolate or oreo), plus another cake (layer cake and apple spice were two), fresh cookies (sugar, macadamia nut, and chocolate chip) and fancy cookies (coconut, chocolate dipped almond cookies, etc.)
HRH: OK, this is funny, they really do have oreos and chip ahoy! They also had fresh cookies (chocolate, chocolate chip and sugar). Never any cakes.
RPR wins this category hand down.
Lounge Hours:
RPR had a longer breakfast and longer dessert time. Also, if you went to the lounge at the RPH during non-posted hours they always had individual chip bags, fruit, and often cookies. HRH had not a crumb during non-posted hours.
Lounge Guests:
I hesitate to go here, but I'm trying to tell it like it is:
RPH: All the guests I saw were properly dressed, quiet, neat polite, and took reasonable portions.
HRH: I think the Beverly Hillbillies saved all year to do club level here. Whole families came to breakfast in pajamas and bare feet. Ma would put a dozen donuts on her tray and Pa would take a dozen drinks and they'd walk out saying "That's all we can carry, we'll have to come back!" Unsupervised kids were running around being loud and messy. Now the majority of guests were not like this, but a sizable minority were. Even my DH, who generally complains about nothing remarked that "The Hard Rock guest were pigs".
Turn down service:
The RPR people came at 6:00 to do the turndown, which we felt was too early. The always gave us a trinket (lei, sea shell, key chain, magnets).
The HRH people came at 9:00 to 9:30. Often our kids were in bed by then. They only gave us a trinket one night (Hard Rock tattoos).
All in all we had a great time and liked club level. We did like our room at the HRH much better than at RPH, but the lounge was better at the RPH. If you're on the fence about trying club level, I'd say go for it. It's fun and a LOT cheaper than Disney.
My observations concerning the lounges is as follows:
Food:
Breakfast:
RPH: bagels, toast, danishes, mini muffins, donuts, fresh fruit, cereal, yogurt, and dried fruit. There were pretty pots of cream cheese (regular and mango).
HRH: Bagels, toast, donuts, mini muffins, fruit salad, and cereal. Individual sevings of cream cheese, which tasted like lite cream cheese.
I'd give the edge to RPR for breakfast, but there wasn't a huge difference.
Happy Hour:
RPR: taco chips with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, veggie tray, cheese and crackers, fresh fruit. One night they had a pasta salad. Beer was Corona, Amstel Light or Bud.
HRH: 2 "real" foods every night (eggrolls/chicken sate, meatballs/antipasto, cheese tortillas, etc.), veggie tray, fruit salad, and cheese (but never any crackers, which was odd). Beer was Heineken, Bud, and Bud Light.
HRH was better at that time.
Dessert time:
RPR: Cheesecake (usually chocolate or oreo), plus another cake (layer cake and apple spice were two), fresh cookies (sugar, macadamia nut, and chocolate chip) and fancy cookies (coconut, chocolate dipped almond cookies, etc.)
HRH: OK, this is funny, they really do have oreos and chip ahoy! They also had fresh cookies (chocolate, chocolate chip and sugar). Never any cakes.
RPR wins this category hand down.
Lounge Hours:
RPR had a longer breakfast and longer dessert time. Also, if you went to the lounge at the RPH during non-posted hours they always had individual chip bags, fruit, and often cookies. HRH had not a crumb during non-posted hours.
Lounge Guests:
I hesitate to go here, but I'm trying to tell it like it is:
RPH: All the guests I saw were properly dressed, quiet, neat polite, and took reasonable portions.
HRH: I think the Beverly Hillbillies saved all year to do club level here. Whole families came to breakfast in pajamas and bare feet. Ma would put a dozen donuts on her tray and Pa would take a dozen drinks and they'd walk out saying "That's all we can carry, we'll have to come back!" Unsupervised kids were running around being loud and messy. Now the majority of guests were not like this, but a sizable minority were. Even my DH, who generally complains about nothing remarked that "The Hard Rock guest were pigs".
Turn down service:
The RPR people came at 6:00 to do the turndown, which we felt was too early. The always gave us a trinket (lei, sea shell, key chain, magnets).
The HRH people came at 9:00 to 9:30. Often our kids were in bed by then. They only gave us a trinket one night (Hard Rock tattoos).
All in all we had a great time and liked club level. We did like our room at the HRH much better than at RPH, but the lounge was better at the RPH. If you're on the fence about trying club level, I'd say go for it. It's fun and a LOT cheaper than Disney.
Ma lost hers diving into the cement pond!
Escape reality, escape snow! 
