Originally Posted by Flying Buccaneer

I had a two-night stay at the HC last week and was upgraded to a King Suite. I had originally planned to stay at the GH because I had an excellent stay there last year. In addition, the GH reminds me of my first visit to Melbourne in 1989. I stayed there when it was the Hyatt on Collins. Ultimately, I decided to stay at the HC for a couple of reasons. First, I was taking the Skybus from MEL and planned to take it back, so I liked the idea of being close to Southern Cross Station. Second, the HC was about A$100/night less on my nights.

I checked in after noon, which is probably why I was luckier than ElevatorEnthusiast when it came to the upgrade. ElevatorEnthusiast's pictures look very similar to everything in my suite. Interestingly, I also lost something to housekeeping during my stay. I had purchased some pastries at Lune and had leftovers that disappeared. I didn't think anything about it, but maybe it's a pattern.

The breakfast buffet at Langlands had a great variety and was well-presented. Things were hectic the first morning I ate there, and the staff was nearly overwhelmed with the crush of diners waiting to be seated. Things were a little more relaxed the next morning. My only disappointment with breakfast was that the bagels were not real bagels (not that I was expecting NY style bagels in Australia, but I thought I would give one a try). Langlands also has a nice happy hour between 3-6 p.m. with A$12 Negronis and margaritas. It's a great place to have a couple of drinks and watch the sunset.
The only thing I missed vs the GH were the incredible almond croissants in the Grand Club, which is why I went to Lune for pastries. Still, even with my history with the GH (and my love of almond croissants), I will probably choose the HC again the next time I visit Melbourne.