I have stayed at both and for my family we much prefer the DLH. We stay on points most of the time so price is not much of an issue since we generally go with a view room at the DLH and end up using more points than the standard room we got (and would get again at the GCH). To me the location of GCH is great but only for DCA. Its wonderful if you just rode GRR and are soaking wet and want to change quickly! But I timed it last summer and from our room at the DLH to the DTD entrance of GCH (right by Club Libby Lu), it only took me four minutes to get from my room to that entrance. To me that is not that big of a deal. And I might add that once I got into the GCH through that entrance, I had a long maze of lobbies and hallways to navigate to get to my room. And it was pretty much the same when I entered through the DCA entrance. Yes, you definitely get to the hotel itself quicker. But its a large facility so you might end up walking a bit once you get inside before you ever see the inside of your room. All that said, its a magnficient hotel with a lobby that is worth a look whether you stay there or not. The service and amenities are deluxe level and in some ways even more so than some of the WDW Deluxe's.
In the end it just comes to preference. I like the light, bright, large, Disney rooms at the DLH. I love their pool area. I enjoy being over near Its A Small World during Remember, then taking a short walk over to the monorail and then whizzing to the DTD stop near my room after a long day. That is very convenient and beats the long walk thorugh Disneyland and then over to the GCH. But thats just one scenario that may not apply to other people! I like the dining options at the DLH, we have eaten at all the restaurants and enjoyed them all. I love the grounds, the remote control jungle cruise boats and have never had anything but a lovely, spotlessly clean room and the cm's have always been wonderful. But I do have to agree that the turndown service, nicer linens and toiletries and the balconies of the GCH rooms are all very appealing and the GCH also has great dinig options that we enjoyed.
In the end, I don't think anyone can make a wrong choice, they are both lovely hotels with lots of magical touches.
The distance is really close between the two hotels and the Disneyland Park. We don't go into the California Adventure much--we tend to start our days at Disneyland, and then run over to the CA mid-day. So we didn't end up using the GC entrance when we stayed there much.
