The Hotel Windsor

Great location for work. Facilities were clean although old. I was greeted with a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine, chocolates and an upgraded room. I can only assume this was a very clever and strategic move. My room was on the second floor close to the lift. It was an adjoining room so because of the age of the building it wasn’t sound proof. My television had no sound and the shower was cold. Did I care? No. I settled in with my glass of wine and chocolates. Despite the negatives I enjoyed my stay. ||The building is full of charm and character. A nice change from modern establishments. The concierge was very helpful in recommending a place for dinner. I would definitely stay again.

What a treat to stay at The Windsor! I recently had a birthday celebration with friends and we stayed a few nights. Not only were my friends all located close to my room as I requested but I also was touched by the complimentary bottle of sparkling wine and small cake delivered on arrival to acknowledge my birthday! I stayed in a deluxe room and it was very comfortable, a bit fancy and a great size. Also appreciated the proper contour memory foam pillow as requested (and not the 'pretend' memory foam pillows I've experienced in other hotels). Every person I interacted with from the front desk staff to the cleaners was friendly and customer-focused. Nothing was too much trouble. Really appreciate The Hotel Windsor making my birthday memorable.

Amazing beautiful historical hotel. So glad I got to stay here. Restaurant is lovely and comfortable. We had the pleasure of seeing an art show being hosted by the hotel which was great, and we could see a bunch of the other rooms for interest. Bath rooms can be a bit small but is well appointed. Bed room is great with TV and working desk, and good bed. The pub and wedding in the function hall downstairs were not any problem at all. Would definitely come back.

Whilst the hotel is a snapshot of a bygone era, there is no utility in pointing out that it needs renovating as the price reflects the hotel experience and is perfectly fine. The hotel buildling is also heritage-listed and despite attempts to modify, plans have been rejected accordingly. On the plus side - there is Pay TV (foxtel) in each room, plus comfortable beds, and mine with an airconditioning unit that was relatively quiet. On the downside, the (included) breakfast fell short. Whilst I do prefer an a la carte menu so everything is cooked fresh - here is the rub: nothing is cooked fresh, because my order arrived within two minutes after I ordered it, luke warm. I sent the toast back as that was my breaking point (so at least the butter could be spread). The coffee took 20 minutes to arrive and if you are dining here - get it in first and don't order the food, until it arrives. The included breakfast is valued at $45, and rather than pick a selection of menu items to that amount - they provide you with a short list of a mandated items - juice, pastry, coffee + one dish from the list. To be fair they did relent when I requested to swap out the pastry and juice for toast + jam + then I got their English breakfast equivilent, (re)heated just above room temperature. Bottom line, the hotel experience is pefectly fine - in a great part of the city. If you don't have breakfast included in your rate - there are many other cafes to choose from. Room: 6.5/10 Breakfast: 4/10

My husband and I have stayed here twice - the night prior to + the night of our wedding in 2024, and our wedding anniversary just gone. Some of our wedding photos were taken here and they are absolutely stunning. We hope to come annually given it is special to us. The Windsor provides a luxurious, romantic, and classy experience where you feel like you're stepping back in time. What it may lack in state of the art amenities and technology given its age, it makes up for with historic charm and a stunning aesthetic. The rooms are clean, comfortable, very quiet, and dark when you need them to be. The staff have always been lovely. Where things haven't been quite right, they have been receptive to feedback and promptly gone the extra mile to make things right. This place is a Melbournian treasure and absolutely worth a stay if you can embrace a bit of time-travel.

General info: Incredible service, very helpful and friendly staff. The location is fantastic, easy access from parliament station and trams going right by for easy access into the heart of the CBD for shopping. Short stroll to the theatre district and lots of great restaurants. The treasury gardens and Fitzroy gardens are right across the road and beautiful to walk through. ||Hotel and room specific: the hotel is a beautiful heritage building with old world charm. We stayed in the Winston Churchill suite (a 2 bedroom suite) which was so beautiful and spacious, clean, the beds are very comfortable and it has a bath which is great for young children. However, the building itself does need a little TLC and the furniture has seen better days which is a shame.

After reading reviews we were prepared to be underwhelmed, but we were delighted with our 2 night stay. The Windsor is an aging beauty, she must have been stunning in her prime, but she is still beautiful and captivating. Such an amazing piece of history. Guests must keep in mind that this is a historic building with all the quirks that come with such an older property. We were charmed by her. Rooms felt like we were staying in someone’s beautiful old home. Spotlessly clean and very quiet. We found the staff very welcoming and helpful . Breakfast was also enjoyable. We would be very happy to stay again next time we are in Melbourne. It was a refreshing change from a generic modern hotel.

A beautiful hotel with plenty of history and a real feel of old fashioned luxury. Communications with the hotel regarding our stay was superb and my requests were fulfilled. ||The hotel may benefit from a lick of paint as it does look a little tired in places. My only other recommendation is that it would be beneficial to guests to have access to tourist information in places to visit during there stay. There was no details seen in the room, on the TV or at reception.||Value for money and a great location.

A fantastic high tea. Wonderful, creative flavours in new treats alongside traditional favourites, some with a twist. Would highly recommend.

This hotel has charming and clean rooms with modern bathrooms which met my expectations. What didn't meet my expectations was the service quality. They need more hospitality training for the front desk staff. An obvious sign of a mismanaged hotel is when the staff say your room number out loud at check in. This is not the standard practice in the industry and a safety risk. At first, I brushed off my first negative encounter with the front desk staff. But after seeing poor interactions with other guests and a second negative encounter myself, I felt inclined to write a review. In summary, if you can find a good deal on this hotel and don't come with high service expectations it's fine, otherwise I would recommend looking elsewhere.

The Manager who welcomed us was just delightful. He went out of his way to make our experience feel special for my mums birthday. We had a beautiful table near the window with the sun shinning. The food was superb. The pastries divine. The service was excellent. Everything was perfect. The special touch of a cake with Happy Birthday was such a lovely surprise. We all had a great time. Thank you lara

My experience here was far better than the current yelp reviews. The room was definitely dated decor wise but that's the charm, isn't it? It was updated in terms of outlets, working water and pressure, heating and AC etc. The tv kind of sucks but who comes to Melbourne to watch tv anyway. Bed was comfortable and the hotel is pretty. The service was great. Only complaint is the exceptionally overpriced restaurant. $18 for orange juice, a chai latte, and a tiny pastry. Skip it.

The high tea experience was wonderful and really made our day . The hosts were amazing and very helpful and even though we had restrictions , they still made the afternoon amazing. Thankyou for a wonderful time and I will definitely be doing it again.

Sadly the Guinness happy hour at $10 a pint is over and $13 is too unpalatable so it's the hunt for reasonable Guinness on tap at better prices! Still a good bar to visit for an ale, lots of history good access to public transport!

I love an old hotel. I appreciate that the rooms may be non-standard shapes and odd sizes. I like that there are nooks and crannies. I'm usually at least somewhat astounded by the history. Hotel Windsor has all of that and, to boot, some very kind service. That said, I wasn't blown away by this establishment. This is mostly on account of the rooms. I found that the inside facing rooms felt particularly claustrophobic, despite having natural light. And, while the rooms were visually appealing, the furniture, especially the chairs and the bed, weren't all that comfortable.

Future schmuture, sometimes you just wanna drown yourself in old school glamour. Like an aging Marilyn Monroe, Hotel Windsor is in some ways a shade of her former self, but for chronophiles like me, therein lies the appeal. She's a little faded, a little dusty, but there's no mistaking what a drop-dead knockout she used to be. We're talking a proper, fit-for-a-royal hotel, one that visiting celebrities made a beeline for, one with a colossal, splendiferous lobby, with a concierge in top hat and tails, with brylcreemed bellboys and wall hangings listing the famous people that have bedded down there over the years. And the Cricketers Bar on premises where touring cricket teams used to drink together in the days when professional sport was less professional and more fun. The rooms are gargantuan and spacious, the bathrooms better than my one at home, and there are robes in the cupboard, robes halfway between bristly and soft with just the right amount of stiffness, none of this pussy fabric-softened robe with no backbone to speak of. I loved this place. I cannae wait to go back.

Everyone has seen The Shining, right? Classic Jack Nicholson film set in a creepy hotel in the middle of nowhere, scary twin girls, REDRUM and all that? I am convinced that hotel was based on The Windsor. Having said that, I don't recall there being any elevators filled with blood, but rather an incredibly stunning hotel with a classic, vintage, 'old-world' charm. Gorgeous staircases, decadent rooms and while not every one will get a great view you will be spoiled and feel like you are in New York City circa the 1920's. I love this hotel and it is always my number one pick when treating myself to a staycation and my number one recommendation to inter-state guests.

We arrived at the Hotel Windsor on the night of our wedding, in all our finery, to be told that our room was "unavailable due to plumbing issues". In other words, 'we sold your room to someone who checked in before you arrived.' I made sure we wouldn't have problems checking in late on this special night, as I called days before to be told reception is manned 24 hours. Well, then being siphoned off to a partner hotel around the corner was meant to be the compromise. A corporate, lack-lustre, non remarkable place that if I had known we'd be staying at, I would have opted to stay with my husbands family in the mansion out in Eaglemont they were renting. My husband is from La, and I wanted him to experience the iconic Melbourne landmark of the Hotel Windsor. Instead, he experienced their lousy greed with overselling rooms. Their disgusting customer service of not being able to 'afford' more than 1 complimentary nights stay, and their pitiful public relations of not going out of their way to move MOUNTAINS for us, in the aftermath of ruining our wedding night. Not until we made further complaints, and dealt with 2 different employees, we were given a refund. Though what is the money worth? Absolutely nothing, considering the damage is done, and will NEVER be able to be undone. Thank you, Hotel Windsor, you did ruin our wedding night. Don't ever take it for granted that your room will be available here, even when you PRE-PAY for it, and yes, even on your wedding night. Whoever is involved in making these business/financial decisions for the company, I hope that no one ruins your daughters' wedding night, which I'm sure she will go to lengths to plan and dream of.

5 star... Really? You can't fault the bones of this lovely old hotel. But in many unflattering ways The Windsor is showing its age along with its gradual and nonchalant decline into mediocrity. Customer service was not wonderful but, unlike other elements of The Windsor, I can't really find cause for harsh complaint. Our check in was seamless, swift and friendly. Check out was much the same. We were not asked about our stay and there was no mention of the refunded $50 deposit (though I'm assuming it will show up eventually). The water pressure in the shower was lacking. It was also ridiculously hard to control the temperature (full hot provided tepid water that fluctuated annoyingly). The provided toiletries weren't extensive or impressive. I imagine for most business travellers these big bathroom issues would make for a less than ideal start to the day. I would appreciate differing pillow options as those provided are huge and soft, offering no support. An extra blanket would also have been great as the room temperature was a little chilly for my liking. I had an awful nights sleep due to these issues and the fact that the hotel is extremely creaky (it sounded as though a herd of elephants were partying above us). I didn't particularly appreciate the mismatched decor nor the somewhat tatty furniture. When there are dark marks on the mirror, the bath is worn, the chairs are stained and the linen frayed you are right to question The Windsors supposed five star rating. Our superior room came with free wi-fi, though many other options offer only paid Internet. The television was extremely basic: unless willing to pay your only viewing pleasures consist of Australian free to air channels. The hotel provides a great central location and for people visiting Melbourne it's easily accessible via taxi or public transport. Should you chose to stay I'd strongly recommend requesting a room at the front of the hotel (with parliament facing views). Otherwise you'll be uninspired by the insipid alley scenery. To be frank there are many better accommodation options in Melbourne offering cheaper rooms with better facilities. More importantly The Windsor pales in comparison to other establishment (The Langham immediately springs to mind) that claim five star status. Unless you could get a room here for under $100 a night (which, really, is all it's worth) I'd strongly recommend choosing elsewhere.

One of the most gorgeous looking hotels in Melbourne, I expected to get a fair bit with my stay here and looked forward to relaxing in one of the classiest hotels in town. However, while the lobby was really lavishly decked out (the chairs, the ceiling, the chandeliers!), and the corridors quite luxurious , the rooms themselves were fairly simple and while I paid a discounted corporate rate as I was there for a conference, I still felt that the rooms were incredibly pricey for what they were ($200++ a night). The beds weren't all that comfortable either! I also cannot believe that hotels in Melbourne are still lagging behind the rest of the world and still not offering complimentary wi-fi. I've travelled in many countries and this attitude of using internet as a cash cow is just unbelievable. But I paid for it, slave of the internet that I am. I paid for the extravagant price for internet only to have it stop working in half an hour. It took another 2 hours before it came back online (that's 2 hours on the phone with tech support too, we ended up trading stories of ourselves). To their credit, they decided to waive my cost to make up for the angst. Is it worth the per night cost? I don't think so. But if you want to be seen in the lap of luxury, then go for it. The afternoon high tea is also one of the more expensive ones around. While definitely not the sugar disaster the Langham was (I have that story written up on the blog somewhere if you are interested), it also wasn't that impressive. There are better high teas out there, so I would suggest giving it a skip. Still, if you are staying here, and going here for the high tea for the full package, then why not. Can't hurt to do it once, right?

My boyfriend and I booked a "staycation" at the Windsor and while overall we were fairly happy with the hotel, it just doesn't have that 5-star sparkle you expect from a hotel of this price. The lobby downstairs is intended to look historic but instead looks kind of dated in my opinion. We stayed in a room that is slated for renovation and the room itself was nice, but no stand out. I have stayed in better rooms for cheaper in the States so I was a touch disappointed. On the plus side however, the location is amazingly close to some of Melbourne's best dining and the service at the hotel itself was top-notch. I probably wouldn't stay again but it was a fun once-off.

A private room was booked in March for my mum's special birthday. Our Event Organiser told us there would be no problem catering for 3 FODMAP diets (including my mum). A menu was promised weeks before. Whilst the dessert menu arrived 2 days before the event and was satisfactory, the so-called savoury one arrived less than 24 hours beforehand and it was revolting...cucumber, dill and goat curd sandwiches,pumpkin sandwiches and olive and red pepper sandwiches, followed by a zucchini and goat cheese salad! (So much for the lactose intolerant people!) To avoid my mother being embarrassed at not being able to eat anything savoury, as she had specifically asked for everybody to have more savoury than sweet food in the room, I had option but to self cater for the event. I was up at 7am on the day of the event making sandwiches and getting a professional caterer to make savoury slices and sausage rolls. For $90 a pop (!) there was no compensation or follow-up call after the event to me, who paid for the whole thing in full 4 days before! Disgraceful! If we had been told from the beginning they couldn't do it, or provide us with edible food, we would have gone elsewhere, no questions asked...but this was not the case. They made us a couple of slivers of chicken and salmon sandwiches to try and make it better, but it most certainly didn't. Shame on you!

Some of the rooms are VERY small. Ours , luckily, was a bit larger. The carpet in the lobby is awful and needs to be replaced, Looks like stains from a flood. Old hotel so expect that. The location is good. Cleanliness - BAD ! We had huge amounts of mold in our shower and had to tell the manager who agreed it was "disgusting" when I showed him pictures, but offered nothing other than to "try to clean it". It was very noisy too. Stay elsewhere