The Hotel Windsor

We enjoyed afternoon tea to celebrate our anniversary. It was a bucket list item for me and the experience lived up to its reputation. The whole experience was delightful. The gluten free option was very easy to organise and I didn't feel like I missed out on anything compared to the regular menu. Warm savoury pastries, sandwiches, fruity sweets, scones and the extra dessert bar on the weekend. A tasty selection of tea, coffee, chocolate, wines and cocktails.

We recently stayed a night and loved the character and old world charm of this hotel. We did not want to check out! The concierge was extremely kind and caring in particular a lovely gentleman who worked the morning of the January 1st who held our bags prior to checking in, as we were early. Our room looked to have been refreshed and still retained a beautiful classic look and feel. Honestly one of the best night sleeps I’ve ever had, quiet and calm with soft sheets and pillows. I particularly loved the traditional Christmas decor in the foyer with the trimmed tree and poinsettias abundant. I found all the staff to be helpful and accomodating and I would definitely stay here again. And might I Add, may this hotel never ever be developed or changed or touched. Reading the history of this beautiful building and the constant bids to demolish partial and build new makes me both anxious and upset. May this relic and historical significance of Melbourne be protected at all costs. The ghosts of yester-year will, protect (and haunt) this place undeniably. That I know!

Air conditioning did not work was very hot in the room they did move us into a cooler room but unfortunately the Windsor isn’t what it used to be The breakfast was awful and I wish I hadn’t bothered to be honest We asked for a quiet room a wedding was going on until 11 pm so to be honest if we would of known this we would not have bothered to stay there as on previous wedding anniversary s we were brought a bottle of bubbles and got a lovely card on this Acadian it felt like we didn’t exist we won’t go again very disappointed compared to pre Covid and our previous experiences staying there . Just being honest left very disappointed

Location, staff and overall vibe of the hotel. Honestly, you can't beat the convenience of this location. Just on the border of the free zone cbd. So free trams and quick trams into the centre, 2 blocks away from all the main cocktail bar. Fantastic coffee shops either side of the hotel. Train station at your door step. Only issue is the entry is a couple of steps in for people woth accessibility issues. Otherwise don't hesitate and just book.

Was lucky enough to stay here for one night and would happily do so again. This is a beautiful heritage building. I loved the signage that told you more about its history and even the famous guests who had stayed there. The included breakfast was delicious - table service rather than a buffet, but you could order more of anything you wanted. The staff were attentive but more importantly, warm and down to earth.

Not a 5-star property. A heritage building dating from 1883. Proudly displays names of celebrity past-guests. Was an Oberoi property but now owned by the Halim family based in Indonesia (per Wikipedia). The property has many cosmetic failings. It seriously needs fresh paint in many areas, from the green canopy at the front entrance, to the exterior balustrades and window frames. The exterior desperately needs a power wash. Armchairs in the common areas are badly deteriorated. The carpet in the Cricketer Bar is threadbare and in a very poor state. (Why carpet in the first place?) Planned renovations and a proposed tower got embroiled in massive back-n-forth between competing interests. Good read on Wikipedia. But in the end, the property is tired and worn. If nothing is done, the property will continue to deteriorate and occupancy rates will continue to decline. At present, it just can’t compete with the Hyatts and the Ritz-Carltons. Nevertheless, would stay again. It is still stayable. Rooms are clean and comfortable enough and very spacious, although the pillows were very firm. Happy to support a heritage property but it desperately needs millions of $ in renovation and maintenance. If nothing is done, it will slowly fade to irrelevance.

Well what a wonderful touch of yesteryear, right in the heart of vibrant Melbourne. Quite nostalgic, as I stayed here years ago when working for a gorgeous Melbourne based man. Spacious rooms, comfortable bedding, just so glamorous, yet homely...english country mannor feel. Big hallways, adorned with lovely old art...and touches of history, names of famous guests just adds international flavour. Such a delight, I could become part of the furniture and stay forever. Thankyou to staff who keep this place going for all to experience.

The hotel catered beautifully to the various intolerances our party had - noone felt like they were missing out, it was delicious! The staff were wonderful to my daughter, putting her apple juice in a champagne flute like the adults, and surprising my mother in law with a birthday cake. The hotel is stunning - highly recommend.

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