The grand old lady has lost her polish

There was once a time when the Windsor Hotel stood as a landmark of quality and glamour. This grand old building stands proudly facing the Parliament building in Melbourne and has been known by many to be one of Melbourne's finest institutions for accommodation and dining. Today however the old girl is lost her polish and is lost in a world where time doesn't stand still. The attentive staff have all gone and now the service areas appear to be full of young, disengaged individuals with no passion for the customer. The tired old rooms have clearly been "done up" yet these adjustments are now starting to show wear and tear. Our room was small, the bed hard and bathtub starting to look tired. The window opened up over a grey roof and some air-conditioning pipes. Although a lovely, historic building protected by the government, there is a lot more that could be done to lift the cleanliness and grandeur of this fine shell. Indeed the staff could do a lot more to impress the guest. In particular they should revisit some of the standards of customer service and involve themselves more in the customer journey. We chose the Windsor based on their web site yet it seems to be another example of how mislead we can be by using the internet to make decisions. The hotel is classified as a 5 star luxury property yet, having read the Australian Hotels Association guide to awarding stars, there are many points of inconstancy between this property and AHA benchmarks. If you want a great hotel in Melbourne try somewhere else. I give you The Windsor, an example that everything which shines is not always gold.

Loved the Pillow Menu!

I stayed in a standard room and loved it. Very quaint, charming old Victorian hotel. Had room service and the food was five star quality -delicious. I prefer to stay somewhere with a bit of character, not at plasticky, bland hotels, so this fitted the bill. There is a menu where you can choose out of about 10 different pillows for your stay!

Small Standard Rooms

Great location and service. However, don't book standard rooms. Our room was VERY small, located near the housekeeping area and faced the back alley. It was not worth the money we spent there.

Cold

I spent one night here, July 2003 on a business trip. It is an old classy hotel, but not worn out. My room was quite small though and it was quite cold in the room, especially in the bath room. The fast internet wasn't working, even though some one from the hotel came to check it out a few times, they couldn't find what was wrong.

Good.

Hotel has been refurbished to a high standard.Our only disappointment was - our car was damaged whilst in the hotel parking and we were not advised - hence our surprise when we returned it to the rental company.

The Overlook

A very nice old hotel but I truly expected to see a kid barreling down the long endless hallways with high ceiling screaming "REDRUM, REDRUM" late at night. Other than that - it's a nice big old hotel - great location, lovely service. It was just big and scary.

A Dignified old Dame

My daughter and I stayed at the Windsor Hotel Melbourne for 2 nights during the first week of November. The purpose of our visit was to do some shopping in the city and the Bridge Road area, a 5 minute walk and short tram ride away.The check-in was friendly and efficient and we were presently surprised that our luggage had already our room by the time we got there.The room was a deluxe twin and was spacious with its own dressing room and marble bathroom. The decore was elegant, tasteful and practical. The air conditioning was subtle and I was pleased that we could also open the windows for some fresh air. Our view out the windows was into some next door offices and we could also hear the chefs nattering on their breaks in the laneway below. None of this mattered as our daylight hours were spent out and about. The hotel was also a pleasant 10 minute downhill walk into the CBD. It is also within close proximity to the Chinatown eateries and a pleasant 15 minute walk to the Italian cafes in Lygon Street. The free city circle tram stops right outside and is useful when you are too tired to walk.The buffet breakfast included in our package was excellent and is served by very well trained staff in lovely surrounds.Try to walk at least once down the beautifully restored tiled mosaic staircase in the centre of the hotel - it adds to the calm and dignified atmosphere of this lovely hotel.

Fantastic

This is a fantastic hotel with outstanding charm, ready access to the city, and very attentive staff. We have spent much time in much of Australia and we have found this particular hotel to be the one we now head for in Melbourne.

If only every hotel in Oz were this fantastic...

After disappointing stays in the Stamford Plaza Auckland and the Sir Stamford Double Bay in Sydney (see reviews there), I was wary of Melbourne.

But the Windsor is a winner. A big winner! It's a glorious old hotel brilliantly situated right across from Parliament (and, usefully, mere yards from the Parliament subway stop). The staff is extremely friendly and gracefully competent; I arrived several hours before standard check-in time, but my room was ready and waiting.

The room was fantastic! It was spacious and beautifully furnished with antique furniture, and the double-glazed windows kept out most of the street noise (not all, but the difference between the bedroom and the bathroom, which did not have the glazing, was quite amazing). The hotel offers another, subtler soundproofing layer in the design of the room--the main entrance door opens onto a short hallway, at the end of which is the bathroom. The bedroom opens off the hallway, so two solid doors separate you from any noise in the hotel's hallway. That was very much appreciated!

This was also the only hotel I stayed at in Oz that had in-room ethernet access. The charge was about AUS$18/day for access, which was compatible with what I've paid in the US and London.

And, man, the breakfasts! My room rate came with an English breakfast.

I had no idea how large the servings would be and was stunned the first morning, when I received huge quantities of:

Cereal Fresh fruit Scrambled Eggs Sausages Hash Browns

Plus a pot of fresh coffee with cream, sugar, etc. Wiser on the second day, I ordered a bit less :). To top it off, the breakfast was delivered by room service for only a $2.00 delivery charge, something I was more than happy to pay to enjoy the feast in the privacy of my room.

I was leaving on an early flight the day I checked out, and the hotel provided a lovely take-away breakfast package of croissants, danishes and two bottles of orange juice in lieu of the big breakfast I had to miss. I was very grateful for that breakfast, as it was a hectic day!

The service was great, the room was gorgeous, the food was outstanding, the location was perfect. If I ever go back to Melbourne, I'll be staying at the Windsor!

A Garnd Old Dame

The Windsor is the "Grand Dame" of Australian hotels and is 120 years old in 2003. Surrounded by modern skyscrapers this grand old lady stands serene and confident. The building is National Heritage listed and rightly so. A recent multi-million pound refurbishment shows. Rooms are furnished in with plush carpets and drapes, antique furniture, comfortable sofas and chairs. All the modern requirements of the 21st century are there. Data communications (fax/modem points), Voicemail messaging, minibar, bathrobes, air conditioning and 24 hour room service.

Whatever else you do if you stay here allow at least one afternoon for the traditional afternoon tea, served every day for 120 years, in the hotel's signature restaurant One Eleven Spring Street. Traditional elegance, groaning three tiered stand with finger sandwiches, fresh baked pastries and a desert buffet - a most civilised way to spend an afternoon. The restaurant is quiet with well spaced tables and is ideal for a quiet breakfast, lunch or dinner. The food and service are as befits a grand hotel.

Hotel staff are friendly, efficient and not overbearingly formal.

Superior and Deluxe rooms are of an excellent size. Some front facing rooms do hear the traffic and tram screeches despite double glazing.

Hotel is situated opposite Parliament House and close to assorted government buildings such as the Treasury and Fitzroy Gardens.

Melbourne's free City Circle Tram stops right in front of the hotel.

The airport SkyBus has a free shuttle link.