The Hotel Windsor

We stayed at the Hotel Windsor and were excited to experience its historic charm and great location. Unfortunately, several service issues made the stay fall short of a 5‑star standard. Some front desk staff were unhelpful and lacked basic knowledge about the city, offering little more than a map. Phone assistance was also difficult, as the staff member spoke too quickly to be understood clearly.
A more serious concern was the shower. The water temperature was difficult to control and suddenly became extremely hot, causing me to slip. I managed to grab the wall bar before falling, but it was a concerning safety issue.
The One Eleven dining room is beautiful and the food quality is good, but the service did not match. The greeting staff member appeared disinterested and offered no welcome. Our waitress could not explain the menu or advise on dietary adjustments. A simple request for scrambled eggs resulted in a single poached egg, followed by confusion and the explanation that the kitchen “could not offer scrambled eggs. ” We have never encountered a breakfast venue that serves only one egg or refuses basic preparation.
For the rest of our stay, we chose to have breakfast at a nearby café, which provided far better service and food. While we genuinely appreciate the hotel’s heritage and location, the overall experience felt more like a 3‑star stay due to inattentive staff, inflexible dining, and safety concerns.

I brought my 82 year old mother for high tea and it did not disappoint! We were initially met at the door by a delightful French man who was very engaging and took us to our table. We were then served for the rest of the afternoon by our waiter Brendan who was wonderful. The food was delicious and plentiful. Thank you for a very memorable afternoon — your staff, service and food was absolutely divine.

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!

We usually enjoy historic properties as long as they are well maintained and updated when appropriate. This hotel is historic but feels run down, tired, and just a bit creepy. Our suite had a distinctly musty smell, mattresses clearly needed replacing, mismatched furniture, and no usb plugs. The hotel has no gym so older reviews that called it basic but functional are no longer accurate. I would recommend skipping this hotel until it undergoes a major renovation to restore it.

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.

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.

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.

Amazing service, I have never experienced such generosity and care. After being told by Mantra that they lost my booking (even though I had a confirmation email and number) at 10pm at night, I walked into the Hotel Windsor a little distraught. The very lovely Cici and Zwe calmed me down and whilst they didn't have a room available, managed to find one at another hotel nearby. To add to the exceptional care, they then walked me to the hotel to make sure I got there safely. I cannot thank them enough.

Full disclosure: this was my first time experiencing afternoon tea, or as it’s referred to in Australia, High Tea. During a recent trip to Melbourne, my wife (who’s Australian) and I decided to treat my in-laws to tea at The Royal Windsor Hotel in central Melbourne.
Walking into the place felt like stepping back in time. The decor and vibe were decidedly old school, reminiscent of a bygone era. To be honest, most of the clientele seemed like they hadn’t left since the 1900s, adding to that time-warp feeling. It was pretty chilled, but that can only go so far when the service is lackluster.
Speaking of service, it was practically non-existent. Given that this was supposed to be a silver service experience, I was seriously let down. Everything took ages to arrive, and at times, I wondered if it would arrive at all! We ordered the high tea for $89 per person, and there was supposed to be a buffet included, but we only found out about that as we were leaving. Talk about a missed opportunity!
As for the food, the finger sandwiches and snacks were a complete disappointment. They tasted like they’d just been pulled from a fridge somewhere, and honestly, they were harder than concrete! I encountered something called lamb ham for the first time, and let me tell you, if you’re ever offered this, just say no. It was a bizarre experience to say the least.
The sweets were equally underwhelming; they had a weird gelatinous texture that was more mush than anything appetising.

The staff were amazing. The food was absolutely delicious. Such a stunning old Melbourne icon. If I had one suggestion it would be an update on the dining chairs. They were stained & very uncomfortable, particularly when we were sitting for 2 hours.

Stayed a Sunday night after a high tea reservation. Hotel could be great but some work is required by management. Definitely not a 5 star hotel or experience in my opinion. Dropped of my wife and no concierge was available. Hotel was charming and great for the history buffs. Rooms were ok and had old furniture that some would say may require some restoration. Ie old cracked leather chair and a crack in the basin in bathroom. TV size was also smallish. As for cleaning we found a bandaid on the corner of the bed on the floor which was a turnoff. Breakfast was not buffet and included a main dish, juice and coffee or tea. Service was by an inexperienced waitress that obviously needed more training. Would not recommend or return unless it was a super cheap deal.

I really enjoyed my stay here. The staff were kind and made me feel at home. The room was clean, cozy, and equipped with all essentials. The breakfast was generous and freshly made each morning. The hotel’s location was perfect — close to everything but still quiet and relaxing. The service was quick and professional, and the facilities were spotless. A wonderful experience overall!

Positive: Everything was absolutely perfect. Since I was a returning guest, they treated me with a complimentary bottle of my favorite sparkling wine.

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.

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.