The Windsor, Melbourne

...Whenever I had to make the trip, which was about every other week on average, I tried to ensure I could get a room booking at The Windsor Hotel.

The Windsor Hotel stands at Spring Street, Melbourne. It is a Five Star Hotel. It is also a member of the Oberoi chain, and is one of the Leading Hotels of the World, and one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Now I wouldn't want you to think I was picky, but hey why not get spoilt ...
...really good corporate rate with the Hotel, and we paid from $145 AUS per night. Now the exchange rate fluctuated at the time between $2.5 AUS and $3 AUS to the GBP so, at times I was getting to stay in this elegant location for under £50 a night! Bargain. Thank you, Telstra, who have good bargaining power!

The hotel has about 180 rooms, and there are different standards, including many expensive suites, which unfortunately Telstra's ... more

How fitting that in this Jubilee year, this opinion should be about this Royal Hotel, once even owned by Her Majesty. Confused? Read on.

During my spell working abroad in Sydney, I frequently had to travel to Melbourne, to visit clients of our organisation. These trips were usually just one or two days in duration. Whenever I had to make the trip, which was about every other week on average, I tried to ensure I could get a room booking at The Windsor Hotel.

The Windsor Hotel stands at Spring Street, Melbourne. It is a Five Star Hotel. It is also a member of the Oberoi chain, and is one of the Leading Hotels of the World, and one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Now I wouldn't want you to think I was picky, but hey why not get spoilt on occasion.

We actually had a really good corporate rate with the Hotel, and we paid from $145 AUS per night. Now the exchange rate fluctuated at the time between $2.5 AUS and $3 AUS to the GBP so, at times I was getting to stay in this elegant location for under £50 a night! Bargain. Thank you, Telstra, who have good bargaining power!

The hotel has about 180 rooms, and there are different standards, including many expensive suites, which unfortunately Telstra's budget did NOT run to. The hotel has been the home for many international sportsmen and women, actors and prime ministers throughout the years.

Now before you all think, my word, it will cost a fortune for the independent traveller, I actually checked on a couple of websites, and Lastminute.com advertises rooms from $129 to $229. The $229 are for Superior rooms with plenty of goodies thrown in, and I think that is a bargain in anyone's terms for a bit of Five Star luxury.

Hotel Facilities
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The hotel is elegantly decorated throughout. On arriving at the hotel, you will be greeted by a bellboy, who will take your luggage out of the taxi for you, and deliver it to your room, while you check in.

The rooms are extremely cosy and comfortable. They have excellent heavy bedspreads. All the rooms are en-suite and again fitted to the highest standards, with plenty of large fluffy towels. Each room also has Satellite TV, trouser press, ironing facilities, plenty of walk in wardrobe space, and a minibar.

The Cricketers Bar is downstairs near the reception, and this is a lively place to relax and have a "Crownie" or two, or a decent glass of wine and catch up with friends or colleagues. As you might expect, the whole bar is decked out in Cricketing Paraphernalia for you to admire. The service was always excellent wherever you go in the hotel, exactly as you would expect for a hotel of this calibre.

At the other side of the Grand Staircase, you will find the 111 Spring Street restaurant. Once again a fabulous place to dine. Around the walls, you will notice the original bells, used to call waiters used in the early days of the hotel. I used to really enjoy my breakfasts here. In many hotels in Australia and around the world, the Buffet Breakfast is King. This is ok for a special occasion perhaps, when you want to take a long time over breakfast, but I often found I would be paying $27 AUS for quite a small breakfast really.

The Windsor did do a buffet breakfast, but they also did an excellent a la carte breakfast too. My favourite was scrambled eggs or poached eggs. This used to cost me about $8, or £3 and they were cooked fresh to perfection. Much better than the buffet style eggs, complete with stray baked beans and mushrooms (Yuk!). The meals are served on fine plates, with heavy duty cutlery.

Plenty of papers are to be found in the breakfast area, if you want to start the day in a leisurely manner.

In the evening, the 111 Spring Street Restaurant becomes a lively cocktail bar and serves outstanding food. You can also get just drinks in here until quite late on.

One of the most attractive parts of the hotel is the Grand Staircase. This runs up through the middle of the hotel. The staircase is extremely wide, with high ornate ceilings, and wide corridors run through the hotel.

As I was often travelling alone, I would order room service. The menu selection was more than adequate, with plenty of light meals such as fish, as well as pastas and meats. On one occasion I had ordered Sausages and Mash (you know the real nice sausage types), and a half bottle of wine. (Well, that's what I tell everyone, anyway.)

Now, the previous week, I had ordered the same selection, and it came up to my room beautifully presented on a dinner tray. However on the second occasion, the Butler, all dressed in his finest, brought up a small circular dining table, then proceeded to lay it with fine white linen, set the table with quality cutlery. He then uncorked my wine and presented it to me for tasting. And there was me planning to put my PJ's on the minute he had left the room, and eat my dinner in bed! I duly sat there at my little dining table until I finished my meal and wine. Decadence.

You can also take High Tea in the Spring Street Restaurant, and although I never had the chance to try this, (my damn employer expected me to work in the middle of the afternoon, how mean), I believe it was fabulous, and worth a treat if you get the opportunity.

The hotel operated a Loyalty Programme, and inevitably after just a few stays, I was upgraded to better rooms and was often in receipt of free gifts, such as leather luggage tags, and a even a book which details the history of the hotel.

A Condensed History
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The Windsor hotel is a 19th century Grand Hotel built in the European Tradition. She was the first of a series of Grand Hotels which included Ruffles, The Savoy, The Plaza, the Imperial, the Waldorf-Astoria and the Ritz. And no, I haven't been to any of the others. The hotel was indeed called the Grand, when it was opened in the 1880's.

A man named George Nipper, a Brit, commissioned architect Charles Webb to design the hotel. It cost £50000 to build. And there was no ensuite in those days, just massive bathrooms on each floor.

Even back then there was a lift, which would have been quite a luxury. The hotel is over four floors.

Just a couple of years after the hotel was built, it was turned into a Grand Coffee Palace, and it did not have an alcohol licence. This was reversed about ten years later.

The hotel fell on hard times following the 1902 celebrations of the Commonwealth, and scarcely made a profit, as the demand for such a grand establishment went away. The hotel eventually changed hands and tens of thousands were spent on extending and upgrading the property. It is at this time the name changed to The Windsor.

The hotel went about its business of delivering outstanding service to its guests many of whom were frequent visitors and known personally. Many staff worked at the hotel for their entire career, and worked their way up to senior positions such as Head Porter or even Manager.

By the 1970's the hotel had run into financial problems once again, and a gentleman named Carrodus was invited to come and run it. He certainly improved occupancy at the hotel with his never ending quest for real service. Eventually in 1976 the Hotel was sold to the state government, and effectively Her Majesty became the owner. The hotel was sold for £4.5 million dollars.

In 1980 Oberoi Hotels were given the lease of the Windsor. It was this group that restored the hotel to its former glory, with the backing of the Australian people, who wanted to ensure its survival. And I for one am glad they did.

Helen Bradshaw

June 2002

 

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