Review of The Windsor Oberoi, by John Borthwick

The grand Hotel Windsor, sometimes known as "The Duchess of Spring Street", has been the doyenne of Melbourne accommodation since 1883. Sitting at the top of city's central business district, the Hotel Windsor is, like any good hotel, more than the sum of its parts - in this case, a five-storey balconied facade, imposing towers, elegant restaurants and a tradition of fine service.

The Hotel Windsor, the oldest five-star hotel in Australia, at first can seem fusty and a little conservative, but she soon comes alive with the stories told about her. In 1898, the Australian Constitution was drafted in one of the Windsor's suites. During the 1970s a playboy racing driver lived for years in one of her towers, and then for another year refused to leave. Sir Anthony Hopkins played piano here during his sojourn in the early 1990s. Actor Barry Humphries, aka Dame Edna Everage, recalls unintentionally leaving behind a suit after a stay. When he next visited, two years later, he found that the housemaid had pressed the suit and hung it in his closet. With 120 years of stories behind her, the Duchess of Spring Street is still generating them, although no one has ever explained why one guest left behind not his umbrella (or a wicked negligee) but a gorilla suit.

The facilities

The period architectural features have been lovingly restored since Oberoi International took over management in 1980 and ownership in 1990. The stencilled ceilings and walls of the hallways, the stained glass cupola skylights in the Grand Dining Room and a cantilevered grand staircase have all regained their former glory, reflecting the property's National Trust classification.

Dining experiences range from the elegant 111 Spring Street Restaurant to the traditional afternoon tea, a Melbourne tradition - if not legend - complete with cucumber sandwiches, pastries and scones seved on three-tiered silver stands.

The rooms

This 160 room, 20 suite establishment has kept up with more than tradition, combing classic Victorian-era architecture with the facilities expected of a five-star property, such as 24 hour business centre, butler service and fitness centre. There is a range of accommodation in rooms that still feature marble bathrooms and grand proportions, including four-metre ceilings. This is both a leisure and business hotel, while guests of a regal or presidential disposition head straight for the large and luxurious Royal Suite.