The Windsor Hotel

At 111 Spring Street, opposite Parliament House, a tall man in purple has been welcoming guests to The Windsor for a very long time. The Windsor is TVC‘s hotel of choice when in Melbourne and indeed we are such regulars that both we and our close relative D were once upgraded to  suites  and we always receive a handwritten letter of welcome from the CEO when we check in.

This is a grand eminence of red carpet, federation tiles, chintz curtains and afternoon tea.

There is no day spa but there is the Cricketers’ Bar, with deep window embrasures and hypnotic crickety wallpaper. It is not like other hotels :- the floorboards creak when the ghost of the kangaroo which, (reportedly), once lived with a permanent guest passes by and L can’t help but feel under-dressed when looked upon disapprovingly by the portrait of Mrs McWhatsername in the foyer.  Marvellous.

 

 

 

 

 

Update: The Varnished Culture reads with horror that the Labor Government in Victoria is standing in the way of a tower development at the rear of the Windsor that might allow it commercial viability for the future.  Please Mr. Andrews, please!  Let them build the tower!  It’s not as if there are no ugly high-rises in the city of Melbourne!  We need to retain the old Windsor in façade and substance, our stomping ground when in Melbourne for cultural purposes.  Beware, Mr. Premier!  When we’re in your glorious capital, we spend a lot of cash (vide: Vue de Monde; The Ring).  So take note: if you let the Windsor degenerate into a backpacker hostel, opposite Parliament House, you’ll make some powerful enemies, and you’ll also have to stump up a lot of gold coin donations.  Thank you for your attention.

The Varnished Culture awaits the day when it will join the Windsor Hotel’s list of honoured, treasured, guests.