In 1883, shipping magnate George Nipper built his magnificent dream, then known as The Grand Hotel. It was designed by famous architect Charles Webb, and was soon recognised as the most stylish and luxurious accommodation in Melbourne.

The Honourable James Munro acquired the property in 1886. In association with the Honourable James Balfour MLC, Munro embarked on a massive expansion project that doubled the size of the hotel and saw the addition of the Grand Ballroom, the Grand Staircase, and twin cupola-capped towers. Visitors to the towers enjoyed views over Williamstown, the You Yangs, Mount Macedon, and the Dandenong Ranges. The original 200 rooms grew to 360, and The Grand Hotel boasted the latest amenities and five star conveniences: hot and cold water, electric lights, electric bells, and elevators.

At this time, the Temperance Party’s teetotal ideals had achieved a considerable following. Munro is famous for his flamboyant gesture of setting alight the hotel liquor license with the statement: “Well, gentlemen, this is what I think of the license”. And so the property became known as The Grand Coffee Palace.

This change did not prove successful, however. Just 10 years later, in 1897, the liquor license was reinstated, and the name The Grand Hotel was restored.

With its close proximity to Parliament House and Melbourne’s government offices, The Grand Hotel rapidly became associated with politics and politicians. So convenient was this relationship that in February and March 1898, the Drafting Committee for the Federal Constitution worked out the document’s final details from a suite within the hotel.

In the 1920s, a new company was incorporated. A group of investors, including Sir John Monash, purchased the property and began a major renovation. The Grand Ballroom’s unique high Victorian character, considered unfashionable at the time, was hidden, and would remain so for the next sixty years; leadlight windows at each end were replaced with clear glass, the ceiling domes that illuminated the room with natural light were concealed, and the richly patterned Victorian colour scheme was replaced with light pastels.

On 3 June 1923, with renovations complete, the hotel hosted a luncheon attended by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales. In honour of this occasion, the hotel was appropriately renamed The Windsor.

The Windsor enjoys a long connection with the family of renowned artist Ernest Buckmaster. In 1958, Mr Richard Nesbitt, General Manager of the hotel, happened to walk past Ernest Buckmaster’s last city exhibition and purchased three paintings for the hotel. This was the beginning of a strong connection between the hotel and the family – a connection that continues today, over five decades later. A brochure recounting the living history of Ernest Buckmaster is currently available at the Concierge.

Rising 75 feet above the lobby toward the skylight, the cantilevered Grand Staircase is remarkable both for its scale and its elevation. It is built of Stawell stone, and the landing is decorated with handmade Minton tiles imported from England. The tiles, which had been hidden under old carpets for decades, were rediscovered during the 1983 renovation.

The original domed skylights, the framing for which was still in the ceiling, have been re-glazed with stained glass, illuminating the Grand Ballroom with natural light. Modern craftsmen adopted traditional skills to make the fixtures as authentic as possible; the magnificent brass gasolines have been so faithfully reproduced from photographs that they even include a gas tap on each light.

The Cricketer’s Bar is a city institution; it features an outstanding collection of cricketing memorabilia, courtesy of the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Club, which has honoured The Hotel Windsor by appointing The Cricketers’ Bar custodian of many precious sporting treasures.

Photographs of both English and Australian teams from the 1800s and 1900s adorn the walls, and an autographed Sir Donald Bradman bat occupies pride of place.