Hotel
The Hotel Windsor
Heritage-listed grand hotel on Spring Street, completed in 1884 opposite Parliament House, with 180 rooms and suites and a well-known afternoon tea.
Adelphi Hotel
Boutique design hotel on Flinders Lane, opened in 1992 in a converted 1938 warehouse, with 34 rooms and a glass-bottomed pool cantilevered over the street.
At a glance
- Type
- Boutique design hotel
- Area
- Melbourne CBD, Melbourne, Australia
- Price
- $$$ · Upscale
- Official site
- adelphi.com.au
Good to know
- Rooftop pool deck
- Design Hotels member
Why we recommend it
The Adelphi is a small boutique hotel at 187 Flinders Lane, in a building with a strong architectural story. It began life in 1938 as a warehouse for the rag trade that once filled Flinders Lane, a concrete-framed, column-free building with a cement-rendered facade. In 1989 the architecture firm Denton Corker Marshall bought it and converted it into a hotel, which officially opened in November 1992. The Adelphi is a member of the Design Hotels group.
Its signature feature is the pool. Denton Corker Marshall designed it in the form of a shipping container that cantilevers about a metre out over the Flinders Lane facade, with a glass bottom, so swimmers can look down at the lane below. The hotel promotes its rooftop pool deck as one of its main attractions, and it is a good spot for a swim at the end of a day of sightseeing.
In 2013 the hotel was bought by Dion Chandler, Ozzie Kheir and Simon Ongorato, who brought in the design studio Hachem to rework the interiors and the hotel's image. Today there are 34 rooms in five types: Premier King and Premier Twin rooms of about 35 square metres, Superior King rooms of 40 square metres, Deluxe King rooms of 45 square metres and a 100 square metre Palatial Suite. The small scale gives the hotel a more personal feel than the large towers elsewhere in this guide.
The hotel's website currently lists its dining offer as coming soon, so check before you arrive if you plan to eat in. The hotel has been voted best boutique hotel in Victoria. It suits couples, design enthusiasts and travellers who want a stylish base in the middle of the city's restaurant and laneway district rather than a large full-service hotel.
The location is excellent for exploring on foot. Flinders Lane is home to many of the city's best-known restaurants, including Chin Chin at number 125 and Supernormal at number 180, and Hosier Lane and Federation Square are close by. Flinders Street Station is within walking distance for trains, and trams across the city centre are in the free tram zone.
For bookings and enquiries, call +61 3 8080 8888 or email [email protected]. Ask about room sizes when booking, since they range from 35 to 100 square metres.
Adelphi Hotel FAQs
Where is the Adelphi Hotel?
At 187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
When did the Adelphi open?
It officially opened in November 1992.
What is special about the pool?
It is shaped like a shipping container, has a glass bottom and cantilevers about a metre over Flinders Lane.
How many rooms are there?
34 rooms across five types, from 35 square metre Premier rooms to a 100 square metre Palatial Suite.
Who designed the hotel?
Denton Corker Marshall converted the 1938 warehouse; the interiors were later redesigned by Hachem.
Is the Adelphi part of a hotel group?
It is a member of Design Hotels.
Is there a restaurant?
The website lists the dining offer as coming soon, so check before you arrive.
How do I contact the Adelphi?
Call +61 3 8080 8888 or email [email protected].