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.
Fashion-forward five-star design hotel on Russell Street in the theatre district, with 188 rooms, Pascale Bar and Grill and a rooftop cocktail bar.
Good to know
QT Melbourne is a design-led hotel at 133 Russell Street, in the theatre district at the heart of the city centre. It describes its style as industrial chic, low-light and high-fashion, and the interiors follow that brief with velvet details and low lighting. The hotel calls itself a five-star city hotel.
There are 188 rooms. Room types include the QT King, Loft King, Corner King and Double Queen, as well as suites, accessible rooms and interconnecting rooms for families. Some rooms are dog-friendly, which is useful for anyone travelling with a pet, and the range of room types means you can choose between a standard king, a loft layout or a corner room.
Two venues anchor the hotel's social life. Pascale Bar and Grill is an open-plan day grill and bar with an extensive wine list, and Rooftop at QT is a cocktail bar with views across the city, which makes a convenient first or last drink of the evening for guests heading to the theatres nearby.
The location is one of the best in the city for walking. Collins Street's shops and the city's laneways are close by, and the hotel is about five minutes' walk from Parliament Station. Flinders Lane, with restaurants such as Chin Chin, Supernormal and Cumulus Inc., and Hosier Lane's street art are a short walk south, while Stalactites, on the corner of Lonsdale and Russell Streets, is a few blocks north for late-night souvlaki. The Old Melbourne Gaol and State Library Victoria are further up Russell Street, and Pellegrini's Espresso Bar, also in the theatre district, is close by on Bourke Street for an early espresso. Travellers on a tighter budget will find Space Hotel further north on the same street, at 380 Russell Street.
QT Melbourne suits couples, style-conscious travellers and theatre-goers who want to be in the middle of the action, and it works well for short city breaks. Travellers who prefer a quiet, traditional hotel may find The Hotel Windsor or The Langham a better fit.
Booking is through the QT Hotels website, where contact details, parking information and accessibility details are also published, so check there before you arrive.
At 133 Russell Street, in Melbourne's theatre district.
188 rooms, including suites, accessible rooms and interconnecting rooms.
Yes. Dog-friendly rooms are available.
Yes. Rooftop at QT is a cocktail bar with city views.
Pascale Bar and Grill, an open-plan grill and bar with an extensive wine list.
Parliament Station, about five minutes' walk away.
It describes itself as a five-star city hotel.
The hotel describes it as industrial chic, low-light and high-fashion.
Restaurant
Ben Shewry's Ripponlea restaurant, open since 2003, serving a multi-course modern Australian menu built around native ingredients, and a long-time World's 50 Best entry.
Tour operator
Melbourne walking tour company founded by Fiona Sweetman in 2004, running small-group lanes and arcades, cafe culture, heritage and street art walks.
Attraction
Australia's oldest public art museum, with free general entry to NGV International on St Kilda Road and the Australian collection at Fed Square.
Café
Italian espresso bar on Bourke Street since 1954, with its original 1950s fit-out, a long marble counter and simple pasta dishes served without bookings.