INSTAGRAM HOTEL | 1888 HOTEL IN SYDNEY

Here’s an incredibly original idea for an authentic accommodation – a new five-star hotel in Sydney, Australia, called ‘1888’, inspired by a photo-sharing website Instagram. Why Instagram as the inspiration and why 1888 as the name?

Well, it is a clever marketing move to tie the hotel to a popular photo- and video-sharing service, particularly since the hotel is a sort of tribute to the evolution of photography. It offers Instagram-friendly walking maps of the area, as well as a complimentary overnight stay to Instagram users with over 10,000 followers and to the person who makes the best Instagram picture while staying at the hotel.

1888 is the year when George Eastman invented the famous Kodak camera and the year in which a well-known woolstore in the inner-city district of Pyrmont, which is the hotel’s location, was constructed. The 1888 Hotel is only a short walk from the city centre, the Sydney Fish Market, Darling Harbour, Cockle Bay Wharf and the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The hotel’s design style is contemporary, and very Australian, combining reclaimed Iron Bark beams, concrete, stone, bronze and brick. It took two years and $30 million to refurbish it. Paul Fischmann, the proprietor of 8Hotels, a collection of boutique hotels which includes ‘1888’, says that the hotel “is the most beautiful and unique of our 21 properties and is the culmination of a long and extensive collaboration to develop an exceptional boutique hotel in a wonderful location.”

As far as the accommodation goes, the 1888 Hotel has 90 rooms and a double-level penthouse apartment called The Attic, which boasts a great view of Sydney. The room size varies from 15 to 47 square metres (the size of The Attic suite), and there are eight different types of rooms. The hotel furniture and bedding is custom-made, with the luxurious MicroCloud bed toppers, while the walls are adorned with the artwork by Australian artists. Of course, 1888 has all of the modern-day amenities – complimentary iPads and WiFi, as well as flat-screen TVs with media hubs.

The hotel also has an eatery & bar which serve up locally grown food and a great selection of beers and wines. In keeping with its contemporary philosophy, the hotel’s mini-bars even contain gluten-free crisps and other healthy snacks. Since its opening in July 2013, 1888’s occupation rates have been great, making this five-star charming boutique hotel a must see (and stay).