Room check: 1888 Hotel, Sydney

1888 Hotel's striking room design effortlessly blends historic photos with contemporary art. Photo / Supplied

Graham Reid stays at a boutique hotel minutes from Darling Harbour.

Location: In a mostly quiet street in Pyrmont, near Darling Harbour. Large parking building right opposite (the hotel has a considerable overnight parking discount deal for you). Useful local shops (7-Eleven, etc.)

Check-in experience: Exceptional. My flight had been delayed so I was running late for appointments and the young woman at the desk immediately took care of my bags, directed me to a private shower and bathroom and ordered a cab. Helpful and charming.

The style: The name gives it away. This boutique hotel - which opened in July 2013 - in a renovated wool storage shed has a pleasingly distressed but elegant look, a four-storey atrium and lovely leather couches in the lobby by the restaurant and bar. Front office manager Thomas Belloy - from France by way of London and Sydney hotel chains - says the 1888 was voted the world's first Instagram hotel last year because so many people post photos of it.

Room: Small but serviceable. Decent-sized desk (made of recycled timber from the building), flat-screen televisions (one in the bedroom up a short flight of stairs), good internet, excellent shower, etc. Surprisingly, there are 90 rooms in the building some of which are, as Belloy admits, shoebox-small for those mostly out and about. So you have options.

Something to eat or drink? The restaurant-bar does a decent range of small platters, mains and has a good wine list. I asked for a medium rare steak and that's exactly what I got. The restaurant manager suggested a wine match and he was spot-on. It became a three-glass steak.

The lobby at Sydney's 1888 Hotel. Photo / Supplied

What's in the neighbourhood? Lots. Darling Harbour is a five-minute walk across Pyrmont Bridge, The Star (casino complex with bars and restaurants) about the same just down the road. The Fishmarket is nearby, there are light rail stations and ferries, local pubs ... Chinatown is an easy 15-minute walk. Excellent location. You can be on the harbour bridge in about three minutes driving north.

Exercise: The hotel offers guests access to the nearby Ian Thorpe Aquatic and Fitness Centre. They have bikes for hire, a plus given the location and lack of hills.

The bed: Excellent and huge. Great pillows, too.

A room with a view? Not unless you like looking at apartments across the road. I take a photo out of every room I stay in. This would count among the least interesting.

Noise: A little, but not enough to be a problem.

Bathroom: As you'd expect, good toiletries (chic +) and a rain shower.

Contact: 1888hotel.com.au

Would I return? Certainly, because the style which effortlessly blends historic photos with contemporary art and design is striking, and because the location is excellent. You'd be hard pressed to find more helpful staff also.

Graham Reid travelled to Australia courtesy of Destination NSW.