1888 Hotel, Sydney review: Stylish heritage-listed former wool store

The location

From the slum days of industrial wharves, Pyrmont is now home to multi-million dollar apartments, glitzy Star casino and a media hub including Google, Channel 7 and Fairfax, publishers of Good Weekend. Sydney's CBD is a pleasant, 10-minute walk away across Cockle Bay.

The place

Built in 1888 as a wool store and now heritage-listed, the stylish 90-bedroom hotel retains much of the original, with ironbark beams, three-metre-high ceilings, period windows and exposed brickwork, some scrawled with builders' markings. Timber was recycled for in-room desks. With clever architectural touches, it ticks all the boxes for a boutique establishment and, though rooms can be small (the cheapest, Shoebox, is only 15 square metres), it has the essentials for a good hotel stay, including great shower, wi-fi, good lighting and mirrors. Located beside a freeway-access road, the sound insulation is effective. Operating the heating from the bedroom's iPad (the modern-day room manual) is less so.

The experience

The compact reception area, incorporating bar and restaurant, doubles as an atrium with glass-sided lifts giving access to all the floors. It's light, airy and the atmosphere is buzzy. Furniture is eclectic and vintage with interesting art. Stay for dinner (it's well-priced and well-prepared). Later, take a waterside walk around Darling Harbour and Pyrmont Bay, stopping at one of the city's chic small bars

Don't miss

Staying at 1888 gives free access to nearby Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre, while two of Sydney's best tourist sights - Sydney Fish Market and The Maritime Museum - are both within close walking distance. And another temple of hip, three-hat Momofuku Seiobo restaurant is located at The Star. Book early.

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