A five-storey boutique hotel has opened in Sydney, Australia, themed around the social-networking platform Instagram, offering travellers dedicated spaces to take photos, as well as the opportunity to save money with Instagram-related incentives and competitions.

The 1888 hotel, operated by 8Hotels, is decorated with photos taken by guests, with rooms starting at US$140 per night. Guests also have the chance to win a free additional night’s stay through 1888’s monthly photo competitions, with awards given for the best Instagram photos taken.

Other Instagram-related incentives are on offer too. For example, guests with more than 10,000 followers are awarded a free night’s stay.

Named after the year in which Kodak produced the first box and roll camera, 1888 has been designed in line with the tastes of the modern traveller, with a particular focus on photography and sharing media via social networks. The hotel’s lobby features a digital mural of Instagram images, while there is also a space built specially for hotel guests to take photographs as they arrive. Not only does this provide an interesting angle for guests, but it also opens up the hotel to free marketing potential through Instagram's social network, as guests share images of themselves while staying at 1888.

"There has always been a strong, intrinsic link between travel and photography,” Paul Fischman, chief executive officer of 8Hotels, told social media news website Mashable.

“But the advent of social media and Instagram has made photo-sharing an even bigger part of the traveler's experience. People not only want to visit and stay in beautiful places, they also want to capture and share it with their friends and networks as it happens."

Located in Sydney's inner-city suburb of Pyrmont, the hotel neighbours the Sydney Fish Market and the Sydney Exhibition & Convention Centre.

Its rooms boast 3m high ceilings, exposed brick walls, original iron bark beams, soundproofed period windows, recycled timber workstations, bespoke furniture and artwork by Australian artists. Guests are also treated to the latest technology with in-room iPads and Smart TVs also available.

However, the hotel isn’t the first to integrate social media into its design, with Meliá Hotels International unveiling a new program in August to make its Sol Wave House the first 'twitter experience hotel', as previously reported in Leisure Opportunities: http://lei.sr?a=p1R1G