Leman Locke London

Visiting London has never been easier with so many affordable, design-led hotels and serviced apartments popping up all across town. If you’re planning a trip to the capital and want to stay somewhere with the wow factor and a cool local vibe, the hottest brand to watch has to be Locke.

I first discovered this game-changing aparthotel concept with a fabulous stay at Leman Locke, the group’s debut opening housed in a modern Aldgate tower with plush pastel interiors, high-spec appliances and spectacular views of the city.

Since then, Locke has expanded to five sites in London, as well as Manchester, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Dublin and Munich. Each property has its own unique style and has been thoughtfully designed to reflect the neighbourhood.

I was excited to stay at Kingsland Locke for the weekend, having watched the construction of the building during our local lockdown walks. It opened in May last year and features 124 studio apartments and one-bedroom suites, plus social and eating spaces, designed by Red Deer Studio.

Location

As the name suggests, it’s right in the heart of Dalston and ideal for exploring the East End with Ridley Road Market, The Rio Cinema and Kingsland Road’s vibrant restaurants on the doorstep. You can also easily walk to Broadway Market, London Fields, Columbia Road Flower Market and Brick Lane.

Check-In

On arrival, we immediately felt the relaxed vibe of Kingsland Locke, as we walked through the entrance’s leafy plants to the green tiled reception desk decorated with toys and ornaments made by local artists. Check in was easy and low-key with a warm welcome from the friendly staff, all wearing stylish uniforms designed by Birdsong, an east London sustainable and ethical fashion brand.

Locals are able to use the open lounge and co-working space, so there’s always a lively atmosphere with lots of chatting and typing over drinks from Shaman coffee shop and the in-house microbrewery. For residents, there’s also a workout studio (yoga mats are provided in your room), laundry room and bookable manicures from a top local nail technician.

The Studio

Our City Studio (19 sqm) – accessed by an Instagrammable peach and pink hallway – was spacious, calming and efficiently-designed. Homely dark wood panelling and parquet flooring is contrasted with unfinished concrete walls and brightened with a gorgeous custom-made velvet sofa in sumptuous bottle green and chartreuse tones, that seamlessly flows to the headboard of the comfy king-size bed.

Room features include a snug dining area, large Smart HD TV, free wifi, storage cupboards, iron and a fully-equipped Smeg kitchen with a hob, fridge/freezer, microwave-grill, toaster and dishwasher, plus a full set of cooking utencils and crockery. Also, a fresh brew is always close at hand with a kettle and a selection of premium loose-leaf teas and ground coffee.

The small but perfectly formed bathroom is fabulously futuristic (and made for selfies), with matte black fixtures and white geometric tiles and a powerful walk-in shower, big fluffy towels and full-size products by Kinsey Apothecary.

Dinner at KRAFT Dalston

In the evening, we dined at Kraft Dalston, Locke’s collaborative restaurant from local indie brands German Kraft Brewery, Jim and Tonic Distillery and foodie favourite Le Bab. This subterranean space couldn’t be cuter with mint green and pastel pink chairs, hanging plants and quirky hot pink sharks circling the glass ceiling. At night it has a warm glow and the spacious bench seating makes it perfect for large groups and celebrating occasions.

Le Bab specialises in creative, charcoal-grilled kebabs using high quality British meats and many of the dishes are shareable. We started with the excellent Mezze Mix for 2 with velvety peanut curry pesto hummus, crisp pork belly bites and moreish garlic butter naan.

We followed with some tasty kebabs – Pork Shawarma with juicy Dingley Dell organic pork, sweet pickled cucumber and fresh chermoula mayo on fluffy pita flatbread and a Dirty Bab, which was similar but quite a bit bigger with the addition of fries and fondue sauce.

The food was fantastic and very reasonable priced for such high quality, plus it’s hard to beat a restaurant that’s just downstairs!

Breakfast is a simple affair at Kingsland Locke (you can pre-book a voucher at the health-conscious Shaman cafe), so we popped out to grab some delicious morning pastries at our favourite bakery The Dusty Knuckle.

Around Dalston

For more places to eat out in the immediate area, I also recommend tacos and margaritas at the slightly shambolic but fun Del74, hearty plant-based food at Mildred’s, drinks and experimental music at Cafe OTO and freshly-made baklava at Bebek Baklava.

Kingsland Locke is the perfect base for a memorable leisure stay in London with everything you need to be comfortable and no pricey extras. I can’t think of any real downsides, other than I’d love the option of starting the day with a full breakfast or brunch in that lovely, light-filled restaurant – this may not fit Locke’s vision for the property but it would be a nice feature.

There are plans for more Locke residences in Berlin, Lisbon and Copenhagen over the next few years, so keep an eye out!

Photos by Chérie City

London is quickly becoming the city for ‘next generation’ hotels and the newly-opened Leman Locke is really leading the way.

This forward-thinking hotel – the debut from new brand Locke Hotels – combines the luxury of a hotel with cool apartment living for creatively-minded folk who want a home away from home. Its minimal, urban look may also be familiar – it was designed by Grzywinski + Pons, the New York design company behind gems such as The Nolitan Hotel, Boro Hotel and west London’s Urban Villa.

Location

Located in buzzing east London, Leman Locke is set across a modern tower in rapidly evolving Aldgate. The area may be slick and modern, but it’s just moments way from London’s historic Brick Lane and Spitalfields, as well as being next to Aldgate East tube for quick access to the heart of the city.

Entering the hotel, your first encounter is with the cheery baristas at the hotel’s casual cafe Hyde, who give you a friendly hello every time you return. This bright and sunny cafe keeps guests fuelled all day with pastries and paleo granola for breakfast, hand-crafted sandwiches and salads at lunch, afternoon cake with Chash teas and Volcano coffee and evening cocktails and craft beers. It also attracts locals, particularly for Sunday brunch, so it has a good neighborhood vibe.

Check In

Hyde leads on to the cosy hotel lobby with a comfy seating area, copies of i-D magazine and plenty of quirky artefacts (I can’t help thinking it has a bit of a Wes Anderson feel). We had a swift and efficient check in and scaled up to the 16th floor in the lift.

The Studio

Our Studio was an absolute dream with the most gorgeous, highly Instagrammable interiors and impressive floor-to-ceiling views over the city, including The Shard. The open-plan studio is designed in a soft palette of pastel pink, blue and white with geometric patterns, tactile wool and felt textures and touches of exposed concrete.

The cosy living area features a large LCD Smart TV, full-length mirror and a coffee table with art books, however the star of the show is the powder pink L-shaped sofa. Seriously, it’s the most brilliant piece of furniture, as feels plush however you sit on it. Why don’t I have one of these in my own home?

While the apartment overall is very spacious, the bedroom is quite petite, however the concrete partition cleverly gives it the combination of intimacy yet openness. The bespoke Locke Dream bed was pretty comfortable with good pillows and a stunning wool throw, but I found the linen a little too crisp and rigid.

The Kitchen

We were really impressed with the sleek, high tech kitchen complete with a top notch oven, fridge, dish washer, washing machine, digital kettle and toaster. It also has a big selection of pristine utencils and cookware, a full set of china and handily, the Hemsley + Hemsley cook book for those creative moments in the kitchen.

To get you started is a nice little care package featuring a selection of lovely T2 Teas, ground coffee pods and a healthy treat – an indulgent bar of vegan maca, vanilla and cacao nib chocolate by Doisy & Dam. There is also still mineral water and a mini bottle of milk in the fridge – a thoughtful touch.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is also really spacious and well-appointed with a bath tub and top-of-the-range shower, heated towel rail, thick and fluffy towels, wide mirror and a very generous amount of storage space.

I was excited to find a full set of Kinsey Apothecary bathroom products in delicious scents such as Salted Caramel Vanilla and Himalayan Hibiscus. This London-based body care company was a new discovery and it fits in well with Leman Locke’s approach to wellbeing and locally-sourced products.

Eating Out

It was hard to tear ourselves away from our new pad, but it’s definitely worth venturing out to try some of east London’s many exciting restaurants. We had the most amazing dinner at lively and hip Smokestak in Shoreditch (a short 15-minute walk away) and highly recommend booking a table there if you like barbecued meats with a London twist.

Also worth checking out in the nearby area are Gunpowder, HotBox London, Canto Corvino and London institution Duck & Waffle.

There is also plenty going on at Leman Locke with in-room spa treatments by Viva Therapies, a cultural programme including yoga, meditation and cooking, as well as Locke Coves that can be booked complimentary for quiet time through a House Host.

Impressions

Leman Locke is a real game changer for London and its beautifully-designed studios are so inspiring that you might find yourself trying to recreate the look at home. Whether it’s a staycation or an extended visit, make Leman Locke your stylish base and get to know a different side of London.

For more information and booking, visit: www.lockeliving.com

Chérie City was a guest of Leman Locke

All photos by Chérie City

Chérie City

A Great Stay at Kingsland Locke Dalston

Location

Check-In

The Studio

Dinner at KRAFT Dalston

Around Dalston

A Great Stay at Leman Locke London

Location

Check In

The Studio

The Kitchen

The Bathroom

Eating Out

Impressions