Locke At Broken Wharf Review

The beautiful Locke At Broken Wharf opened its doors for the first time in March this year and we were lucky enough to enjoy a visit pre-Covid-19 lockdown. We are delighted to see that it is opening again on the 4th of July and they are offering guests a flat rate of £99 per night with the code JUSTOPEN. Read on to discover what we thought of our stay earlier this year. 

We fell in love with the Locke Living brand ever since their luxury serviced apartments and coffee shop Eden Locke popped up in our home town of Edinburgh a couple of years ago. The Eden Locke cafe is a regular haunt of TLE for a coffee pick me up and it was with great anticipation and excitement that we watched the progress of their newest property Locke At Broken Wharf throughout 2019. With their opening of the property in March 2020 TLE headed down to London to stay and review the new property. Read on to discover more.

Background And Concept

Locke Living is all about contemporary lifestyle and comfort, designed for travellers looking for more than just a room to sleep in, these properties offer space while blending the advantages of a high-end lifestyle hotel with the flexibility of an apartment. Properties are located in iconic parts of East London, Manchester and Edinburgh, immersing guests in the local neighbourhoods, through their cultural, wellness art and fitness programmes. On top of this, each property includes an all-day restaurant, bar concept and buzzy co-working spaces which are ideal for business and leisure travellers alike.

Locke at Broken Wharf sets the stage for two more London openings in Bermondsey and Dalston, while international projects in Dublin, Munich, Berlin, Lisbon and Copenhagen are also in the pipeline.

Location

Locke at Broken Wharf is located minutes from both Cannon Street, Blackfriars and Mansion House underground stations on the north bank stretch of the river path. Situated on the banks of the Thames with breath-taking views of the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe making it perfect for culture vultures and for foodies Borough Market is a short walk away too.

Guest Studios

Key card in. City out. Each of their spacious riverside studios have been designed to give guests the space and serenity they need, making them true home from homes. The furniture is as comfortable as it is beautiful. Bathrooms feature Kinsey Apothecary toiletries. These is super fast broadband and pressed to perfection incredibly comfy beds. For guests who are staying for a while the top-spec Smeg kitchen including pots, pans and utensils mean eating in is just as tempting as heading out, while the washer dryer makes cleaning clothes simple.

Designed by Matthew Grzywinski of Grzywinski+Pons, each of the 113 studios have been considered with the guest, location and brand essence in mind. Locke at Broken Wharf draws inspiration from its surroundings with each studio accented by subtle aesthetics featuring natural tones, pastel colours and white marble worktops contrasted with brass details. Studios come in four categories, from Micro Studios ideal for a quick trip to the capital at 19sqm they have every thing you need. Their City Studios are slightly larger at 22sqm and for longer stays their Locke Studios and River Suites have separate living and sleeping areas.

River Studio

During my stay my home was I one of their gorgeous River Studios which have uninterrupted, panoramic views across the Thames. As I came into the studio there is a wardrobe to the left and further into the room you came to the bedroom area, the space all flows as one so there are no doors separating the spaces. The king-size bed was incredibly comfortable and I had one of the best nights sleep. Next to the bed are plug points on either side as well as USB chargers. It is worth mentioning that all the rooms are a different layout so yours might be slightly different.

I loved the ornaments thoughout the studios, the spaces have such thoughtful finishing touches.

Moving on from the bedroom area is the bathroom, finished in grey marble with a large walk-in shower and plenty of fluffy towels.

Moving through to the living area which comes with a fully equipped marble topped kitchen, with every pot, pan and utensil you could need. Studios also include a welcome pack with teas, coffees and snacks.

Across from the kitchen area is the modular sofa and coffee table.

As day turns to night the space becomes incredibly cosy.

Food and Drink

Food and drink services within the property are operated by Deli Cat and Sons, who offer a menu of New York style deli options, infused with local flavours. You can choose from a selection of freshly baked bagels and salads, along with a vast selection of breakfast and brunch dishes, available for eating in or taking away. For those keen to prepare their own meals, cookbooks are provided with pantry essentials available to guests upon request. Adaptable to the needs of a variety of local businesses and travellers alike. The restaurant space takes up the entire ground floor so there is plenty of space to spread out. There are cafe-style seats at one end while the other is host to the bar area and co-working space and sofas. 

I had a late afternoon snack there and my breakfast the following day – both received top marks. The food was fresh and tasty and I loved the bowls, plates and the tiny little bits of string that tied the napkin around the cutlery.

Final Thoughts

Locke at Broken Wharf is a fresh and contemporary take on the increasingly popular aparthotel model. The property offers affordable luxury, a great night’s sleep and flexible spaces that make it ideal for both short stays in London and longer breaks, it ticks lots of boxes and is a property we highly recommend. We have included the property in our guide to cool and unique hotels in London.