Hybrid home-hotels offer more than just a room for the night. London’s Bermonds Locke features studio apartments, co-working space and a cultural programme. Olivia Palamountain reports
Locke has brought its “home-meets-hotel” concept to Bermondsey with the launch of a third London outpost called Bermonds Locke. (The company also has properties in Dublin, Edinburgh and Manchester.)
A contemporary take on the serviced apartment, Locke properties blend affordable studio apartments with co-working areas, restaurants, bars and workout studios – “all the stuff you actually need to continue your everyday, even when you’re away from home,” it says.
Each of the 143 studio apartments at Bermonds Locke features a living/working space with one-of-a-kind furniture, plus a fully fitted kitchen and laundry facilities, designer kitchenware and coffee-table reading.
The smallest studios start at 23 sqm – bigger than the average boutique hotel room – and the largest apartments offer a generous 35 sqm of space, on a par with some of the largest London serviced apartments.
London-based interior architecture studio Holloway Li designed the spaces as an “homage to nature’s wonder in both aesthetic and eco-responsibility”.
An earthy colour palette inspired by the Californian desert is complemented by brass, concrete and rattan and brought to life with leafy plants and succulents.
Bermonds Locke comes fully staffed by a team of “House Hosts”, offering insight to ensure both long and short-term visitors have access to the best local knowledge and insider tips.
The flexibility of the “home-tel” format appeals to a broad range of travellers across the leisure and business markets, for both extended and short stays, at a time when the demands of contemporary travellers are changing.
Stephen McCall, CEO of Locke’s parent company Edyn, says: “We are delighted to open our third property in London with Bermonds Locke. Locke aims to liberate guests from the confines of a typical hotel room by creating beautiful apartments that are designed to be lived in.
“The type of guest we’re accommodating wants to explore life as a local, and so the Bermondsey neighbourhood has played a significant role in defining the aesthetic, partners and programming.”
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