Bermonds Locke LONDON Sitting proudly in Bermondsey, Locke’s new outpost brings a touch of Southern Californian cool to the capital. Words: Donna Salek • Photography: © Edmund Dabney
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aving weathered the coronavirus storm far better than other sectors within the hospitality industry, extended-stay accommodations appear to be the
rising star amongst business travellers and holidaymakers; and for proof of their popularity, one need not look any further than Locke Hotels, who managed to keep almost all of its locations open throughout lockdown, and has pressed ahead to meet its opening date for Bermonds Locke – SE1’s new kid on the block. Known for blending traditional apart-hotel formats with the design, F&B and programming of a lifestyle hotel, Locke has expanded rapidly in recent years throughout Europe, with a further seven properties in its pipeline, finding success in its laid-back luxury offering. Developed by Edyn, Locke creates destinations that inspire and connect through mindful design, and has typically worked with New York-based studio Gryzwinski + Pons for its past projects. For Bermonds Locke, however, the hotel group appointed London-based firm Holloway Li, marking their first collaboration – a successful one, at that. Bermonds Locke’s existing structure, originally built for use as an office building and described as having no regularised element to its floor plan, required much technical prowess to transform, for which the multidisciplinary studio’s architecture and interior design expertise proved to be a match. “Typically hotels have eight room categories,
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