Hotel Review: Locke at East Side Gallery Berlin
Tucked behind Berlin’s East Side Gallery, right next to the River Spree, is a brand new design-led aparthotel giving tourists and business travellers a comfortable, trendy and welcoming place to stay in the city. I had the pleasure of staying in Locke at East Side Gallery when it opened in July during a long weekend break in the city.
Whilst this gorgeous dog-friendly hotel is in the first stage of its launch, with its restaurant and event space due to open in September, it comes highly recommended to any City Girl looking for a trendy place to stay close to Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Mitte.
City Girl Rating: ★★★★★
Location: Mühlenstraße 61-63, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, 10243 Berlin, Germany
Room type: City Studio River View
Average Price: £228.50 a night (£167.85 for Locke Members)
Check-in + check-out times: 3pm - 12pm
Bonus points: Dogs allowed (cleaning charge applies), great working space, river views, hairdryer and high-quality hair+body wash
Perfect for: Business Travel and a City Break
The Location
Overlooking the River Spree, the entrance is between a gap in the former Berlin Wall turned world-famous East Side Gallery. It’s a 7 minute walk from Ostbahnhof train station and 11 minutes walk from Warschauer Staße – two of the main stations in Berlin. Freidrichshain’s bustling cultural hub, RAW-Gelände, is a 17 minute walk away, and the Riverside cultural hub of Holzmarkt 25 is just a 13 minute walk along the river. If you want a fun way to speed things up, Locke has beautiful bikes that you can hire.
The Room
Locke at Easy Side Gallery was designed by Matthew Grzywinski of Grzywinski+Pons, combining sophisticated neutral tones, natural textures, and raw concrete with pops of playful colour. My partner and I stayed in the City Studio River View, equipped with a very comfy UK king-size bed, a desk for working, a kitchenette for cooking and a private balcony with views across the River Spree and the tip of Museum Island.
I took a lot of design inspiration from the room, with its dried flower arrangements, coffee table books, timber panelling and cosy cream blankets. We were also very grateful for the powerful aircon and light breeze on the balcony on the day that the temperature hit a scorching 35 degrees.
Living my best life taking photos on the balcony!
The Experience
The Locke at East Side Gallery team gave us 5 star customer service. From offering us complimentary drinks on arrival, to the slickest checkout process ever, and their mega-friendly attitude through the whole stay, the team lifted our already-impressive experience. We also thoroughly enjoyed the complimentary drinks given throughout our stay whilst their food and drink offering was still being built.
With plans for a co-working space, high-end cocktail bar, and events space being launched in September, it’s clear that the Locke at East Side Gallery experience is about to get even better. I, for one, will be back.
Though, just in case you’re reading this review with booking a Berlin hen/stag do stay in mind, I must note that they’re not allowed here.
Accessibility
They advertise a “fully accessible” City Studio, but it’s been a challenge to find clearer information on the exact facilities that they offer.
Four Unmissable Activities to do whilst in Berlin
e-Scoot down the old runway at Treptower Park: You can book these via the transport app, Jelbi.
Swim in the Badeschiff (and book in advance)
Eat at as many Vietnamese restaurants as possible: My top two being Soup & Rolls in Freidrichshain and Quà Phê in Mitte
Explore RAW-Gelände: An incredibly Berlin cultural district made up of biergartens, nightclubs, breweries, restaurants, galleries and even a pool bar.
You can book Locke at East Side Gallery either via the Locke Website, or on booking.com.
Reviewed by Pippa Moyle
Disclaimer: This review contains affiliate links for booking.com and all gallery photos of the hotel room and downstairs area are by Locke. The balcony shots are of me.
