Locke at East Side Gallery, Friedrichshain — Hotel in Berlin

I chose this hotel for convenience because it’s in the same building as my sister’s apartment in Berlin. The rooms and common areas were relatively clean. There’s a cafe, bar, and restaurant downstairs if you’re into socializing with other people in the building. There’s also a co-working space, gym, and laundry room, none of which I needed or tried. I’d say it’s fine for longer-stay digital nomads who don’t care about services. As I was on vacation, I found that conveniences which I consider to be normal were lacking. The thermostat and microwave in the room were not self-explanatory and there was no guide in the room with instructions. They communicate via WhatsApp with guests which I found quite impersonal. Sometimes replies were quick, other times I had to call after waiting quite a while for a WhatsApp response at night. Housekeeping is not included for short stays and must be requested as needed for longer stays. Mine was 3 nights. I was told upon check-in, “So if you need anything, just come down and ask.” I’m sorry. What?? There are no bellmen, so if you need anything or have a delivery, you also have to go to the front desk. No one picks up room trash, so guests are instructed to leave it outside their door at one of three daily pick-up times. Everything requires a little extra effort from guests, like the WiFi password isn’t just there, you have to check your WhatsApp, then check your email for the code. They said “speedy WiFi” but it was often lagging. The hotel has a “signature fragrance,” which I know is a thing, but it’s really just weird to have the air and linens and toiletries smelling some kind of way. Beware non-smokers: this hotel allows guests to smoke on their room balconies which basically negates the purpose of a balcony if you’re someone who uses it for access to fresh air. I went out for four hours, all windows closed but room fan on to prevent stale air, and returned to a room that stank of cigarette smoke. They were responsive and helped me change rooms quickly which was great! Another weird thing was that every time someone in another room used their sink, shower, or toilet, I could hear the water quite loud and clearly through my shower drain. It was loud enough to wake me up throughout the night in the City Studio where the bathroom is essentially right next to the bed. When on vacation, I like to kind of luxe it up so I was bummed that the on-site restaurants were unique businesses which did not offer room service. There was a ceramic French press coffee carafe in the room, a kettle, and one sachet of (really awful medium roast) coffee but the press was not a tight fit, so it didn’t work at all. I fought the coffee grounds and the coffee grounds won. I was happy for the wee fridge and toaster in the room but you have to stock them yourself.

There’s nothing very bad about this place and the staff was friendly enough. It just lacked even a modicum of luxury although the room rates were not so cheap.

It’s not that convenient for sightseeing but would be appropriate for long-stay business people who want to do their own laundry and cook at home some nights.

It’s nice and quiet and located Spree riverfront in Friedrichshain neighborhood.

We walked 25 min one night to an indoor market across the river with food (beer & wine) stalls and farmer’s market vibe. It was happening - Neun Markt (?) I...

We stayed in Locke at east side gallery for 10 days and it was horrible. The rooms are very expensive and after reading all the positive reviews online, our expectations were high.

Negative:

Very expensive for what you get.

Small bed for 2 persons.

Only 2 uncomfortable stools on the balcony, no chairs, no table.

In the first room: very dusty and the kitchenwear was dirty.

The balcony door could not be opened (see photo), because there is a sofa there.

Kitchen (only 2 cups, 2 glasses, 2 plates, pans) looks nice, but much does not work / is not connected. In 1 room the oven did not work, in 2 others the hob. Online manual was of a different type. But didn’t matter, because it didn’t work anyway.

You can't set the temperature etc., so don't expect a fully equipped kitchen (which is stated on their website). There are pans/oven dishes, but you cannot use them.

The layout of the room is not practical. Everything looks beautiful at first glance (Instagram-worthy), but if you stay there for more than a day, not convenient. No storage space (only 4 unstable coathangers), you can't watch TV from the couch.

The first 3 days we were in room 123, extreme noise from construction work in the basement. At the first report I was given earplugs... They were not even sufficient.

On the second notification I was given another room (5th floor). But there too, extreme noise pollution due to construction work. Apparently they were now working on the 5th, 6th and 7th floors.

We then received a refund of 200. At first we thought that was very nice, but unfortunately our experience only got worse in the following days.

We were then moved to another room (8th floor). But here too, noise pollution. It was a roomupgrade, which sounds nice, but if you still aren’t able to sleep, who cares.

Every time we changed rooms, the cleaners didn't know anything. So they were suddenly in the room. As compensation we got a free late checkout on Saturday (cleaners didn’t know, so again woke up).

All the doors of the hotelrooms close loudly with a lot of noise, so you hear this every time.

We received 4 vouchers for breakfast/drinks in the cafe, but when we wanted to redeem them there was nothing to eat at all and there was no fresh juice (as promised). Girl behind the bar wasn’t happy with that as well.

When we left, there was a letter in the elevator announcing noise nuisance the following week. We never received any advance notice, otherwise we would have booked another hotel. For these prices you can find many better hotels in Berlin.

Summary: stay 10 nights, 8 days of noise pollution (only not on weekend). Result: refund of 200 and a lot of empathy from the staff. Not enough considering our overtiredness. An apology/compensation from Locke?

Positive:

Very friendly staff (especially Riccardo) and emphatic. But they couldn't solve the problems.

If you book a room on the Spree side, you will have a nice...

I had an absolutely delightful stay at the Locke Hotel. From the moment I arrived, the staff went above and beyond to make my experience exceptional. A special shoutout to Sejin, who warmly welcomed me on my first day, helping with my luggage and ensuring I was settled into a fantastic room on the 5th floor. The view from the balcony was incredible, offering a serene escape right in the heart of the city.

Diego was also amazing, assisting me through their direct messaging WhatsApp line to upgrade my room to a stunning river-facing suite. His prompt and friendly support made the process seamless, and the room was beyond my expectations.

When I encountered an issue with my key card, Evance was super helpful and nice, assisting me in moving from room to room without any hassle. His support added to the seamless experience and was much appreciated.

The hotel’s coworking space was perfect for my team’s professional offsite, providing a productive and comfortable environment. The staff at the café, especially Silvana, were incredibly kind and helpful, adding to the overall positive atmosphere.

A big thank you to Millie at the front desk and Rita for helping me with room arrangements and future bookings. We will definitely be returning soon, and it’s all thanks to the wonderful team here.

The hotel is located in a beautiful, quiet, yet central spot, close to great food options, nightlife, and not far from the Berliner Mauer. The location by the Spree River adds to its charm, making it a magical place to stay.

I highly recommend checking out Mina Ristorante next door and keeping an eye on the lovely events hosted by the hotel. The gym with its excellent view is a bonus!

Overall, I’m so excited to return soon and grateful to have found this gem of a hotel. Thank you to everyone at Locke Hotel for making my stay...