Background
Open since October, this is the 12th outpost for the design-focused aparthotel brand Locke, which has properties in the UK, Ireland and Germany. It is part of the Edyn group, which also includes Saco serviced apartments. The Cambridge outpost is named after pioneering computer scientist and Cambridge alumni Alan Turing.
Where is it?
North-west of Cambridge city centre in Eddington, a 150-hectare sustainable district developed by the University of Cambridge and named after alumnus Sir Arthur Eddington. The toy town-like area is full of new builds providing accommodation for staff and students, as well as learning facilities and green spaces.
Eddington is a 15-minute bike ride to the city centre, or a ten-minute bus journey with the ‘U’ bus. There is an underground car park, with spaces costing £15 per night. It is 3.9 miles from Cambridge railway station.
What's it like?
The rectangular new-build surrounds a leafy central courtyard space, and comprises both the 180-unit Turing Locke and the 150-room Hyatt Centric Cambridge – separated on the ground floor by a covered patio. The properties share guestroom floors, outdoor space and all public areas including restaurant Kota (on the ground floor of the Hyatt section) and cocktail bar Dutch (beyond Locke’s reception).
As with all Locke properties, the aparthotel is clearly design-led, featuring stylish mid-century and modernist design by Stirling prize-winning architects Drmm, and pastel-packed interior design by AvroKO. There are also nods to Cambridge alumni, with quotes from Arthur Eddington and Alan Turing fixed in brass lettering in the communal spaces.
The ground floor has a small reception desk as well as an automatic check-in area with two machines. To check out, you hand your keycard to reception by 1100. The keycard gives 24-hour access to the building; the desk is manned at all times.
The ground floor is home to an open-plan coworking space for both guests and locals, with long tables, comfy sofas and natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows. My favourite feature is the arched inserts in the wall with plush sofas, which allow for a bit of privacy.
The guestroom floors are split in half, with different colour schemes to distinguish Locke from Hyatt Centric. Locke is soft green, pink and teal while Hyatt has dark saturated colours.
On the sustainability side, the property uses renewable energy sources; furniture and lighting are from responsible suppliers, and there are 200 bike spaces and 20 electric vehicle charging spots.
Rooms
The 180 apartments range from 27 to 74 sqm on floors 1-3, all of which include fully-fitted kitchens, living and dining space. Amenities include tea and coffee-making facilities, a safe, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, a yoga mat, and large Kinsey Apothecary toiletries in the bathroom. The 11 Terrace Suites (31 sqm) on the first floor are a highlight, with a terrace overlooking the courtyard and a bed of wildflowers and Chinese gooseberry trees.
My Terrace Suite had arched doorways leading from the entrance into the lounge. The stylish terrazzo-tiled bathroom had an easy-to-use rainfall shower.
For this property AvroKO reduced the size of the bedroom and prioritised living space. The small bedroom, separated by wooden sliding doors, has plenty of wardrobe space and a comfortable king-size bed. We had a great night’s sleep thanks to effective blackout curtains and good soundproofing.
The lounge area is light and airy, with a comfortable sofa, a small dining table and a fully-equipped kitchen with crockery which matches the property’s pastel colour scheme. Wifi is fast and free (each studio has its own wifi password) and there are USB and plug sockets throughout.
Guests can get all the information they need about the hotel’s facilities and the surrounding area via the smart HD TV, which has various streaming apps and great Chromecast capabilities.
Cleaning takes place every seven days, and guests can pick up fresh linen, cleaning products and essentials at the front desk.
Food and drink
Ground-floor Dutch is a great drinks spot, with dim lighting brightened by the colourful spirits in the central bar area. Small cosy tables are nestled around the teal-tiled bar, with a speakeasy-style ambience, and handwritten menus are a nice no-frills touch.
It offers an expansive cocktail list and a menu of locally sourced platters of cheeses and cured meats, plus tapas-style small plates. It was buzzy during our pre-dinner visit and we enjoyed it so much so that we returned for a nightcap.
Street-level restaurant Kota has a mixture of booth-style seating and window-side tables. The Finnish-inspired restaurant sources produce from local, independent and sustainable producers and suppliers, and specialises in wood-fired cooking and brunches.
We enjoyed starters of beetroot and gin-cured smoked salmon with roast tomato pepper, pickled fennel and yoghurt (£8) and Jerusalem artichoke with burnt apple, pickled blackberries and chicory (£7).
The main courses were the stars of the show, wisely recommended by our lovely waitress – perfectly spiced grilled red mullet with lentil dahl and naan (£22) and an excellent dry-aged Denver steak with roast Portobello mushroom, crispy onions and chunky chips.
The apple crumble with crème anglaise (£8) was a generous and fitting pudding to end the night. There’s also a good wine menu, and a cocktail list is helpfully separated into herb, spice, fruit, bean and classic cocktails.
Breakfast is also served at Kota, including brunch-style fare (with plant-based options), fresh pastries and excellent coffee by London-based roasters Saint Espresso. If guests book a room with breakfast, then they can claim a £15 voucher at reception. It was less well-run than the dinner service – they served me Eggs Royale (rather than Florentine) but I was happy to eat it and it was tasty.
There is also a Sainsburys just down the road should guests want to cook their own meals.
Meetings
There are two private rooms on the ground floor, each seating 14, which can be joined to create 68 sqm of space. The restaurant, co-working area, courtyard and roof terrace can also be hired.
Leisure
There is a small gym on the ground floor and Locke also offers a complimentary 30-day access to fitness app Fiit, which offers over 600 on-demand workouts. You simply scan the QR code on the TV and can get started with the yoga mat in the room.
Verdict
Turing Locke Cambridge offers comfortable apartments, beautiful interior design, light-filled public spaces and very good food and drink venues. The Terrace Suites are recommended.
Fact box
Best for
Trendy apartments in Cambridge’s new Eddington neighbourhood
Don’t miss
Mezcal margaritas at Dutch followed by Scandi-style fare at Kota (or vice-versa)
Price
Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in May started from £139 for a Locke Studio
Contact
47 Eddington Avenue, Cambridge CB3 1SE; +44 (0)330 174 4221
