A CITY STAYCATION AT THE NED, LONDON
IN ONE LINE
A decadent, multi-restaurant hotel set inside a former London City bank with a buzzy attitude and an air of 1920’s glamour.
SETTING THE SCENE
‘Gringotts meets Harrods food hall’ might come to mind as you step off the busy streets of Bank and into the mammoth Ned “lobby” space. A live jazz band plays from a raised platform in amongst a myriad of seperate restaurant & bar areas and soaring emerald marble columns reach from the checkerboard tiles to the original restored glass skylights.
The former headquarters of Midland Bank (designed by Sir Edwin 'Ned' Lutyens in 1924) hangs on to much of its past grandeur but with a modern twist thanks to the touch of Soho House founder and Ned mastermind Nick Jones. As you might expect from an off shoot of the Soho House group, the interiors throughout the hotel communal areas and rooms are beautiful and have not one ounce of beige boredom about them. Hidden away form the public gaze, Ned’s Club members also have a share of different spaces to enjoy including a rooftop pool and terrace, the basement Vault bar and a impressive Gym and spa.
Every time we visit the ground floor is abuzz with activity and there is a sort of mystery about the place, maybe because it’s too much to take in all at once. Maybe it’s because you know there a plenty of private member’s only nooks and areas hidden away. Either way, we’ve found it’s a unique experience in London and the perfect place for tourists and locals alike to spend a night or two exploring and discovering.
OUR ROOM
We like the varierty of room types on offer at The Ned, there’s 250 bedrooms in total, ranging from cosy to grand, each with a nod to 1920’s glamour and each a little different. We slept over in one of the ‘Medium” rooms which was a good amount of space for two people and featured the classic Ned dark woods and mismatched heritage fabrics. The room felt private and cosy and our favourite spot was the sitting nook with table in front of a lovely large window view.
Unlike many other hotels, the bathroom design hasn’t been forgotten here either and the vintage vibes carried on through with subway tiles and a black and white colour palette. On the subject of the bathroom, The Ned gets our vote for best hotel toiletries! There’s just about everything you could need incase you lose your suitcase and there’s also a veritable buffet of Cowshed toiletries available to try too. The only downside being that the lower room categories don’t have baths and we felt our bathroom could have used more surface areas/ storage.
The bed was large and comfy and the TV system offered a selection of standard channels plus free movies (although unfortunately ours glitched out and we couldn’t actually manage to watch anything). Our room was only on the 2nd floor so we could hear the beat from the music downstairs until about midnight but we slept peacefully after that and weren’t able to hear anything from the streets outside.
FOOD & DRINK
With 7 restaurants and 3 bars, the dining options at The Ned deserve a blog post in their own right but here is a quick rundown:
PUBLIC OPTIONS
Cecconi’s: Italian which host’s ‘Cecconi’s Feast” Every Sunday (a limitless buffet)
Kaia: An Asian-Pacific menu with a lengthy menu of fresh and healthy options
Millie’s Lounge: Serves afternoon tea and a British menu. Also plays host to “Ned’s Feast” every Sunday (a limitless buffet)
Electric Bar and Dining: American-style diner
Malibu Kitchen: Californian styled for the health concious
Lutyen’s Grill: Think Seafood and steak with an old world vibe in a private wood-panelled dining room
The Parlour: An intimate jazz and cabaret restaurant tucked away downstairs
The Nickel Bar: Classic cocktails in the heart of the hall
MEMBER’S ONLY
The Libray Bar: A snug on the ground floor for book-lovers
Ned’s Club Downstairs: Which includes late-night spot “The Vault” in the former Bank’s original vaults
Ned’s Club Upstairs: A beautiful rooftop space which includes a heated pool, terrace and private spaces inside the building’s domes.
Cecconi’s
The Vault
NED’S CLUB SPA AND GYM
Depending on how you book your room, a stay at the hotel should come with access to the subterranean Gym and Spa areas. The gym is open 24/7 and is a darn good one. Even if you decide not to book any treatments at the Spa it’s worth visiting the beautiful lap pool which was once a hall for storing gold bullion.
We were treated to a heavenly afternoon in the spa where Jen relaxed with a massage and Simon with the Ned signature Hammam experience. Both left us feeling bone meltingly relaxed and spoiled.
THE AREA
Smack bang in the middle of the financial district of the City, alongside The Bank of England and The Royal Exchange, The Ned is surrounded by stunning grand architecture and oodles of history. If you do in fact manage to leave the hotel during your stay then we’d suggest getting lost in the neighbouring alleyways (which is likely to happen because Google maps seems to blackout in this area) then wandering to St Paul’s Cathedral, doing a little shopping at One New Change and onwards for a stroll along the river. Alternatively, in the other direction is The Barbican, one of Simon’s favourite spots in London. Visit for the brutalist architecture, arty shows and a beautiful conservatory.
THE HIGHS & LOWS
H: The sheer volume of restaurants and the beautiful design of the spaces make this a great hotel for a staycation because it so easy to just stay inside. Never short on buzz either, it’s a one of a kind spot in London.
L: 99% of the staff are great but each time we visit we do seem to come across one person afflicted with a bit of a snobby attitude and this visit was sadly no different. Some guests may not appreciate the member’s only vibes or the the large bills at the hotel and restaurants…
GOOD TO KNOW
The Ned has two membership programs: Ned’s Club and Ned’s Friends. Head here to read more
Only certain areas and restaurants are open to the public or hotel guests. These are subject to change so make sure to check ahead of time to make sure you aren’t disappointed on arrival.
Looking for a wedding venue? The Ned is a popular host
There are 8 private spaces available for meetings and events
GETTING THERE
Located right above Bank Station you won’t have any issues reaching the hotel on the Underground. Nearby mainline stations also include Canon Street and Liverpool Street.
