After helping design the Trafalgar Square lions, Sir Edwin Lutyens gave London another grand beast: The Ned.
The former Midland Bank - a Grade I listed masterpiece by Lutyens - exchanged the rustle of money for the clink of cutlery and conversation in Poultry, at the heart of the City of London.
Whether you’re a Ned’s Club member or enjoying a luxurious stay in the hotel, there’s a lot to do within the walls of the historic building.
You could work up on The Ned’s crowning glory, its rooftop. Responding to emails from the comfort of a poolside lounger, with a drink in hand, admiring the view overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral could just be the epitome of remote working.
Or you work up a sweat in the gym, spread amongst the three basement levels, which includes a boxing ring, a 20-metre indoor pool, and three further studios that offer spinning, high-intensity interval training, yoga and Pilates.
After all that hard work, Ned’s Club Relax is on hand for guests to relax and unwind. The barbershop and spa offers everything from walk-in massages to manicures, pedicures and facials. Complete with a sauna, steamroom, traditional Moroccan hammam and eight treatment rooms, marble-clad changing rooms and a library-style Club Room where guests can enjoy a post-treatment tea or juice from The Mint Bar.
Then there’s the choice of eating at one of the nine restaurants, offering dishes from around the world. There’s New York-style Reuben sandwiches and smoked fish at Zobler’s Delicatessen, British classics such as fish and chips or afternoon tea at Millie’s Lounge (open 24 hours) and nutritionally balanced super foods at Malibu kitchen.
Members of Ned’s Club and guests staying at the hotel can also eat at Lutyens Grill, a steakhouse with a 1920s soul featuring leather armchairs and traditional trolley service. Not to mention rounding off the night with a nightcap in the former bank’s Vault bar, lined with 3,000 original safety deposit boxes that once stored gold worth around £15 billion.
For those wishing to stick around, there are 252 bedrooms designed to reflect the bank’s 1920s heyday. All that little bit different from one another, every sleepover at The Ned is an event in and of itself. Packed full of details and the things that make staying away from home that bit easier, there are 13 bedroom types to choose from - starting with Crash Pads to the one-of-a-kind Lutyens Suite.
Rooms are priced from £180 per night so to visit The Ned, just give us the nod.
