LONDON
banking hall, original architectural details and rich period styling bring the 1920’ s glamour into much quieter focus.
The room was stunning. An entrance way led to the dressing area and exquisite marble bathroom with freestanding rolltop bath, separate shower and WC, and copious amounts of Cowshed products. In the bedroom, a grand bed took centre stage surrounded by period furniture housing the mini bar complete with crystal glassware and a spacious lounge area- the layout depicted by the original office and meeting room footprint now cleverly proportioned as the suite of dreams.
Part of the intrigue of staying at The Ned is understanding how the hotel and Ned’ s Club sit alongside one another. The restaurant and bars of the former banking hall are largely accessible to everyone, while other areas remain the preserve of club members and their approved guests. Hotel residents, however, can gain access to selected spaces and facilities ordinarily associated with the members only side of The Ned, depending on their room category and booking.
The most coveted is surely Ned’ s Club Upstairs- the rooftop. Set high above the city, here you’ ll find a heated outdoor pool surrounded by loungers, restaurant tables and terraces, with views stretching across London’ s skyline. In summer particularly, it must rank among the coolest places in the Square Mile to spend an afternoon.
There are other nooks to discover, too. Book access to The Parlour and, subject to availability, guests may be granted access afterwards to The Vault, arguably the most exclusive of The Ned’ s spaces. Hidden within the bank’ s original strongroom, with thousands of original safety deposit boxes still lining the walls, cameras are firmly off limits. In an age where almost every cocktail seems destined for someone’ s camera roll, there is something rather brilliant about it.
Our own dinner reservation was at Cecconi’ s, where the setting beneath those soaring columns lends even a midweek Italian supper a little extra glamour.
Scott’ s recommendation ensured the mushroom arancini with truffle aioli was first to arrive. Crisp and golden on the outside, the rice within was soft, savoury, earthy and moreish, making short work of our intention to share them politely. Focaccia with extra virgin olive oil followed, warm, salty and satisfyingly simple. For mains we missed a trick not ordering one of the house pastas, but were placated when the Hereford ribeye with Barolo sauce appeared pink, juicy and expertly charred. The recommended veal Milanese, meanwhile, was generous in size but lighter in execution, thanks in part to the lemon salt, sage and Parmesan atop its crisp golden crumb. Both paired equally well with the ripe cherry and red berry fruits of our 2024 Mauro Molino Barbera d’ Alba, a 100 % Barbera from Piedmont that was soft, rounded and just naturally lively enough to cut through the steak’ s richness.
Cecconi’ s is hardly the place to start exercising restraint by dessert and, much to Mr R’ s( and half of the iK team’ s) delight, there was tiramisu, which delivered everything the classic should with coffeesoaked layers, cool mascarpone and just enough bitterness beneath the sweetness. The profiteroles were more indulgent still, served with stracciatella ice cream in lieu of cream, before warm chocolate sauce brought everything together.
Sated and well rested thanks to our superb suite, the next morning included
one last treat: a trip downstairs to Ned’ s Club Spa.
The 20-metre indoor pool is beautiful, framed by marble and soft lighting, and we made time for a dip followed by a sauna and steam room before being treated to a signature full-body massage. After the noise and energy upstairs, the spa runs at an entirely different tempo. An hour of long, flowing massage proved exactly what was needed, working through shoulders, back and legs before sending me back upstairs considerably more relaxed than when I arrived.
It was a reminder again of just how much is available at The Ned, and how incredible it is to explore more of the building. Come for dinner and you can enjoy the spectacle of the banking hall, cocktail hour and live music. Arrive for afternoon tea and the space is flooded with daylight. Check in and you get to explore further, from the quieter heritage of the bedrooms to that glorious spa. And book( or know your member friends) wisely and you may just nab a coveted seat on the rooftop or a barstool at The Vault.
Almost a decade after opening, the scale of The Ned remains impressive, but it was the smaller details that made our stay: the splendour of that fifth-floor room, an excellent plate of arrancini, a replenishing morning swim, a nighttime soak in a roll-top bath, and Scott enthusiastically planning our next meal before we’ d even enjoyed our first. With quite a few of his recommendations still left unticked( I mean, unlimited ribeye, c’ mon!), I will simply have to return soon.
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