The Ned occupies one of the most significant commercial buildings in Britain: the former Midland Bank headquarters at 27 Poultry, EC2R 8AJ, designed by Sir Edwin "Ned" Lutyens and completed in 1939. Restored and reopened as a hotel and members' club in 2017 by the Soho House group and Sydell, it keeps the verde marble columns, walnut counters and vault doors of the bank while adding roughly 250 bedrooms, a rooftop pool and a collection of restaurants in the old banking hall.
For agencies and corporate bookers this is a distinctive proposition: a City address at Bank, minutes from the Square Mile's law and finance offices, in a hotel that clients recognise as an experience rather than just a bed. It is where you place a client who has already stayed in Mayfair.
Location and transport
- Bank station (Central, Northern, Waterloo & City, DLR) — around 2 minutes' walk.
- Mansion House and St Paul's — 4-6 minutes on foot.
- Liverpool Street (Elizabeth line, national rail) — about 10 minutes' walk.
- The Square Mile: Bank of England opposite, Lloyd's, Leadenhall and Broadgate offices within 10 minutes.
- Sightseeing: St Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, Borough Market and Tate Modern all within a short walk or taxi.
- Heathrow (LHR): 50-70 minutes by private transfer; London City: 25-35 minutes.
- Gatwick (LGW): 70-90 minutes; Stansted (STN): 60-80 minutes.
- St Pancras International (Eurostar): 15-20 minutes by car.
Poultry is a busy City street with restricted stopping. For VIP arrivals and group movements we pre-arrange timed drop-offs and hold vehicles nearby rather than kerbside.
The banking hall and its restaurants
The ground-floor banking hall is the reason people talk about The Ned. A single vast room under skylights, ringed by Lutyens' green verde marble columns, divided into distinct restaurants that share one atmosphere and a live band or pianist most evenings:
- Cecconi's — the Soho House Italian: cicchetti, pasta, reliable for client lunches.
- Kaia — Asian-Pacific plates and sushi, strong for incentive and celebration dinners.
- Malibu Kitchen — Californian, lighter menus, popular for breakfast meetings.
- Millie's Lounge — British all-day dining, roasts and afternoon tea.
- Cafe Sou — French brasserie classics.
- Ned's Cafe and the hall bars for coffee, cocktails and informal meetings.
Because everything sits in one room, the hall works exceptionally well for groups: guests can be split across venues and still feel part of the same evening.
Live music and evening atmosphere
Live jazz, soul and swing sets in the banking hall run most nights and change the character of the hotel after 19:00 — it becomes the loudest, most social five-star lobby in the City. Worth flagging to clients: it is wonderful for celebration groups and less ideal for a guest who wants silence at dinner. Quiet alternatives sit upstairs and in the private dining rooms.
Bedrooms and suites
Roughly 250 bedrooms and suites across the upper floors, decorated in a 1920s-30s register — dark timber, brass, vintage rugs, heritage tiling and record players in the higher categories. Categories vary widely in size, so matching the category to the client matters more here than at a standardised chain hotel.
- Crash Pad — compact, no window in some units; strictly for short City stays on a budget.
- Cosy and Medium rooms — the practical corporate categories.
- Large and Heritage rooms — original bank windows, higher ceilings, better for longer stays.
- Suites — separate sitting rooms, some with terraces or standout period features, used for VIPs and speakers.
- Accessible and connecting rooms — limited in a listed building; request at enquiry stage, not after contracting.
Ned's Club, rooftop pool, spa and gym
- Rooftop pool and terrace — City skyline views with the Bank of England and Royal Exchange below; a genuine wow moment for summer programmes.
- Ned's Club — the members' side of the building, with its own bars, restaurant and lounges. Hotel guests receive access to designated facilities; the members-only spaces are separate.
- Gym and studio — full facility with classes.
- Spa, barber and beauty — Cowshed-style treatments, barbershop and salon; useful for incentive add-ons.
- Ned's Club Downstairs — late-night music and bar in the basement.
Events, private dining and the vault
The building's original vault — a 20-tonne circular door and thousands of safe-deposit boxes — survives beneath the hotel and is used as a bar and event space. Very few London venues can offer anything comparable for a product launch or a private dinner.
- The Vault — receptions and drinks with an unrepeatable backdrop.
- Private dining rooms — around 10-40 guests for board dinners and client entertaining.
- Boardrooms and meeting rooms — City-convenient, with AV and catering.
- Banking hall areas — semi-private and buyout style options for larger evening events.
- Dedicated event team, bespoke menus and production support for AV, staging and branding.
Who The Ned suits best
- Corporate travellers in the Square Mile — finance, legal and professional services within walking distance.
- Design-led leisure clients who have already done Mayfair and want something with a story.
- Incentive and celebration groups built around the banking hall, live music and the rooftop.
- Product launches and brand events needing a landmark interior.
- Small to mid-size executive groups rather than large plenary conferences.
Honest advice before you book
- Room categories differ dramatically. Never quote the entry Crash Pad rate to a client expecting a five-star City room — price the Cosy or Large categories.
- The City empties at weekends. That makes Friday-Sunday rates strong value for leisure clients, but nearby streets are quiet.
- The hall is lively. Ask for upper-floor rooms away from the entertainment for light sleepers.
- Confirm precisely which club, pool and spa facilities the rate includes, in writing — access rules differ by category and season.
- Restaurant tables in the hall are in demand; book with the room block, not on arrival.
- No large conference plenary. For 300+ theatre-style, pair The Ned with a dedicated conference venue.
- Parking is minimal in the City — plan chauffeur programmes with a holding arrangement.
Agency, corporate and group rates via Britatlas DMC
As a UK destination management company, Britatlas contracts accommodation, dining and event space at The Ned and the other leading City and West End hotels. For travel agencies, corporate accounts and private clients we typically arrange:
- Negotiated agency, corporate and series rates below public and OTA pricing.
- Allocation blocks with rooming lists and flexible release dates.
- Category and suite upgrades for VIPs, subject to availability.
- Breakfast inclusion, early check-in, late check-out and amenity requests.
- Cecconi's, Kaia, Malibu Kitchen and Millie's Lounge reservations alongside the room block.
- Vault, private dining and banking hall event proposals with AV and production.
- Mercedes S-Class, V-Class and coach transfers from Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Stansted and St Pancras.
- Add-on programmes: private London tours, Tower of London and City walks, West End theatre and countryside excursions.
Send us your dates, room-night volume, categories and any dining or event requirements below. We will reply within one business day with contracted rates and a tailored proposal for The Ned, London.
Photographs of The Ned and the former Midland Bank building, Poultry, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY / CC BY-SA). Room counts, capacities, facilities access and inclusions are indicative and confirmed at the time of quotation.