The Ned

From the moment I walked into the Ned, I felt transported back in time. A proper 1920 vibe. The staff were warm yet professional, and my room was pure luxury – a huge bed, heavenly feather pillows, and premium Cowshed and Soho Skin toiletries. The spa was a treat, especially the steam room and sauna before breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, the pancakes with tart fruit and Chantilly cream were divine, and the poached eggs on sourdough were perfection. My son’s cooked breakfast was huge and delicious. My stay was a gift, but I’d return in a heartbeat

We stayed at this hotel for three nights. It was my birthday weekend, and we were there with friends. Just like our friends, we booked a Cozy Room and were assigned a really nice room with a large, old window and a small anteroom. Since we had a long journey, we tried to get half an hour's sleep and realized that it was incredibly loud in this room, as it was on the second floor, and we could hear the subway, which apparently ran underneath the building. Everything was shaking, and I couldn't sleep a wink, so we asked the reception for another, quieter room. The first employee we spoke to said the subway problem was completely unknown; to ask her supervisor colleague, she was friendly and asked us to move immediately. We packed our suitcases and the hotel staff then wanted to move them to a new room. When we returned late that evening and saw our new room, we were truly disappointed. The reception staff apparently didn't care much about our problem, as they moved us to room 410 on the 4th floor. Our new room was smaller, with a door directly into the bedroom, no longer an anteroom, two modern office windows that were so covered in stickers that you could barely see out, and a view of an office building. The whole room was no longer as cozy, really small, no longer the old large window, and in no way comparable to the photos in the advertisements or our previous room. On top of that, we were actually looking for peace and quiet, and this room was right next to the elevator. Next door to us lived a family who were loudly running around the hallway every morning at 6:30 a.m. with their small childs. Unfortunately, we didn't ask the reception for a second room; that's not our style. This hotel had its chance, and we are more than disappointed. All we can say about the entire building is that it is truly beautiful. It's venerable old with beautiful common areas on the ground floor, great bars and restaurants, and certainly beautiful rooms too. This hotel is steeped in history, and we were looking for this kind of special room, but unfortunately couldn't find it. The supervisor didn't behave in any way like a supervisor in a five-star hotel; to her, we were just annoying, irritating guests who were then locked into what was surely the smallest room in the hotel. Sorry to say but we are extremely disappointed, especially since every time we stay in London, we book an exceptional hotel like The NOMAD, Soho House or Four Seasons, that know how to treat guests in their 5* league.

My husband is a member and we have also stayed as hotel guests. The room was lovely and the rooftop pool is great. However…the many rules spoil the experience. First, the website says kids can use the rooftop until 10.30. Yet when we arrived at the rooftop on Saturday morning, we were told they could only use it until 10am and all food for under 18s had to be ordered by 9.15. There was a hard stop at 10am. This was frustrating as we had planned to use the pool then have brunch at 10. I then ordered a coffee and took out my laptop, planning to do a little bit of work while the kids swam. I was told to put it away as laptops can only be used in one specific indoor area. All this time, the rooftop was empty other than a couple of other families on the sun loungers. Not one table in the restaurant area was occupied. I think the rules are supposed to make it feel exclusive, but instead they make it difficult to enjoy the space. It’s a shame as the membership fee is substantial. Also, if there are rules, they should be stated correctly on the website.

In the day we visited the (Italian buffet) weather was very hot and the food was a bit wilted and tired. Not as good as previously. The puddings were all very similar all featuring a long-lasting very heavily sugared custard type filling. It was not as diverse as before and the service was less dense. The general impression was cost cutting that impacted the customer experience. No doubt no one's fault but disappointing none the less.

We reserved the Duplex – an elegantly appointed, impeccably clean room with toilets on both floors. While I had envisioned a spacious terrace, the balcony is more intimate, accommodating two petite chairs at most. Great view from the balcony. Nonetheless, the ambiance radiates timeless charm and old-world sophistication. Located on the same floor as their conference rooms, so many guests come and go on this floor during the weekdays. The lobby is grand and expansive, with multiple entrances that can make meeting someone a bit tricky; it's essential to specify your exact location if you’re guests have not been there before. It's a refined space, perfect for enjoying a coffee and croissant in an elegant setting. Great location in the financial district, and close to underground.