Great expectations: The Ned NoMad is making it in Manhattan

By News Room Last updated Jun 16, 2025

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This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to New York

The Ned NoMad, which opened in 2022, is not just a hotel. A cousin of sorts to Soho House, it is also a club, where membership costs at least $5,000 a year and gets you access to various venues and events. The Ned NoMad is also not the first. It is an offshoot of The Ned in London, and with that comes great expectations.

The original Ned opened its doors almost a decade ago in the imperious former HQ of the Midland Bank, just a few blocks away from my desk in Bracken House, the FT’s home base. It staked a claim as the City’s grandest and most luxurious hotel (not the tightest of races, given that London’s fanciest hotels tend to be outside the financial district), and was often described as “Soho House for grown-ups”, a space more targeted to professionals than artist types. It was named after the building’s architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, and its sheer size and buzz caused quite a stir: the ground-floor banking hall was transformed into an evolving matrix of multiple bars and eateries, various live music and ebullient mixologists, all of which might have stepped out of a Baz Luhrmann showpiece.

As I made my way down Broadway from the subway, I was curious what its newish New York sibling would bring.

Expectations, expectations (the vibe)

As you step through the doors, it becomes clear that The Ned NoMad is on a different scale. It’s a nicely sized boutique without the commanding-heights feel of the mother ship: calm, understated sophistication rather than a big night out. As the noise and bustle of Broadway quickly subsides, in its place comes a raffish mix of dark woods and fabrics and art deco flourishes that nod to an age when travel was synonymous with glamour. The ground floor is a relatively compact space that includes a small, club-like reception area and a branch of Cecconi’s (the Italian eatery popular with London’s finance and art crowd), which is open to the public. To the back is a series of bars, snugs and a library room. One of these bars, the art deco-inspired Little Ned, is also open to all.

Details, details (the rooms)

The Ned NoMad exists in the historic 1903 Johnston Building, which is known for its Beaux-Arts details, curved corner tower and dramatic domed cupola. The hotel has reflected this lavish attention to detail through its 167 rooms, which come in various sizes and prices, from compact 300 sq ft “Crash Pads” to luxury suites (one option nests in the curved rotunda of the tower). My Deluxe room was decently spaced and came with a freestanding, claw-footed bath as well as a walk-in shower. Signature notes included a minibar tucked away in an upended travel trunk, dark-wood panelling and burgundy damask screens, a nicely distressed, comfortable leather club chair and a writing desk. The vintage rotary dial phone and old-styled brass angle-poise lamps stayed just on the right side of pastiche.

And, oh, the accessories: from Cowshed bathroom products (a signature of Soho House) to loofahs, posh Anglo-Florentine toothpaste, ear plugs, condoms, tampons, chargers and adaptors — all neatly packed in their fabric string bags — as well as stationery and vitamin patches to ward off jet-lags and hangovers, the attention to detail was impressive. More importantly, to me at least, was that the king-size bed was very comfortable — even if seven pillows may be a touch excessive — and that the windows opened properly.

Breakfast was in Cecconi’s, which, with its crisp white table cloths and spacious setting, offered a great moment of calm before launching out into the fast-moving world outside. The menu is pretty much all the usuals — pastries, ‘continental’ and a range of egg dishes. Naturally, avocado features; more boldly, there’s a full English breakfast offering (though no black pudding). I went for eggs and salmon, which was more than filling, and strong coffee. Around me, a smattering of English accents suggested the link to the London mother ship is in good health.

Membership, membership (the bars and lounges)

Luckily, hotel guests get to sample the benefits reserved for members — including access to the marvellous rooftop clubhouse and terrace, with beautiful views of the Empire State Building. After a particular hectic day moving between appointments across Manhattan, this rooftop was a welcome place to process it all over a Negroni, and actually more peaceful than The Ned’s bars below, where a band made conversation all but impossible. I do wish I’d had a chance to get a closer look at the corner dome, that eccentric, octagonal folly-like structure on the roof that is reserved for private events.

Hotel guests also have access to The Atrium (the club’s largest social hub), The Library (a plush workspace that becomes a bar at night), The Elephant Bar on the ground floor and a fine-dining restaurant called, simply, The Dining Room. It was all a welcome, comfortable and characterful retreat from the bustle — I would have been happy to relax in these shared spaces for longer and invite people in for meetings.

Location, location (the area)

NoMad sounds an appropriate name for a hotel serving high-end travellers who are well versed in moving effortlessly from one business and cultural centre to the next. Yet The Ned NoMad owes its name not to a description of its clientele but to its neighbourhood, just north of Flatiron — a cutesy acronym that New Yorkers love to hate, shortened from “North of Madison Square Park”.

It’s an area that prides itself on a reputation for the theatrical and the slightly louche. And, nestled in the shadows of the Empire State building, it also feels at the heart of all that familiar New York bustle. Central, well connected and with some edge and character, the location isn’t bad as a bolt-hole while in town on business or holiday.

At a glance

Good for: Distinctive features, and easily getting across Manhattan — it’s is a good home base from which to explore
Not so good for: Quiet conversation if the band is hitting its stride, and wellness services — there are gym facilities, but no pool or spa
FYI: There are two more Neds outside of London and New York — one in Doha and another that recently opened in Washington, DC
Rooms and suites: 153 rooms, 14 suites
Rates: Classic rooms range from $420 to $893
Address: 1170 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
Website; Directions

Frederick Studemann was a guest of The Ned NoMad

Have you been to the Ned NoMad? How do you think the Neds compare? Let us know in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter for all the latest stories

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