Part of Soho House, the Ned NoMad has opened in New York, bringing together hotel rooms, restaurants, bars and a private members’ club. Jenny Southan reports
Located in New York’s historic Johnston Building on Broadway, the Ned NoMad is the second Ned hotel to open after the London outpost was unveiled in 2017.
The property will be the first international location of the British club and hotel, which features Manhattan’s first Cecconi’s restaurant, Little Ned bar (opening late summer 2022) and a rooftop terrace.
Open to the public (not just members), the 167 bedrooms are located over ten floors. They are available in categories ranging from 27 sqm “Crash Pads” to “suites with studies” and studio apartments.
Designed with a nod to 1920s glamour, the rooms come with “extra comfy” beds, rugs over wooden floors, plush furniture and Cowshed products. Rates start from US$875 per night. (Rotunda suites cost US$2,100 per night plus taxes.)
Soho House says that a “fundamental difference from other Manhattan establishments is the range of spaces that are designed for members to relax, connect, work, indulge and have a place that caters to all the needs of the fast-paced life in the city – yet feels like an escape”.Ned’s Club membership provides access to members’ spaces including the Dining Room, the rooftop terrace, Ned’s Club Upstairs, the Library, the Magic Room, and the mezzanine at Little Ned.The Dining Room is a “sophisticated, wood-paneled restaurant with stained-glass windows and a menu boasting steak tartare, as well as flambé and grilled specialties”. Ned’s Club is a space for eating, drinking and relaxing on the first floor, with a bar and atrium, plus a stage for live music. The Library is a members-only workspace by day and a bar by night.
The Magic Room is a members-only event space on the second floor, with interiors inspired by 1930s cabaret clubs and an outdoor terrace for cocktails and late-night conversations.Meanwhile, the Ned’s Club Upstairs features direct views of the Empire State Building and “blends pink polished plaster walls with rich golden upholstery tones, floral prints and small-scale mosaics, rich burl woods and beautiful Breccia Capria stone”. It also has the Cupola, which has been converted to an exclusive private dining space. Also part of Soho House, the Ned NoMad will have a branch of Italian restaurant Cecconi’s, which will serve dishes such as wood-fired pizzas and spaghetti with lobster, and will be open to non-members.
Coming soon, Little Ned bar will serve “upscale bar fare” such as caviar and steak tartare. Little Ned has 1920s-style booth seating, with upholstery inspired by the former Banking Hall at the Ned London. The Ned NoMad will also exhibit a collection of more than 150 artworks, with a curatorial premise of “A Different Century”, inspired by the building’s history and the original owner, Caroline A Johnston.
The collection asks what “a different century” might have looked like had women, queer people and people of colour taken their rightful place in the cultural landscape. The collection questions what representation means now, and back then.
Artists include: Laurie Simmons, Kambui Olujimi, Marilyn Minter, Zoe Buckman, Ilana Savdie, Rachel Jones, Issy Wood, Christopher Myers, Hank Willis Thomas and Joseph Kosuth.What’s next for The Ned? The Ned has two additional projects in the works: The Ned Doha, which will open in October; and a second location in New York City, the Ned Exchange, which will arrive in 2024.
The Ned Exchange will offer a pool, gym, wellness facilities, a major performance space, and additional drinking and dining establishments.
How much is membership to the Ned?
- Existing members of Soho House can apply for Ned’s Club membership at a reduced rate of US$2,500/year.
- New members will pay a US$5,000 annual fee with a US$1,500 joining fee.
- New members under the age of 30 can apply for the Under 30 Membership which will cost US$4,000/year with US$350 joining fee.