I arrived on a cold December afternoon, the building dressed for Christmas and glowing with understated confidence. Polished marble, low, honeyed lamps and generous proportions give the space a distinctly 1920s poise – luxurious, certainly, but worn lightly, as though it has always known it belonged here. The atmosphere feels indulgent without being showy, festive without excess. The Ned London invites you to linger, to order a drink you hadn’t planned on, to sit a little longer than intended, and to let the city outside wait…

The Ned, London Review. At a Glance.

An honest The Ned London Review, reflecting on a December stay, from cosy rooms and festive atmosphere to food, spa access and why it’s a hotel worth settling into.

• Hotel: The Ned, London.
• Location: City of London (Bank).
• Stay: December 2025.
• Room Type: Cosy Room.
• Price Paid: £750 for two nights (no breakfast).
• Extras: Complimentary bottle of Pomerol on arrival, two-day spa & pool pass.
• Standout For: Atmosphere, interiors, food access, pool, thoughtful details.
• Best For: Food lovers, festive city breaks, design-led stays, celebratory weekends.
• Would I Stay Again? Without a shadow of a doubt.

The Ned London Review, First Impressions

I always think you can tell a lot about a hotel in the first ten minutes. Not the lobby itself, but how you’re welcomed and allowed to exist in it. Whether you feel hurried along, or quietly neglected. The Ned London Review could easily be about scale and spectacle, but what struck me first was how unforced it all felt, right from the moment of stepping through the front doors.

I arrived on a December afternoon, coats still on, the building dressed for Christmas. Trees, lights, warmth. The decoration felt classy and considered rather than merely applied. The room hummed with life, music drifting up from the bar, glasses clinking, people lingering, yet it never felt frantic. Busy, yes. But perfectly settled.

The building is vast, and yet oddly grounding. Marble floors underfoot, soft pools of light, a sense that you’re stepping into something that has always known what it is meant to be. Staff moved easily through the space. Nothing rushed nor too much trouble. Check-in was calm and efficient, and then, just like that, the city loosened its grip.

By the time we were shown to our room, I already felt so supremely relaxed. That small shift in pace. The feeling that London was still waiting outside, but didn’t need to be explored just yet.

Cosy Room – Quiet, Considered and Comfortably Removed

The Cosy Room is the hotel’s entry-level category, but it doesn’t feel like a compromise. I stayed on the third floor, along a quiet corridor with no immediate neighbours. I requested a quiet room when booking, and that choice paid off. While the public spaces below stayed lively well into the evening, this part of the hotel remained noticeably calm. It suited my stay perfectly and gave me everything I needed, and more.

The room itself is compact, but thoughtfully laid out. Every element earns its place. Storage works hard without drawing attention to itself, surfaces stay clear, and the lighting keeps things soft rather than theatrical. When I walked in, a Roberts radio played a gentle classical station, an immediately reassuring touch that quietly said, “take your time, you’re in.”

Sleep came easily on both nights. The bed was generous and exceedingly comfortable, with an abundance of pillows and bedding that felt luxurious and well made. Importantly, noise never travelled. Given the reputation of the bar areas below, this felt like a small triumph. Anyone concerned about sound would do well to request a similar room within the hotel.

The bathroom followed the same logic. I found a powerful, well-regulated shower, thick towels and well-sized ultra fluffy robes, alongside full-sized Cowshed products you could actually use. It felt generous, practical and considered.

One of the real pleasures of the room, however, lay in the small touches. The minibar was exceptionally well stocked, clearly curated rather than padded out. It was evident that time had been spent considering what guests might actually want, rather than what looks good on paper. In that sense, this part of The Ned London Review reflects the wider experience: thoughtful, quietly indulgent, and designed to be genuinely enjoyed rather than simply admired from afar.

Food & Drink at The Ned

These smaller moments are where the hotel makes sense, yet everything is ready when you need it. You move through the space at your own pace, which shows how the hotel expects to be lived in, not admired.

Breakfast at Millie’s Café

I took breakfast one morning at Millie’s Café, set within the main hall, where the scale of the building really announces itself. Even early in the day, the room feels beautifully alive, had it ever really ever slept?

I ordered the granola first. It arrived generous and sustaining, with fresh berries that tasted as lush as they looked. Afterwards, I tried the breakfast hash, which more than held its own. It came hearty, well judged and deeply satisfying, it was a breakfast that met my expectation and more. In a room of this grandeur, it felt reassuring to eat something that matched the setting.

Afternoon Plates at Kaia

Later that day, I stopped at Kaia for small plates. I wanted something light rather than a full sit-down meal. I ordered the chicken gyoza, a dragon roll and the aromatic duck, which felt like the right balance for that point in the day. Food to share, pick at, and keep moving.

It worked. The gyoza went quickly. The duck was the dish we returned to. Nothing felt heavy or overworked. Sitting there with a drink, it made a good pause before the evening, especially in a setting where it’s very easy to overdo things!

A Late Stop at the Diner

One evening, before heading out, I stopped at the Electric bar and diner inside the hotel. I wanted something quick and uncomplicated, and it did exactly that. Staying at The Ned helps here. At weekends, queues often snake outside, but as a guest I had no trouble getting a table. Booking still makes sense, but staying in the hotel gives you a clear advantage.

It’s one of those small things that makes the place easier to inhabit. You eat when you want, stay where you are, and don’t have to plan around it. Perfect!

The Pool, Spa & Shared Spaces

The pool sits quietly apart from the rest of the hotel. Removed from the hum of the lobby below, it offers an immediate change of pace. Access during our stay was simple, with a two-day spa and pool pass offered on arrival, a thoughtful gesture that encouraged us to slow down and stay a while.

The water temperature was just right. This is a space for lingering rather than laps, which suits the mood of the hotel well. Equally, phones are not permitted here, a decision that feels entirely right. Without screens people read, swim, or sit quietly. The absence of devices removes any sense of performance and allows the space to do what it should.

You can spend a full day here without stepping outside, and it still wouldn’t feel like a compromise.

Atmosphere, Design & That ‘Ned’ Feeling

There is a particular confidence to The Ned’s atmosphere. It knows what it is and doesn’t feel the need to explain itself. The design leans heavily into 1920s New York glamour, brass, marble, deep colours and generous proportions, yet it avoids feeling pastiche.

In December, that confidence extends to the festive dressing everywhere you look. Decorations are generous but considered, sitting easily within the building’s character rather than competing with it. At the centre, near reception, a tall Christmas tree rises through the space. It draws people in almost without asking, heads tilt back, conversations pause, phones come out briefly, then are put away again. The effect is celebratory but restrained, adding warmth and a sense of occasion without overwhelming what is already there.

Confident and Inhabited Spaces

This isn’t a hotel for quick arrivals and departures. People settle in. Conversations stretch. Plans loosen. As evening arrives, live music runs through the building, jazz-leaning, warm and unhurried and sets the rhythm for the night. The rest of the space follows its lead.

Outside, people gather and wait, not because they’re being kept out, but because they want in. Anticipation hangs in the air. Something draws them in, and it rewards patience. Even as the building fills, the atmosphere stays intact.

That balance takes work, and The Ned gets it right. Public spaces buzz with energy, while members-only areas keep their calm. Glamour runs through the building, but comfort always comes first.

Location – Staying in the City of London

One of the practical advantages highlighted in this The Ned London Review is its location. Bank station sits directly outside the hotel, making it remarkably easy to move across the city. From here, you can reach much of central London quickly and directly, without the sense of effort that often comes with navigating busier districts.

The Ned, London stands on Poultry, a street with a long and layered history at the heart of the City. Step outside and the skyline rises immediately around you, glass, stone and steel pressing up against older institutions. The fortified grandeur of the Bank of England sits just next door, a reminder that this is very much the Square Mile, where modern London continues to operate on top of its past.

There is a clarity to staying here. It feels purposeful, grounded and slightly removed from the more performative parts of the city. Personally, I prefer this area to the flashier corners of Mayfair or Kensington, where luxury can sometimes tip into excess. Those neighbourhoods have their place, but they can feel overwhelming, expensive and, at times, a little self-absorbed.

For travellers who enjoy a sense of history, strong transport links and a hotel that acts as a luxury destination in its own right, this location makes a great deal of sense.

Things to Know Before You Book

Booking direct comes with quiet advantages. Most notably, it includes access to the spa and pool and probably breakfast without an additional charge, which meaningfully changes how the hotel can be enjoyed. It allows you to treat those experiences as part of the stay, rather than an optional extra to weigh up later.

It’s also worth understanding how the members’ spaces work. Parts of the building belong to Ned’s Club and remain members-only, including the Vault Bar hidden behind the original bank door. These areas sit quietly alongside the hotel, adding to its layered feel, but they aren’t automatically open to hotel guests. Even so, their presence reinforces the sense that there’s always more happening here than immediately meets the eye.

Breakfast is flexible during the week, with several restaurants offering morning service. At weekends, particularly Saturdays and Sundays, the choice becomes more limited. It’s not a problem, but it’s worth factoring in if variety matters to you. As with dining later in the day, popular spots can fill quickly, so planning ahead pays off.

Time, however, is the real consideration. One night isn’t enough to see what the hotel has to offer. With restaurants, bars, live music, wellness spaces and layers of history built into the building, the hotel rewards a slower pace. That, perhaps more than anything else, is the quiet takeaway from my The Ned London Review, this is a place designed to be explored, not rushed.

Is The Ned London Worth It?

Whether you’ll enjoy this hotel depends less on cost and more on how you like to travel. The Ned London Review makes one thing clear, this isn’t a hotel for fading quietly into the background. It has energy, presence and a strong sense of itself. It suits guests who enjoy atmosphere, good food and live music in the evenings, and who like the feeling that something is always happening just beyond the edge of view.

What it does particularly well is balance that liveliness with luxury and comfort. Public spaces hum with activity, yet the bedrooms offer real calm. The spa and pool provide a genuine pause, while the scale of the building means you can shape the stay to suit your mood, whether that’s social or solitary.

Final Thoughts

One of the pleasures of staying here was how easily the hotel fitted around the rest of our time in London. Even when I stepped out for dinner, the rhythm of the stay held. I’ve written separate restaurant reviews of Dishoom and COYA City, both of which sat comfortably alongside the experience of staying at The Ned, London.

Value here comes from use. The more time you spend within the hotel, the more sense it makes in terms of value for money. One night feels brief. Two is comfortable. Three would allow the place to reveal itself properly. For me, the only real regret was not staying longer.

Would I return? Without hesitation. Not because it tries to impress, but because it knows exactly what it is and does it very well indeed.