At The Ned Nomad in New York, home comforts meet a lively atmosphere

You cannot get more New York than a night at The Ned Nomad. The bustling metropolis’ streets around this hotel and members club make it a truly vibrant Manhattan spot, supported by its sophisticated accommodation and diverse leisure offerings, which span pleasingly moody bars on the lower floors and cocktails up among the skyscrapers (a rooftop terrace on the 12th floor is as urban a nest as you can get).

This is a New York hotel that conjures up an experience drawing on the energy of the city around it, while ensuring a restful stay – if so, you wish. For those after a more rambunctious evening, a lively programme of events, delicious cocktails, music and culinary delights can easily see them entertained till the early hours.

The hotel, which was the Ned’s very first international outpost when it opened in 2022, arrived with a bang in the Big Apple, bringing with it the ethos of its parent company, the Soho House Group, by offering up a hybrid model of hotel and private members' club, rolled up into one.

A comfortable and discreet lobby and reception area is the central point that steers you to what you need from your visit – popular, classic Italian restaurant Cecconi’s on this floor is open to members and non-members alike, meanwhile lounges, bars and workspace-cum-socialising sections, including Little Ned, a 1920s-style bar, Ned’s Club Downstairs and the Atrium and Library, are reserved for members and hotel guests alone.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Ned Nomad, New York

What’s on your doorstep?

The Ned NoMad has plenty to keep you entertained all day long – from a designated workspace area to a gym, several bars and restaurants to suit your mood, and spacious rooms. But if you feel like venturing out, there are myriad draws in the part of New York. The NoMad neighbourhood is awash with cultural offerings for the urban explorer. If you are ticking off the classics, the Empire State Building is a stone’s throw from here. Walk two blocks south and spend a relaxing hour in Madison Square Park. Or, if you're in the mood for a stroll, walk 20 minutes west and hop onto the world’s most talked-about elevated parks – the High Line. Just beyond it, on the water, is Heatherwick Studio's Little Island.

Who is behind the design?

Originally designed by French interior designer Jacques Garcia (also behind Paris’ Hotel Costes) under the hotel's previous incarnation (the NoMad), the Ned NoMad recently restored all its communal spaces and members’ offerings, working with New York practice Stonehill Taylor. The studio worked with the venue's historic Beaux-Arts building to blend art deco style and old-school Manhattan glamour, while preserving its 1903 original architectural features (the building was also originally female-owned, a rare occurrence for this period).

The structure’s original limestone facade remains, and behind it, the interiors are infused with a balanced mix that evokes its past lives as an office (it has served as workspace for the construction, power and electrical industries as well as a home for publishers, textiles, and embroidery companies in the 1920s) and the area's proximity to Tin Pan Alley, the home of popular American music in the early 20th century.

‘At the Ned NoMad, the balance between classic New York glamour and contemporary function was all about honouring the building’s Beaux-Arts roots while introducing elements that feel fresh, refined, and rooted in the present,’ the design team explains.

The room to book

With 167 rooms – from intimate spaces to large suites – the Ned NoMad comes with ample choice to fit the traveller’s needs. For something that ticks all boxes, the Studio, with its open plan, separate seating area, bespoke artwork and mahogany desk, balances generous space to move with a cosy feel and views of the city. All rooms come with a range of full-sized Cowshed products, including dedicated bath gels to use for a calming moment in the room’s claw-foot tub (there’s a waterfall shower too, though, if you’re in a hurry).

Among the larger spaces, The Johnston Terrace Suite is a stand-out. The duplex suite spreads across 1,100 sq ft of indoor space and has its own 700 sq ft private outdoor terrace. Special features include a walk-in closet and dressing room, living and dining areas, a guest water closet, and an oversized bathroom with a TOTO Japanese toilet.

Where to switch off

While the Ned NoMad does not have a spa, it does cater for relaxation and wellness, either through its private gym or its striking rooftop terrace, where members and guests can catch the sun with a cocktail in hand. Ned’s Club Upstairs includes this rooftop lounge and an adjacent bar in a colour palette inspired by the New York City sunset. Meanwhile, the building’s original outdoor Cupola offers not only a striking architectural centrepiece for the experience but also a bookable private dining room for special events. ‘It’s where the energy of the city meets a more relaxed, transportive mood,’ designers Stonehill Taylor say.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

If you’re after an easy-going place to relax or dine, you’ve come to the right place. There’s the Ned’s members-only Club Downstairs or the Atrium next to it. Meanwhile, the Library is a quiet members-only workspace by day that transforms into a lively bar at night. Murals, warm colours, marbled velvets and rich oak furniture pieces mixed with vintage finds make for a welcoming, home-away-from-home environment.

The ground level also features Cecconi’s, the Italian-style restaurant, which is open to all, and is complemented by the Mad Men-inspired Ned’s Club Dining Room, which is available to members. And there’s even more is to come, as chef Kristen Kish has been planning a new culinary launch later in 2025.

The verdict

The Ned NoMad will have you spoiled for choice, merging home comfort with a lively atmosphere. It’s a versatile place to use as a base when in town – central, convenient and cocooning, which you might need after a few days out in the city that never sleeps. At the same time, it offers everything you might need to stay in, from workspace and relaxed dining to areas that cater to more formal affairs and late-night music and fun.

‘It’s not just a hospitality space, but a layered experience that speaks to the building’s past lives and the city’s cultural history,’ the design team says, and true enough, its carefully thought-out interiors are central to the experience, bringing in glamour with a pleasing, lived-in feel that makes you feel at home straight away.

The Ned NoMad is located at 1170 Broadway, New York, NY 10001, United States.