An elegant London hotel situated in a converted former bank building has been named the best new hotel in Europe at a ceremony held by the Awards for Hospitality Experience and Design (AHEAD).
The Ned hotel, spa and club, with interiors designed by Alice Lund and architecture practice EPR, opened in April 2017.
The creative team has transformed the Grade I-listed former Midland Bank Building to include 252 bedrooms, nine restaurants, a member’s club and extensive health and leisure facilities.
The hotel’s name honours the building’s original architect, Sir Edwin 'Ned' Lutyens, and many of the original design features from the 1920s and 1930s have been retained.
The Ned is run by Soho House – which operates private members’ clubs for those in film, media and creative industries – in partnership with US-based Sydell Group, which manages "unique hotels rooted in their location and architecture".
The spa and grooming areas are open to the public, including a subterranean spa. For members and hotel guests, Ned’s Club Upstairs has views across London, a 20m (65ft) rooftop pool with terrace, an underground indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room and hammam built with pink limestone from Devon.
The award was presented at a ceremony at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London on Monday (20 November).
Hotel projects across Europe were celebrated in a number of categories, including ones for guestrooms, restaurants and spas. Entries were assessed on aesthetics, guest experience and commercial viability by a panel of industry and design leaders.
AHEAD Europe Awards
The full list of winners
• Bar, Club or Lounge – The Living Room at Huus, Gstaad-Saanen, Switzerland
• Event Spaces – The Ned, London, UK
• Guestrooms – At Six, Stockholm, Sweden
• Hotel Renovation & Restoration – Pulitzer Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Landscape & Outdoor Spaces – Ekies All Senses Resort, Vourvourou, Greece
• Lobby & Public Spaces – Roomers Baden-Baden, Germany
• Resort Hotel – São Lourenço do Barrocal, Monsaraz, Portugal
• Restaurant – Millie’s Lounge at The Ned, London, UK
• Spa & Wellness – Ned’s Club Relax at The Ned, London, UK
• Suite – Split Level Suites at Casa Cook, Rhodes, Greece
• Urban Hotel – Conversion – At Six, Stockholm, Sweden
• Urban Hotel – Newbuild – CitizenM Tower of London, UK
• Outstanding Contribution – Rob Wagemans, Concrete
• Visual Identity of the Year – Huus Hotel, Gstaad-Saanen, Switzerland
• New Concept of the Year – La Granja, Ibiza, Spain
• The AHEAD Europe Hotel of the Year – The Ned, London, UK
Ceremonies celebrating hospitality design in the Americas and the Middle East & Africa took place earlier this year.
All the regional winners will then compete head-to-head to in each category during a Global Biennale in 2019.
