The Ned

Some hotels are inspired by history. The Ned simply moved into it. Sir Edwin Lutyens designed this building on Poultry in 1924 as the headquarters of the Midland Bank, which was then the largest bank in the world. After almost a decade standing empty, it was reborn in 2017 as a hotel and members' club. The old banking hall is now filled with restaurants, live music and the happy noise of the City at play, and the building's 1920s grandeur is still very much on show.
The name is a small joke in itself. Lutyens was known to his friends as 'Ned', and the hotel was named in his honour. Upstairs, around 250 bedrooms take their cue from the golden age of travel, with nods to the great ocean liners and the Orient Express. Expect dark wood, velvet, vintage bar cabinets and, in many rooms, four poster beds. Rooms range from compact Crash Pads, made for a short night after a long evening, all the way up to the sprawling Lutyens Suite.
If you love period detail, book a Heritage room on the fifth floor. That floor is Grade I listed, and many of Lutyens' original features have been kept, including the wood panelling. Getting around is easy: Bank station is right by the door, and St Paul's Cathedral is a short walk away. The members' areas, including the rooftop pool and the bar set inside the old bank vault, are reserved for Ned's Club, so check what your booking includes before you arrive.