Soho House and Sydell Group start search for The Ned's 800 employees
The 252-bedroom hotel in the former Midland Bank building in the City of London, which includes nine restaurants and a private members’ club, is scheduled to open spring 2017 when it will be run by a new team separate to Soho House and Sydell Group.
Andrew Zobler, founder and CEO Sydell Group, said the project was looking for people in 'typical' hotel roles such as receptionists and chefs, but also for specialist positions such as graphic designers, nail bar technicians and boxing coaches.
“When it comes to staff, arguably the Ned will be the most encompassing hotel team in London – every position will be employed in-house," he said.
Three of the hotel's key appointments - managing director, financial director and director of food and beverage - have already been appointed. Former St Pancras Renaissance general manager Gareth Banner, will take up the lead role while Carole Walker, formerly CFO of the Maybourne Hotel Group is financial director and Niels Kristensen, previously of D&D London, has been appointed director of food and beverage.
While The Ned will be run by a team separate to Soho House and Sydell Group, the hotel promises to offer the same level of 'service, attention to detail and style influences' seen at both companies' properties, which include Soho House hotels, Babington House and Sydell's NoMad, Line and Freehand brands.
Restoration
The Ned's recruitment drive starts as work continues to turn the Grade I-listed building, designed by Sir Edwin 'Ned Lutyens' in 1924 for Midland Bank, into a luxury hotel with club and nine restaurants.
Bedroom interiors will 'channel' 1920 and 1930's design with brass and mahogany furniture, chandeliers and hand-knotted Afghan rugs while much of the original decor in the main banking hall will be restored and retained.
"The design team couldn’t move any heritage walls, so the offices have been very carefully re-purposed into bedrooms," said Soho House & Co founder Nick Jones. "Several details used in the main banking hall and safe deposit area – clocks, door handles, staircase handrails and original black-and-white patterned flooring have been carefully reinstated."
Facilities
The building will also house specific areas for members. Ned's Club Upstairs features a rooftop pool and Canopy Bar and Restaurant while in the basement at Ned's Club Downstairs there will be the Vault Room lounge bar. Ned's Club Active has cardio, strength and training equipment, a boxing gym, Pilates, yoga and spinning and Ned's Club Relax will include a swimming pool, hamam, sauna and steam room, plus Cowshed Spa. Eight of the treatment rooms will be open to the public.
In addition to Canopy and the Vault Room, The Ned's Grand Banking Hall will be home to seven restaurants with offerings from around the globe.
The restaurants are as follows: Penny's, an American cafe serving salads, burgers and hot sandwiches; New York-style Jewish deli Zobler's; Millie's Lounge, a British and American style restaurant; The Grill Room, a British hotel grill with trolleys and gueridon service; Cecconi’s City of London, serving handmade pasta, pizza, seafood and and Italian inspired dishes; Japanese grill Pen Yen and traditional Parisian cafe Cafe Sou.
The Ned, the first collaboration between Soho House & Co and Sydell Group, came about after Jones viewed the Midland Bank building on Poultry and 'immediately fell in love' with it.
"The moment I left I called Ron Burkle, my chairman and investor," he told BigHospitality. "Ron came to view the building and straight away we began to imagine how the project would take form. Ron knew that making the vision for The Ned a reality would require a collaboration of many skills. He suggested that we work on the project with Sydell Group, a hotel company based in New York that he owns with founder, Andrew Zobler.”
The hotel will be run as a joint partnership between Soho House and Sydell Group.
