Two listed buildings of the early 20th century, a bank and a town hall, both at their best at dinner. The Ned, from about £433, if you want Lutyens's banking hall at Bank, seven restaurants under one roof and live music in the Nickel Bar from morning until late; Town Hall Hotel, from about £173, if you would rather have Da Terra's two Michelin stars on the ground floor, a heated indoor pool and, from the Junior Suites up, a kitchen in most rooms.
The iconLutyens's Midland Bank, reopened as 250 bedrooms above a ground floor that now holds seven restaurants, with the best of it kept for members.
£££From about £433 a night
Choose The Ned if
The catch
The rooftop pool and its terraces belong to Ned's Club members and their guests. The only guest access the hotel publishes is 7am to 10am, for children.
The tableA listed Bethnal Green town hall with Rafael Cagali's two-star Da Terra on the ground floor and apartment-sized rooms above it.
£From about £173 a night
Choose Town Hall Hotel if
The catch
Da Terra serves Wednesday to Saturday only, and on Sunday the hotel serves no lunch or dinner and the lounge is closed.
| Best for | The Ned | Town Hall Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Best design hotels in London | On the list | On the list |
| Best spa hotels in London | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best value hotels in London | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best central hotels in London | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best quiet hotels in London | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best hotels for food and drink in London | On the list | On the list |
The NedTown Hall Hotel
The Ned
Town Hall Hotel
The verdict
Two listed buildings of the early 20th century, a bank and a town hall, both at their best at dinner. The Ned, from about £433, if you want Lutyens's banking hall at Bank, seven restaurants under one roof and live music in the Nickel Bar from morning until late; Town Hall Hotel, from about £173, if you would rather have Da Terra's two Michelin stars on the ground floor, a heated indoor pool and, from the Junior Suites up, a kitchen in most rooms.
Hand-picked: only the best, one version of each, researched so you don’t have to.
The murder-mystery dinnerFrom £87.504.7(1,900)
The cocktail showFrom £41.044.7(1,400)
The comedy nightFrom £104.8(510)
The concert by candlelightFrom £13.654.6(11,700)
Questions people ask
Two listed buildings of the early 20th century, a bank and a town hall, both at their best at dinner. The Ned, from about £433, if you want Lutyens's banking hall at Bank, seven restaurants under one roof and live music in the Nickel Bar from morning until late; Town Hall Hotel, from about £173, if you would rather have Da Terra's two Michelin stars on the ground floor, a heated indoor pool and, from the Junior Suites up, a kitchen in most rooms.
Book it for the building and for the fact that seven kitchens sit between your bed and the street. Check that your rate includes the pool and the gym, and treat the rooftop as somebody else's club. A loud, public, restaurant-led hotel inside a Grade I listed bank, two minutes from Bank station and squarely in the middle of the City. The bedrooms are the quiet part and the ground floor is the point, so expect to eat in and expect company while you do it.
It has indoor and outdoor pools. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
Book it for Da Terra and for the building, and check the restaurant's days before you fix the dates. If you want to step out of the door into central London, this is the wrong postcode. The reason to book is on the ground floor, and the rate is the other one: a two-star kitchen under a listed Edwardian town hall, with apartment-sized rooms above it at East London prices. Everything else you do from here, because the hotel is quiet and stops serving lunch and dinner on Sunday.
It has an indoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.