The Ned NoMad
New York
Anmeldelser
The Ned NoMad is a Beaux-Arts building that was clearly somebody's grand idea of what a building should be and then sat dormant long enough for another set of people to come along with an equally grand idea of what to do with it. The result is one of those hotels that earns the word "atmospheric" honestly. It's dimly lit in the right way, with wood paneling, curved archways, and the kind of lobby that makes you slow down when you walk through it. Beds are consistently called out in reviews as excellent and they live up to it, proper pillow-top mattresses with duvets and real linens. The bathrooms run compact but thoughtfully stocked, and the general in-room aesthetic leans into that vintage-feeling richness without feeling like a theme park version of it. The Grande rooms add more space and some have freestanding clawfoot tubs sitting out in the bedroom area, which is either a dealmaker or a novelty depending on how you feel about bathing in the open. Cecconi's on the ground floor handles breakfast and dinner with an Italian bent, good eggs in the morning and proper pasta at night, and the Little Ned bar is an easy place to land after a day in the city. The rooftop at Ned's Club, available to members and hotel guests, is a proper outdoor bar with Manhattan views that would be the main event at a lot of other properties. Here it's almost a footnote. The location is the other thing working hard for this hotel. There's a subway stop practically at the front door, Madison Square Park is three blocks south, Eataly is five minutes on foot, and you're within walking distance of Chelsea, the Flatiron, and a good chunk of lower Midtown.
Restaurant staff is incredible and so are most front desk staff. The Director of Front Office is the most inhospitable person. She never speaks or smiles and always looks terse. She is most unpleasant to me although I am a frequent patron of the restaurant side (and know people on the front office side). And this is coming from someone who works in hospitality and has worked in hospitality for decades. Staff said that is just how she is, serious, etc. You can be serious and still kind and welcoming. Hopefully she learns that someday. PS This review is coming after having interfaced with her numerous times (and after trying to unsuccessfully engage with her with basic pleasantries several times to no avail). It is not a one off. PPS I am also a Guest Experience Manager in a hotel. And finally this week I learned my mother is dying unexpectedly and I can still go to work and treat people properly EVEN if they aren’t necessarily the type of person I would normally jibe with because I think I understand what hospitality, humanity and empathy means in general. There are no excuses! If you are front of house, and even back of house, but especially front of house, you should treat everyone properly (with decency, respect, looking them in the eye etc.).
Update: After sharing my previous experience, I was truly impressed by how promptly and professionally management responded. They reached out with a sincere apology, took my feedback seriously, and reassured me that they would address the service concerns internally. What stood out most was their genuine commitment to making things right, including inviting me back for another opportunity. That level of attentiveness and care speaks volumes about their dedication to guest experience. While my initial visit did not meet expectations, I deeply appreciate the way the situation was handled afterward. It shows integrity and a real desire to maintain high standards. I’m looking forward to giving them another chance. This Monday the waitress/bartender behind the bar at Cecconi’s completely hijacked and ruined my second date. We were seated at the bar from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM, and instead of maintaining even a shred of professionalism, she inserted herself into the experience the entire time. She became excessively friendly and started oversharing personal stories, telling us how she slept in one of the rooms the night before because of the blizzard and how upset she was that she didn’t have a bathtub for a bubble bath. It was wildly inappropriate and uncomfortable. It felt less like we were on a date and more like she was competing for attention from behind the bar. Her lack of boundaries completely derailed the atmosphere. When you’re paying for a dining experience, the last thing you expect is for the staff to center themselves and turn your date into their personal storytelling hour. If you value privacy, professionalism, and basic social awareness, think twice before going somewhere that allows this type of behavior from their staff.
