Soho House has expanded its New York footprint with The Ned NoMad, the newly opened prohibition-era inspired membership club and hotel located in the heart of the historic NoMad district of Manhattan, helmed by hospitality heavyweight, Richie Akiva. The membership club and hotel has transformed the interior of the intricately designed architectural masterpiece, The Johnston Building, an established New York City landmark built in 1903 by female owner Caroline H. Johnston. The Ned NoMad has certainly made its mark and come in as a strong force. Not only is the sophisticated new membership club brand of Soho House parent company Membership Collective Group a refreshing alternative, featuring 1920s-glamor inspired decor, with plush ambiance seating, antique wall sconces and ambiance lighting placed throughout a variety of exquisite hidden nooks. Not one inch of the space was left out in the detailed interior design, led by Kate Bryan, who also art-curated the first location in London. The Ned NoMad’s collection features several site-specific commissions, including emerging artist b. Chehayeb’s impressive mural, adjacent to the iconic glass-roofed Atrium; new paintings by Cassi Namoda and Ariel Mitchell, with an art collection that brings together nearly 300 artworks. The welcoming setting, paired with incredible cuisine offerings and engaging programming like nightly jazz music, definitely sets The Ned apart. The Beaux-Arts building, featuring 12 floors plus a lavish rooftop, is known for its exquisite limestone facade, corner tower and rooftop cupola, by original architects Shickel & Ditmars, converted later by Stonehill & Taylor.
Knowing their New York audience, and the fierce landscape that shapes the culture and hospitality of this city, the team behind Soho, led by Executive Chairman Ron Burkle, wisely tapped Richie Akiva to partner on their New York presence. Akiva, most notably the most recognized name in global nightlife and A-List party curation at current date, has been a staple New York bold-faced name for the last three decades. Having started promoting at the age of 16, Akiva spent his 20s and 30s building the NY nightlife VIP scene, including opening and designing his own venues and establishing worldwide known nightlife and restaurant brands — like Butter at age 22 — all the while building a rolodex that likely surpasses that of the Prince of Monaco. 1OAK expanded globally to Brazil, Mexico City, Japan, ShangHai, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and even opened a 1OAK island in Maldives, all within a few years of opening in New York. Akiva not only led the global expansion, but was instrumental in the design of each space and the 1OAK concept. He had enlisted notable artist Roy Nachum to create a custom aesthetic for 1OAK, still recognizable today.
Now in his Forties, Akiva continues building his repertoire, still maintaining his established brands like 1OAK (New York anticipates a 2023 reopening of the venue), but naturally evolving, having launched his own NFT-based exclusive global social club, SOCIETE, established his own music management company, ARME, and continues global consulting for organizations like AMfar, Unicef and other internationally established events like Met Gala, Paris Fashion Week, Cannes Film Festival and more. Akiva is the perfect component to properly establish The Ned in New York, and make it known on a global scale while doing so. Akiva is also launching a clothing company ANTI as a joint partnership with Eli Tahari’s son Jeremey Tahari. The fashion space is always something Akiva has been deeply integrated in, not only throwing the designer events, but ties back to the clothing company he co-founded when 16, and became an instant trend, danücht.
A Tribeca kid at heart, Akiva paved his path in hospitality with a strong vision and drive all to his own credit, amending to the change in landscapes throughout the decades to continue successful reinvention. Akiva and his childhood peers all set out on what would for the most part become their own established paths, notable fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti and his late fashion photographer brother David Sorrenti, which granted Akiva access into the world of supermodels and the fashion community of much benefit to his nightlife roles during that time to the current date. Akiva maintained his social ability to cultivate relationships for his entire career. Currently, on a daily basis, Akiva is in the mix with the top of the top. Music artists like Rihanna, Jay Z and Drake, top athletes like Kevin Durrant, Alex Rodriguez, and Venus Williams, the most notable of actors, and models across all generations from Heidi Klum and Naomi Campbell to Gigi Hadid.
With all that, Akiva is now focused at the helm of The Ned NoMad, transitioning into the competitive hotel space, officially teaming up with Ron Burkle and Membership Collective Group, a natural transition in fact. But with The Ned NoMad, there is no competition. It carves a niche all its own and offers New York a highly sought-after membership club in midtown, while the other entities in the space are all focused downtown, or way uptown, with Soho Meatpacking, the original membership social club made famous in New York through Sex In The City, located just below 14th street. That said, each membership club offers a unique experience all its own, pulling its own social circles and maintaining its own presence. Akiva is certainly a visionary and Burkle made a smart move enlisting Akiva. The buzz for The Ned has certainly been strong.
Akiva notes, “There is room for everyone. New Yorkers want exclusivity these days. And they want a guaranteed admission. Post-pandemic, people value their time more. They do not want to worry about guest lists and no one wants to wait in lines to get into desirable places. That has evolved. Manhattanites deserve their own special havens. Travelers want their go-to hotels with top-tier customized service, and members club access that is guaranteed.”
He further added, “At The Ned, we are just adding another option for New Yorkers, in a different ZIP code. I guarantee that more than half of our members are probably also members of Casa Cipriani, a place I love to go. New Yorkers want options uptown and downtown. This will only continue. This is the new era of New York. And I am here for all of it.”
As far as his peers in this space, Akiva also stated, “…We all came up in this industry together — so let’s continue to build this city together. My dear friends are the founders of Tao Group for example, and their restaurants and venues kill it. They are definitely an exception to the membership rule, but when you go to Tao, and see your regulars, are greeted by name from the host, it has the same vibe we aim to evoke at Ned. And look at Carbone, they even launched their own restaurant membership, created solely because of customer demand. This is an exciting time for New York, the city is coming back, and I would not have it any other way.”
To run it down on The Ned NoMad, The Ned’s 167 bedrooms are unique in that many feel like apartments, designed with antique, vintage style furnishings on restored hardwood floors, several featuring long hallways, carved-out entryways, and small sitting rooms. Paired with gorgeous modern bathrooms consisting of large glass rain showers, a slew of bath and shower products, beautiful claw tubs, marble countertops and all the standard amenities of Soho House hotel rooms, like intricate custom leather bars filled with high-quality crystal liquor glasses, mahogany work desks, and top-shelf liquor offerings, for example.
The members “Dining Room” feels rich, with deep wooden and leather hues, and white glove waiter service. Tableside offerings of classic American and seafood cuisine range from caviar pasta presentations to Dover sole trimming and an extensive steak menu, plus items like oysters and caviar potatoes. Simultaneously, the rooftop, a gorgeous indoor-outdoor space detailed with pink accents and a gold trim bar plus plenty of seating, has a more Mediterranean-focused menu with Middle Eastern influence, while Cecconi’s offers modernized Classic Italian. The main jazz “Atrium Lounge” members space has a completely different menu of sophisticated small bites, which is also the menu offered in “The Library” workspace living room. The Little Ned, a two-level British-style pub with the main level public-facing and the second level members only, has already become known for its signature The Ned Burger and its mini gourmet frankfurters. Then there is “The Magic Room,” a hidden Parisian-style nightclub on the hotel’s second level that only opens a few nights a week by invitation only, or for private rental, with Akiva determining the programming.
Unlike SoHo, The Ned NoMad welcomes business clientele, along with the VIPs, creatives and the entertainment industry. It has become a haven for sports industry executives, models, film industry leaders, and finance industry notables alike. The Ned NoMad has enrolled over 700 members since opening its doors during Q2, with a current waiting list of several thousand submissions under review for Q3 admittance. UK members also have guaranteed access, and enrollment for Soho House members comes at half the cost, $2,500 for annual membership compared to the nonmember price of $5,000, plus an initiation fee, which is standard practice.
The NoMad district has been experiencing a resurgence as well, with new cafes and restaurants, established entities like Ace Hotel, Fleur Room and Moxy, and now with The Ned bringing Cecconi’s and Little Ned, certainly with more spots to follow.
Akiva adds, “The Ned will continue to expand globally, opening in Doha, and a second New York location set to open in 2023 which we are currently planning. The Ned is a special place, I am proud of what we offer to the city, and I encourage every New Yorker seeking old New York glamor and sophistication, to come check it out.”
Follow @TheNedNomad @RichieAkiva
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