Private members' club Soho House (with US backer Sydell Group), have transformed the former Midland Bank headquarters in to a 252-bedroom luxury hotel and also comprises a series of restaurants (including a City outpost of Cecconi's) and bars (including a rooftop location) and an open-air swimming pool.

Housed in the Grade 1-listed Lutyens-designed 11-storey block (originally designed as the headquarters of the Midland Bank) this new venture is actually accessible to the public rather than Soho House’s usual “members only” policy. 

The Poultry Project is a joint venture between Soho House and The US hotel owner, developer Sydell group (who recently acquired The Morgans Hotel group) with design undertaken by Soho House & Co’s in-house team, headed by co-lead designer Adam Greco. The faded glamour of a 1930s transatlantic ocean liner is the starting point for the look of the 29,450 sq m property.  The 252-room hotel and members’ club reference the Twenties, Thirties and the golden age of travel and feature a combination of antique pieces and Soho House group’s own furniture line.

The Grand Banking Hall, has been transformed into a jazzed-up food court-esque space, which houses eight restaurants (and up to 850 diners), including an outpost of Mayfair’s Venetian brasserie Cecconi’s, Malibu Kitchen, a healthy Californian-inspired eatery; British and American Millie’s which offers up classics 24 hours-a-day and Zobler’s, a Jewish-style deli. Expect nightly jazz performances, which will be seen and heard from most of the restaurants. One restaurant is dedicated to hotel guests and members only: Lutyens Grill, a classic steak restaurant with gueridon [trolley] service and clubby atmosphere. 

Membership to Ned’s Club includes access to the Vault Room, located two floors underground. The original 20-tonne door remains, along with 3,000 original silver safety deposit boxes which line the walls. The vault was previously used in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger – now it is a lavish bar serving cocktails and cicchetti, heavy with jewel-toned velvet furnishings, patterned rugs, taxidermy birds and a ribbed walnut bar.

The eighth-floor rooftop – also reserved for members and their guests – is home to a 10-metre lap pool lined with Italian marble. Panoramic views stretch from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Gherkin. There is also another restaurant and bar with a retractable glass roof, and two domes – named Poultry and Prince’s Street, after the hotel’s location – which house cosy bars.

There is also a subterranean spa, complete with 20-metre lap pool in a former vault and a hamam with pink marble sourced from Devon; a gym with boxing ring; and outposts of Cheeky nail bar and Neville barbershop.

Ideal For

City House