Membership Collective Group expands The Ned to the Middle East, in the vibrant capital of Qatar in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Doha, Qatar – Membership Collective Group (NYSE: MCG) opens its doors to The Ned Doha in Qatar, its third Ned hotel and members’ club and its first location in the Middle East.
Founded in London in 2017, The Ned expanded in the summer of 2022 to include The Ned NoMad in New York, and now The Ned Doha opens in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Set over five floors in the former site of the Ministry of Interior, overlooking the Arabian Gulf and Doha’s skyline, The Ned Doha features 90 bedrooms and suites, six public restaurants, a pool and club lounge, a health club with spa, salon, and fitness center, and a new 775sqm (8,350sq ft) event space for large-scale conferences, events, and receptions.
“Five years after launching The Ned in London, we are excited to open in Doha. We are really excited to occupy one of the city’s most architecturally significant buildings, comprising of a hotel, multiple restaurants and its own private members’ club” said Gareth Banner, Group Managing Director, The Ned. “We look forward to providing our guests and members with a distinct experience, welcoming them to stay, connect, eat and have a good time.”
Design
Originally designed in the 1960s by Lebanese architect William Sednaoui, the building has been redesigned by David Chipperfield Architects of London with interiors by Soho House Design. Drawing inspiration from The Ned’s original address in London, there is a live performance stage beneath an atrium surrounded by a collection of restaurants and rich green marble sourced from the Greek island of Tinos.
Set across five floors and facing the Al Corniche Waterfront, the arrival experience showcases a water feature, contemporary sculptures, as well as a striking, concrete pergola. Interiors are inspired by 1970s glamour with terrazzo flooring, silk drapery, marble furniture, woven and mirrored fabric headboards, as well as indoor-outdoor spaces for guests to meet, work and have a good time.
Also inspired by the 1970s are the bedrooms ranging from Cosy to Large, each with balconies offering views of the city or Arabian Gulf, and many of which feature original coffered concrete ceilings that have been thoughtfully restored.
Cosy bedrooms feature writing desks and curated drinks cabinets, while Medium bedrooms in three styles, Palace, Park and Sea, feature glass chandeliers, silk-covered ottomans, dining areas for two, and balconies with city, park, or sea views, respectively. Large bedrooms feature corner seating areas, curated drinks cabinets, period vanity desks, silk-covered ottomans, and balconies with sea and city views. Guest bathrooms are marble-clad, with walk-in rainforest showers in Cosy and Medium bedrooms, plus freestanding claw-foot bathtubs in Large bedrooms.
The accommodations also include 12 suites, ideal for lengthier stays and larger parties. Palace View suites are positioned in the corners of the original building and feature two floor-to-ceiling glass walls, double aspect balconies overlooking Doha and the Arabian Gulf, and separate living areas with L-shaped sofas. Corniche suites have separate lounges with a sofa, coffee table and dining for four, and two balconies with expansive views. Park View suites feature double aspect balconies with sunset views over Al Bidda Park, dining areas for up to six guests, and large sofas. Noteworthy details for the suites include mirrored headboards, reflective surfaces, walk-in wardrobes with dressing tables, period walnut coffee tables and wingback armchairs, bathrooms with free-standing bathtubs and walk-in showers, and separate powder rooms for guests.
Food & Beverage
The Ned Doha offers six restaurants open to all, featuring menus entirely Halal. Situated in the centre of the hotel, Cecconi’s serves Northern Italian classics from hand-made pastas and wood-fired pizzas to Venetian-inspired seafood dishes. Kaia serves Pan-Asian cuisine, with signature dishes from Southeast Asia and Hawaii including sushi, poke bowls, and mains slow-cooked on a robata grill, served in a space with a marble-topped counter, jade-green cushioned seating, and bulbous chandeliers.
Electric Diner is a casual restaurant, serving American staples and deli favourites including burgers, salads, and classic milkshakes, in a comfortable space with red leather banquettes, an open kitchen, and a focal wall accented with the restaurant’s name in pink neon. Nickel Lounge offers a menu of classic drinks, with seating centered around the live performance stage. Also on the ground floor is Millie’s, an international brasserie with vintage-style interiors.
Hadika, serves Levantine cuisine al fresco, offering mezzeh family-style selections from fattoush to shish tawook in a garden setting, shaded by umbrellas and foliage. Three private dining rooms within Hadika offer air-conditioned spaces for guests to book and enjoy in privacy. Adjacent to the pool, Malibu Kitchen brings an entirely new culinary concept to the destination, offering a menu of California-inspired favourites from sea bream tacos to courgette flatbreads, and young coconut salad. The outdoor restaurant is airconditioned for year-round comfort.
Members Only Food & Beverage
The members’ club experience plays out in two settings at The Ned Doha. On the ground floor, sits Ned’s Club Pool, an area with private cabanas overlooking a 30m pool, with terrazzo flooring and green and white striped daybeds.
On the rooftop, Ned’s Club Upstairs is a lounge with a warm wood palette, touches of gold, statement furniture, and unparalleled views of the West Bay and the IMIR Diwan, the seat of rule of Qatar. A private room is available for entertaining on the rooftop, seating up to 12 guests.
Ned’s Club members also get access to all members-only spaces in The Ned London and The Ned NoMad, as well as invitations to exclusive parties and creative events worldwide
Wellness at The Ned
Situated on the top floor with panoramic views of the city is Ned’s Club Spa, offering members and hotel guests a menu of treatments using skincare brands such as Cowshed and AMRA, as well as sauna, steam room, and traditional Hammam. The health club is also home to Ned’s Club Gym, a fitness and studio space with state-of-the-art equipment, a wide range of classes ranging from zumba to kickboxing, and a separate, private gym space for women.
The Ned Doha also offers separate grooming areas for men and women, with multiple treatment rooms for barber services, hairdressing, manicures and pedicures.
Meet Me in Doha
The new Corniche Hall event space, accessible by its own private, separate entrance, invites groups for large-scale conferences, social occasions and events. Sized at 775sqm (8,350sq ft), the venue caters up to 600 people for a standing reception, arranged around a landscaped courtyard. The space is lit with height-adjustable chandeliers as well as bathed in natural daylight and features a balcony with access to additional outdoor event space.
Also available for private hire is the balcony overlooking the main stage, which accommodates up to 40 guests for a standing reception.
Art Collection
The Ned Doha celebrates local and regional creativity with an extensive collection of original artworks created by close to 100 artists, more than half of whom are based in Doha and nearly three quarters of whom are female. Commissioned for the property by Wadha Al-Aqeedi and Elina Sairanen, the co-founders of Mathqaf: The Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, the collection features more than 150 works in a diverse array of media such as textile, painting, sculpture, and technology, and covers a wide range of themes including identity, history, culture, globalization, and ecology. Many of the artists drew inspiration from the modernist building and its important location.