// LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK CITY, CHICAGO, MIAMI // 

freehand hotel

hip hotel hangout for the cool kids

The Freehand is like an entry-level boutique hotel that manages to at the same time an accessible and affordable hostel for young travelers and a trendy place to hang out for locals. The design of the hotels, which exist in a lot of the major cities across the country, is worldly and cool. Think: dimly lit lounge area, books on shelves that are made to look like they came straight from a flea market, warm wood tones complemented by rich jewel hues throughout the rooms.

In terms of the hotel, they offer a selection of rooms, ranging from renting a bed in a shared room to renting a full bunk bed room (perfect for younger groups, often for bachelorette groups), to full queen and king sized boutique rooms. For the hostel-type, they have a small shared kitchen, as well as coin op laundry. For the rest of the hotel, they have room service and laundry service. But generally, the hotel caters toward a younger, hipper crowd.

In terms of the rest of the space, most have both a café and a bar. Café Integral is a built-in third-wave style coffee shop to serve all your caffeinated needs throughout the day. Broken Shaker is the bar and lounge, which offers varied programming throughout the week and seasonal events that bring in both hotel guests and a local crowd.

All in all, it’s a solid choice that fits a variety of budgets, and delivers on the cool kid vibes without being overly fancy.

the details

Address Los Angeles: 416 W 8th St, Los Angeles New York: 23 Lexington Ave, New York Chicago: 19 E Ohio St, Chicago Miami: 2727 Indian Creek Dr, Miami Beach
Website https://freehandhotels.com/
Instagram @freehandhotels
Price $-$$ – runs the gamut from the hostel style rooms ($20-40/night) to more of the boutique-y hotel vibes ($100-200/night)
Aesthetic world traveler market chic

good to know

Go here for: a cool stay that doesn’t break the bank, a place to hang out and eat and drink

When to come: the scene shifts throughout the year – high seasons are touristy and low seasons have more of a local crowd

Parking: all hotels have dedicated or associated lots for a fee

Other things to note: 

  • All four locations have a Broken Shaker cocktail bar (which exists on the roof in NY and LA), which all host varied programming throughout the year.
  • LA and Chicago have a coffee shop, Café Integral, and Miami, LA and New York all have dining options.

Last visited: July 2020

Last updated: September 2020

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