Freehand Hotel, New York

Great location for us. Very clean with comfortable beds, quiet rooms. The cafe ground level had some great food options. Didn’t go to bars or restaurants on site but they did look great

There is no coffee maker in the room. I love having a cup of coffee in bed. It’s a pretty busy street with lots of city noise- you do get used to it.

I love that this was built as a hotel in 1929 and has of course been renovated, but retained so much of its historical detail in the common areas. My room was large, comfortable and well thought-out.

The window blinds were hard to use as partially damaged, and the windows were dirty. But that's New York baby!

Modern, good lobby, central location, fast elevators

Small (very small) bathroom. Rooftop bar not open everyday, needs better housekeeping, no coffeemaker in room.

Great location. Awesome rooftop bar!

Maybe this is a personal preference but for a design hotel the designs in the room were … weird. Ours was pretty bare bones except for this awful pencil mural we kind of hated. Bed was in the corner so we had to crawl over each other to get out. It was very hot and the a/c did little to help unless you kept the blinds open to aim the air directly at the bed, but then you woke up to blaring sunlight- for the price I’d expect it to be a little more comfortable. I thought the furniture choices were odd, and they could have used the space better to put more options with drawers. We had to get creative to manage our suitcases, despite there being a lot of space in the middle of the room.

Great location, many things happening around the neighborhood and well connected to multiple metro lines.

The room was tiny, much smaller than we expected from the pictures, and its layout made it very hard to walk with two large luggage bags. Also our AC was super loud as it was a window unit rather than the built in temperature control system.

Well-located, Nice wooden interiors, clean, comfortable bed

The room was very small but that’s OK, however I suggest changing the light bulbs because illumination was insufficient

Good location. The staff was very friendly, especially the housekeeping staff! The beds were comfy, and the shower was good. Very clean! Also enjoyed the rooftop bar.

Rooftop was amazing with great food, cocktails and bartenders. The bunk room is always comfortable and great value for 3-4 people. Coffe and breakfast were solid downstairs and we stayed in Chicago in same type of room two weeks later!

Hard to find a family room at an affordable price in Manhattan so this room fitted our needs almost perfectly. Four bunk beds in one private room with an excellent shower. Appreciated the television but with the room being on the small side (Manhattan, of course) it wasn't totally comfortable for relaxing. Appreciated the rooftop bar and the free bottle of water on checking in as well. Great location and did I mention how good the shower was?

Small room but expected that with it being Manhattan. It was a little inconvenient that most of the power points weren't working - we didn't mention it to staff (perhaps we should have) but it felt like it would have been a big job to sort.

The King size bed rooms on the 14th and 15th floors are quiet and, while compact, comfortably sized. They are well equipped with a small fridge, a nice AM/FM radio, large flat screen TV and a somewhat cramped but very adequate bathroom with spacious shower and decent linens. There's also a good size closet with a pair of Terry cloth robes, hair dryers and an easy to use safe for valuables. Climate control works well.

The elevators are small and slow.

Our room was a nice size. And we had two windows to the streets of NYC. Reasonably priced.

The bed was a bit lumpy (needs to be replaced) and the sink is really too small to use for anything beyond hand washing.

good location, nice hotel. Roooftop bar is unfortunatly closed on Sundays. free water bottles

rooftop bar closed on Sunday.

Room was air conditioned when I arrived. I was early to check in and the room was ready so they allowed me early check in.

$55 parking even with the discount. No one answered the phone at the number listed on my booking.com page. I called the same listed number at least 8 times on your website. No one ever answered. The hotel was difficult to find and I never got an emailed confirmation that you had a room for me until I arrive. Your front desk was very helpful once I arrived but need to be more vigilant in answering the phone.

Clean and very comfortable room in the centre of Manhattan, complete with airconditioning and daily housekeeping. The room had an ideal size for me as a solo traveller, but will probably feel a bit small for two people - although I think that according to New York standards it's more than worthy. Perfect location to start off every day to go and explore a new New York neigbourhood. The friendly staff at the register made checking in and out a matter of minutes.

The music in the lift was a tad too loud. As my room was directly across from it, I could hear the music late at night when the doors opened. But that's a minor detail; earplugs are always a good idea in a city like New York, no matter where you're staying, and they helped me with this issue as well.

We have stayed at Freehand before and it was the best option for this trip as well. Good location, convenient transit close by, and a good value. We will look to stay at Freehand again next time we are in the city!

No issues!

Location was great. The decor was great

Reception mucked up the key cards and another person burst into our room. Also the air con fan was ridiculously noisy

Remarkably quiet room considering its location. Built in 1930 like a fortress, interior and exterior walls are thick. On the 15th floor our room was quiet even though it was across from the elevators.

The elevators were small, old, and a little iffy. The elevator doors didn't stay open very long and could give you a good thump if they closed before you got safely into the elevator. Rooms are smaller than most hotels.

We loved the decor of the room, the ceramic accents in fixtures was really lovely, very comfortable, homey vibe. Bed was comfortable, we had a steamer and blow dryer in the room which was a great addition. The staff were very welcoming and friendly.

Such a small thing but the light in the shower flickered pretty aggressively, so we just turned it off, but it's a dark (but absolutely beautiful) bathroom, so not great for makeup and things, but there's a great mirror in the room, so it all worked out.

Location. Staff apart from the first woman we met who checked us in and was incredibly unfriendly. Beds were comfy.

It’s a very large hotel so feels a bit impersonal. No tea/coffee and the water supply was shonky (warm water coming out of the cold tap at times)

Great location and decor.

Nothing.

We have stayed at the freehand before and loved it. This time we came with our daughter who stayed in the bunk bed above our bed. She loved it. The bathroom is a bit of a tight squeeze for a family of 3 but it worked.

Location was great for getting around NY

The cleaning staff tried to clean room at 8:30 am

Beautiful hotel, stylish furnishings, comfy beds, great showers, lots of onsite food/drink, great location, and welcoming staff. The premium bunk rooms were at the end of the hallway and faced inside the building vs the street so it was nice and quiet.

Our AC broke the first day on check-in, however, a maintenance technician was able to install a window unit quickly to keep us cool and comfortable.

The rooms were smartly designed. Lots of hooks, space and traveler friendly. Staff was friendly and helpful. Bed was incredibly comfy and the entire property was spotlessly clean.

Nothing

Housekeeping staff and front desk staff were excellent and attentive, Rooms are typically NY small but well laid out and functional with fun, creative touchs.

My room had a strange smell sometimes. Might have been because it was raining quite a bit during the time I was there but it smelled a bit like mildew.

Perfect location, cool rooftop bar, spacious room

No free coffee, very loud elevator that kept me up on weekend, loud ac

The bathroom of the room was updated and clean, with good water pressure. I called the morning of to ask if there was a potential for an early check in time - they told me no but that I could drop off my luggage at the hotel in the meantime. When I got to the hotel they said the room was actually ready, which was great! I booked a queen and ended up with a king sized bed, which was very comfortable. The rooftop bar was fabulous. The decor in the lobby is very nice. I did not see any bugs. The location was great and we were able to walk to many bars close by.

The room was a bit dark and the lights flickered. The carpet in the room was weirdly sticky. The hallways were also quite dark. There was a gentleman host at the rooftop bar who was a bit rude when we asked if we could go to the bar because we did not have reservations. The rooftop bar is quite nice though and there is open seating so a reservation is not required we found out from the bartender, who was kind.

Good location, friendly staff, clean rooms

Room was a bit cramped, and had no tea/coffee-making facilities

Location convenient to get everywhere on the subway. Staff was helpful. Bonus to have free water. Room room was a nice size for a large city.

More brighter lighting and ear plugs if you stay in a lower floor.

We liked the 1920s charm and the bunk beds for our girls trip. The rooftop bar was fantastic and the food in the restaurant as well. The staff went above and beyond and were extremely helpful, especially Brandon.

Seems like it could use a bit more TLC.

I like the simplicity and effortless feel. The NYC hotel room experience needs to be straightforward because I'm there to be in the city, not the room. The location is perfect. The Broken Shaker's view is lovely.

Little things like a bottle of water with real glasses would've been welcomed. Our light fixture (in rm #1729) worked but was broken looking / didn't sit straight.

Location

Don’t have anything to make a tea or cooffe

Localization.

No breakfast, expensive

Very stylish hotel in a great location, cool bars both inside and on the rooftop, good size gym. Midday check out is a bonus. Rooms a reasonable size for New York with well designed furniture and good showers

It would be nice if they put a coffee machine/pot in the lobby

I did like the location a lot. It’s well situated to the subway and from there it’s just a train or two away to whatever I wanted to see. The staff were really responsive to my request to move rooms after the first night and the new room was much better. The cafe on the first floor was delightful for breakfast and the staff there were as friendly as the hotel employees.

I had requested a quiet room when I made the booking. The first night I stayed in a room that was above a bar and the noise/music from the bar was so loud I couldn’t get to sleep until after 2:00 a.m. The room was also tiny with almost no room to put my suitcase anywhere. I get it’s Manhattan and this building used to house students, so maybe it was just my expectations that were misplaced.

The location was fabulous, the roof top bar was lovely and the room was very comfortable - oh and free water

Lack of detail when it came to cleaning - we ran out of tissues and it took two days for it to be replenished, our towels were taken away once without being replaced and when I called for towels they never arrived

Amazing location, spacious bathroom, kind staff, iron/steamer in the room, rooftop bar.

Outlet plugs next to one bed were not working. Could use more lights in the room.

Location Staff Room Rooftop bat

Bathroom amenities lacking

good location— options to stay in; restaurant, cafe, rooftop, etc. staff was overall very kind and helpful.

a/c in room didn’t work, they attempted to fix but didn’t. brought in a wall unit but still didn’t really make it comfortable. have stayed before and the wear and tear is really starting to show. loose outlets, dust beside the beds. window blinds broken/hanging by a thread. mattresses and pillows are manageable but tough for 4+ day stays.

Friendly, good vibe

no issues

Excellent service, rooms are nice, quality of food and cocktails at the bar excellent

Windows in the room quite thin, you can hear lots of street noise

Love the decor especially the big room upstairs from the lobby. Perfect to lounge with a coffee and catch up on the news.

The breakfast offering was the only let-down - an expensive cafe with no atmosphere

The breakfast!

The location is fantastic. The common areas of the hotel are cute. Room was okay. Several elevators so usually no wait (only exception was during check out-- three elevators were so full we took stairs.) Room was quiet from both street noise and neighbors.

Some occasional awful smells from the bathroom -- maybe an issue with plumbing? Lots of tour groups using hotel. Hotel used to be an SRO and it still has that vibe.

Great location

Good location

No complaints

Friendly staff, great location, clean, comfortable.

No apparent opportunity for recycling. Refrigerator too small to be useful in any way.

Cute, cool, comfortable, lots of places to sit, great staff,

Staff is so friendly and welcoming. Location is really good, you have everything you might need within 10-min of walk and for attractions, you have the metro within 3-4min walk to the hotel. The hotel has a nice ambience overall but too dark in the bathrooms.

The bed was not really comfortable, as the mattress wasn't even and it was old as you could feel the springs of the matress Street noises but you'd be good to go with a pair of earplugs The sink in the bathroom always changes for hot and cold, one day right sink gets you hot and the next day the left one..