Freehand Hotel, New York
More photosFreehand New York is a standout in the Flatiron District, housed in a historic 1928 building that formerly served as the George Washington Hotel. In its heyday, the property was a storied haunt for famous creative minds like poets W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood. Today, the hotel honors this artistic past by collaborating with Bard College to feature commissioned murals in every guest room.
Designed by the acclaimed studio Roman and Williams, the interiors are a masterclass in blending history with modern energy. The design team carefully restored the building’s original mahogany millwork and travertine floors while introducing custom-made furniture, vibrant textiles, and flea-market finds. The result is a cozy, eclectic atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly contemporary.
The hotel is also a local social hub, featuring popular spots like the George Washington Bar, which is centered around a restored fireplace and a portrait of the first president. For those looking for elevated dining or drinks with a view, the rooftop bar, Broken Shaker, provides a fantastic vantage point of the Midtown skyline.
Its location on Lexington Avenue is incredibly convenient for sightseeing. You are just a short walk from the greenery of Madison Square Park and the iconic architecture of the Empire State Building. Whether you’re interested in exploring nearby galleries or simply soaking in the history of the neighborhood, Freehand New York serves as a perfect, character-filled base for any city adventure.
Expert reviews
“Better to book something that’s at least clean, comfortable, and strategically located, and spend the extra cash on that restaurant everyone has been posting about. Freehand takes this compromise and somehow manages to make it feel sexy and stylish. Rooms are basic but brightened up with artworks that sometimes snake across the walls and ceilings.”
What guests liked
- Rooftop bar
- Friendly staff
- Comfortable beds
- Top location
- Excellent Wifi
Location
Recent guest reviews
22 May 2026
Kind and very helpful staff, very clean room, comfortable bed, excellent location.
Location and staff.
Electric system needs to be upraded/renovated including the elevators.
22 May 2026
Nice time in nyc
It’s charming
Was ideal
21 May 2026
Great NYC location!
Staff was great! The location is great with tons of restaurants and shopping nearby. Rooms are good size and a large shower.
The rooms are very dark, the bathrooms are dark too. The lighting could be better and would have loved a coffee maker in the room.
19 May 2026
The Freehand was perfect. Location, Rooms, Staff, all lovely!
We LOVED the Three's Company room. We were picking our daughter up from college and she could stay with us once she had to leave the dorm. It made it easy so we could make it a longer trip and enjoy the city! Beds were comfy, space was perfect, decor was beautiful:) The bellman, Hero was fantastic! He was sweet, helpful & super funny! Total bonus!
The morning jackhammering. Haha...totally out of their control. Welcome to NY! Really though, it was no big deal!
17 May 2026
A unique vintage hotel in the heart of Gramercy!
Location and good vibe.
Felt crowded at times with high flow of guests / turnover and private parties.
That all made the hotel noisy and elevators felt jammed.
17 May 2026
Good location near subways
Good location. Subway nearby. Clean sheets.
Hallway is a bit seedy. Some of the hotel is the same. But NYC is expensive- so if you don't wanna spend an absolute fortune, this is a decent deal.
12 May 2026
Great location, good facilities, but disappointing bathroom & noise levels
Great location close to subway stations and shops
Charming building with lots of history
Two restaurants attached to the hotel for both breakfast and lunch/dinner
The shower has great water pressure and temperature control
Our room (742) was an interior-facing room which 1) lacked a view and 2) had a rather loud background noise from the airconditioning units all humming in the interior
The bathroom had no extractor fan and very little ventilation. The bathroom was _very_ small; there was barely enough room to use the toilet comfortably
11 May 2026
Staff and facilities were great at the expense of the loud street noise.
Staff was great, roof top bar was awesome, decent room, cozy feel throughout.
Listed as soundproof - that needs to be changed.
Single-paned windows let you hear every beep of a horn, siren, and loud engine at full volume.
11 May 2026
Good budget boutique hotel in Flatiron
It had character and the room was spacious. There is a good breakfast spot attached to the hotel.
As with many NY hotels it was a bit tired and scruffy but this was reflected in the competitive price.
7 May 2026
Good location but missed something special
Location
Bathrooms very small
6 May 2026
A great choice for a short stay in NY, great access to everything.
Excellent location and interesting funky hotel with a great vibe. Daily service to room fantastic also.
Our room was small but we managed.
4 May 2026
Excellent stay a short distance to transportation, restaurants, and coffee shops.
Property was centrally located. I liked the decor. Also had a nice coffee shop with some food attached that was really good.
It is pretty small. I think that is expected for the area.
3 May 2026
Nice room in nice hotel
Clean room, conveniently located, nice staff.
A bit pricey but its NYC. Also room was a bit stuffy (opening a window helped)
1 May 2026
Super nice hotel at a great location, good value for money in Manhattan!
Perfect location! Friendly staff! Super nice rooftop bar and bar at mezzanine. Air conditioning was very efficient.
No place for personal belongings in the bathroom.
30 April 2026
Booking a larger room and making sure it is on the street side, I would come back, it is a great location and overall a
The location is great, has gym, restaurants and a roof top.
Staff aren’t consistent, some are more nicer than others.
They gave us the wrong room at first because we asked for an early check in, it was smaller and by an elevator, extremely loud.
Rooms are small in general. Hot water took forever to heat up.
28 April 2026
It was a wonderful hub to explore New York and stay for a longer time.
The location was amazing. The gym had a wide variety of choices. Nice bar on the second floor next to a chill zone also suitable for working.
The water station in the lobby was very slow unlike the one in the gym.
27 April 2026
Overall wonderful and a pleasant stay!
Excellent location with friendly staff and gorgeous interior! The rooftop was also stunning.
The windows were dirty and no fan in the bathroom. I wish rooftop hours were available sooner in the day.
27 April 2026
Comfortable Stay in Midtown Manhattan.
Location
Needs a little TLC. Some upgrading.
27 April 2026
Nice central hotel
Location was great, cleaning service did a great job, comfy bed
The toilet is very dark, the basses from the club could be heard from my room
20 April 2026
Good stay visiting my son who lives in the neighborhood
Location was great
Small rooms but that’s NY
20 April 2026
Living in a stylish hotel for a reasonable price
Its location accessible to everything - coffee shop on ground level as well as Patsy’s Italian…
17 April 2026
I would stay again since it was much less expensive than other hotels and had good amenities
Overall a great value, given NYC hotel prices. Room was very small, which is fine as they have other places to hang out like the 2nd floor lounge, the downstairs cafe, and a really good gym. The gym included peletons, ellipticals, stretching mats, weights, etc. Better than I expected. The bed and pillows were decent.
rooms and hallways are a bit dim (need a lighting expert), there was a tear in the carpet, but these are all little things.
17 April 2026
Great base for exploring
Location, Vibe, Staff
Traffic noise
14 April 2026
Great vibe and location
I loved the vibe of the hotel, its beautiful, everything was super clean and taken care of. The location was great, very well connected but not too noisy or crowded.
My only criticism is that the wifi didn’t work properly at the mezzanine, where I tried to do some work, so si had to stay in my room.
14 April 2026
Excellent stay overall in a great location to enjoy New York.
Location excellent; staff excellent; cafe excellent; room cleaning excellent; hotel comfortable, clean and well maintained. Hotel within easy walking distance to all major metro lines.
It’s a New York hotel so rooms are not much larger than bed.
12 April 2026
rude staff, especially the manager. nice location
nice location, clean rooms.
staff is overly rude.
11 April 2026
The location is far away from tourists
Location and price
8 April 2026
Fantastic location. Room ok. Responsiveness before visit poor.
Location is really great. Staff are approachable and nice. Lobby a bit dark & charmless. Responsiveness before visit was poor. Room was nice, but quite small relative to price / label (Queen Premium). AirCon outside will irritate a light sleeper, but they provide earplugs at reception. I would stay here again.
Poor responsiveness to simple email query ahead of visit.
29 March 2026
Good, easy to walk everywhere and upbeat place
Quiet
NA
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Coffee house on site
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out (additional charge)
- - Luggage storage
- - ATM/cash machine on site
- - Concierge service
- - Private check-in/check-out
- - Invoice provided
Activities
- - Fitness centre
- - Nightclub/DJ (additional charge)
- - Fitness
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Soundproof rooms
- - Packed lunches
- - Heating
- - Allergy-free room
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Shared lounge/TV area
- - Pet bowls
Cleaning services
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Business facilities
- - Fax/photocopying
Outdoors
- - Sun terrace
- - Outdoor furniture
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key access
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Breakfast takeaway containers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Access to health care professionals
- - Face masks for guests available
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