Freehand New York

The Freehand is a solid New York City hotel that delivers where it counts. The location makes it easy to get anywhere. The rooms are clean, comfortable, and more spacious than you would expect for the city. The style is modern without trying too hard and the details stand out, from quality bedding to great bathroom products. The entire place feels well cared for and thoughtfully maintained. What made our stay unforgettable was Elmo. He is the kind of person who turns a nice weekend into something you will remember forever. When we walked into our room we were greeted with balloons, thoughtful gifts, and an incredible spread of vegan food prepared exactly to our dietary needs. It was more than just a kind gesture. You could feel the genuine thought and care behind every detail. Elmo is the definition of true hospitality. He is warm, creative, and completely committed to making people feel special. Because of Elmo I would consider the Freehand Hotel for every future stay I have in New York City.

Loved this hotel! Room was very modern and well designed. The room was a bit small but was plenty of space for one person. For 2 people with large suitcases it could be tight. The AC in my room was very effective! The hotel has a great location with a subway stop 1 block away and a fantastically walkable location. Overall it was a great value and I'd definitely stay here again.

I chose to stay here last month while traveling for work since it was fairly centrally located between everything I needed and wanted to do while in the city. It's one of the more affordable options I could find so I decided to give it a shot and quickly regretted my decision (other than the central location). I knew that I was opting for a not great room by selecting a single occupancy room but it was worse than a could of imagined. The window was duct tapped shut, there were brown smears on the walls and there were dead bugs in my bed. I asked to be moved rooms after being bitten the first night by (what the staff told me were spider bites?) to another room that was slightly cleaner but had a leaking bathroom sink. It felt like there was no winning here. On top of the disappointing rooms the hotel itself is dark and uncomfortable feeling with no real amenities (other than a basement gym) and rude staff. I was looking forward to using the bar on the roof but it was a hassle to get into and I found it to be over priced for the value even in Manhattan. TLDR: dirty rooms, rude staff but decent location. Beware.