Charlie Henrickson

in the last week

"I stayed here for five nights just before Thanksgiving. The staff here is excellent - attentive and always available to help. When I took my laptop to the lobby to sit, Jiro greeted me and ushered me instead upstairs to a second floor space (the Georgia Room) with beautiful columns, sofas, tables and chairs, soft lighting as well as ample natural light from windows that stretch from near the floor to the molding, some fine art hanging, and a a piano! Hanging out there was a tonic -reading, doing stuff on my computer, listening to music - it was great. One of the best things about this hotel is the location, in Chelsea near the Flatiron. It's New York, so almost anywhere is near to someplace cool, and there are so many great locations, but the neighborhood itself is perfect if you're not used to New York. It's fairly quiet by New York standards, close to Madison Square Park and good for taking walks. D'agostino's Supermarket is close by, there's a legit bagel shop a block away, good Indian food a short walk from the hotel, and an excellent dispensary around the corner (Blue Forest). The room was spacious and quiet, with soft lighting. I would have preferred some brighter lights, but the general ambiance and vibe had a calming effect. I was going to be singing on stage in front of a few hundred people at Lincoln Center, so I needed some calming. You know those hotel books that you never read? My room had a decent coffee table-type book and a book about the Gilded Age (Gilded City) that I started to read and loved! It was just the right thing to read considering the circumstances. One of the managers saw me reading it and offered it to me to keep! That was sweet. It was a lot of fun hanging out here. I had breakfast at Smile To Go every day. It's counter service and very good, with a varied and healthy menu that's not too busy. I like how they do breakfast because it's basic but done the right way. I had scrambled with avocado or bacon; it was exactly what I wanted. The coffee is even good. I've been staying off bread, but I "forgot" to say hold the toast, which was a nice treat. It was a crusty multi-grain, generously buttered (!), and perfect for mashing your avocado on. Voila, avocado toast. The food service at this hotel is outstanding all-around. The staff is great, there are 3 really good places to eat and drink as well as a rooftop situation, and the management is ON TOP OF IT. I can't recommend Freehand NYC highly enough. There's always a buzz in the place with people going to parties or one of the bars, but the lobby has a nice vibe so you can just relax and enjoy the scene or go up to your room and escape it all."

Sophia Rufina

a month ago

"I stayed here for a work trip and would not want to stay here again, nor would I recommend it to anyone. When I arrived to the hotel I was too early to check in so they took my number to give me a call when the room was ready. I never received a call. When I went back to the desk after the stated check in time, there was an issue with the system so they told me I still could not check in but to take a seat and they’d call me up. Everyone else who was behind me in line was checked in ahead of me, and they never called me back up. When I went to the desk again, they finally got my room ready. Not a wonderful first impression. I’m not sure how this has 4 star ratings. The overall feel of the hotel is like a hostel. The hallways are dark and damp feeling. The room had a horrid dark carpet which was filthy (immediately after stepping on it my socks were black underneath), and the windows were grimy. The hotel has a C level energy rating which was evident in the rooms that let in the cold air (and loud noise) from outside. The bed was incredibly uncomfortable, and I couldn’t wait to get out of there in the morning. The only pro to this hotel was the location. This hotel has an incredible history and the bar has a fun vibe, but the rooms let it down immensely. Save yourself the headache and stay literally anywhere else."

Christopher Huntley (youcancallmemaurice)

a month ago

"It's a solid choice for hotel. Really about average for NYC hotels. Yes the room is fairly small but it's really just a space to sleep. The desk chair isn't comfortable for any long sitting but it works for some evening catchups. The elevators are small but big enough and fast. Didn't visit the bars but there's so much in the neighborhood I'd still recommend the hotel. Bed was comfortable. Steamer actually worked fine. Shower was hot and sink shelf was plenty for my needs."

Aspen English

a month ago

"We just checked out of our five night trip at Freehand, and as someone who does a lot of hotel research before a trip, I want to share our honest thoughts! I’ve scrolled through a lot of recent reviews about the room being small/noisy/etc, and I think we did a few things right that led to us having a good experience: First, we booked directly through the website rather than Expedia, which is definitely the way to go. They have coupon codes too if you give them your email. Second, we booked a queen room (not the solo, which lots of people seem to have problems with). The bed maybe wasn’t the biggest queen ever but it seemed bigger than a full. We also got a room with a decent view and lots of light. I wouldn’t say it was noisy, but I did expect it to sound like NYC and being on the 9th floor probably helped. We didn’t have cold water sometimes, but we didn’t mind that too much. The space is small, but I think it’s well utilized, and I appreciated the stools/furniture/desk for what they offered. Overall I had a good experience! They also let us check in early at 11:30 which was lifesaving on that first day, and that was after they had already stored our luggage for us. I’d come again!"

Jennifer Patterson

2 months ago

"Excellent place to stay during our quick weekend visit. Everyone that works there were so friendly and helpful. The check in process was easy, Hero and the other bellmen took care of our luggage while we enjoyed the day in the city. The hotel called when our room was ready. The room was clean and neat. Perfect accommodations for 3 of us. The house keeping staff were courteous. The vibe of the lobby is like a small lounge. The 2nd floor lounge turned night club is a cozy spot. Upon our early morning checkout, the taxi that was prearranged was waiting. We loved the neighborhood feel of this hotel over a larger chain. We would definitely stay again."