The Freehand is a unique hotel. It’s located in a marginal area, so plan to valet the car, and choose a different hotel if you prefer to walk to dinner and shopping. The hotel is a historic office building built in the 1920s and has been remodeled to retain its original layout and appearance (e.g. my room, one of the -00 units by the elevators, had a steel-framed glass door with large, plate glass sidelights, frosted over for privacy, and clearly was once a large office). This setup will appeal to history buffs but lacks the bright, fresh-and-clean feel we’re accustomed to in modern hotels: the rooms and hallways are dark, there are a lot of stale, musty, or “earthy” smells, and the elevators groan and rattle. This was most apparent in the bathroom, which had a wall-mounted sink and zero counter space. The windows also are poorly sealed and have no insulation, so you hear everything from the street below as though the windows were wide open. The lobby has a nice breakfast setup where you can order coffee, egg sandwiches, etc., which were quite good. All my interactions with the front desk and valet staff were pleasant. In sum, the Freehand is not “premium” in a modern sense, and feels more like an experience purposely designed to feel vintage (like an escape-the-room game). I would only stay for an overnight, to have that experience, but the hotel may appeal to others for longer stays if they know what they’re in for.
