Freehand New York

This was the 7th hotel we stayed in over 3 weeks in the US and was by far the worst. AVOID!! The room was tiny, dark and very few helpful features to support a comfortable stay. Inadequate lighting throughout the hotel, especially in the room. Had to use our phone torches to see, even in the daytime. The bathroom door was so difficult to use as it didn’t slide properly and I was trapped in there - I had to be rescued! Bathroom was so small I couldn’t get dressed in there without standing in the shower. The window blind was broken. There was not enough room to store suitcases (let alone a luggage stand). The bed was comfortable enough but butted against the wall so it was hard to access. Face washer wasn’t replaced. Front desk staff were not particularly helpful or friendly except to call cabs. The worst part is the extra “amenity fee” of $40 USD a night. What a rort. The room was already pricey and the extra fee was for what? We weren’t even offered bottled water. I politely asked for some as I saw it offered proactively to other guests - after I realised there wasn’t even a cup in our room. The water wasn’t even cold and was handed ungraciously each time as if it was a burden. Will be suggesting to our travel agent not to book this NYC hotel for future guests. The location was good but that was the only positive feature. Disappointed beyond measure. All the groovy decor in the lobby doesn’t balance the substandard overall experience.

The bad reviews weren't kidding. I didn't read these until after I booked and I'm here to say the same things, they're no lie or exaggeration. Read the reviews and please know the 1-3 star ratings are accurate. I wish I had read the reviews first, it wasn't until after I booked the room I saw the 1-star Google reviews and thought, meh, I'll find out for myself - and I did, they're not wrong or exaggerating. First, upon arrival, it was raining and I was wet and cold, I stood at the desk while the guy stared into his computer trying to fix other guests' mistakes they made - they booked one bed when the guests needed two. I didn't get any "welcome, hello, I'll be a while have a seat" or "let me call someone", he just ignored me and left me standing there. Never once said hello. Second, I asked the girl if she could change sheets and if the hotel charges and she said "no". Later I got a charge on my bill for her changing the sheets. I asked her again when I saw her later and she again said "no", then said a moment later, "well, maybe. I don't really know". Our phone in the room was broken which is why I didn't call the desk, absurd for anyone to think I'd be going up + down to ask simple questions. Also totally took for granted she'd know and wouldn't lie to a guest. She should've said she didn't know from the start. Third, I went to their cafe and ordered a coffee. I knew it was going to be bad when he told me to taste it first and then said it would be "a waste" to make another pot but upsold me on an Americano, which I should've passed and just gone to the deli right outside the doors and across the street. Everything in the hotel was closed (as in rooftop, artsy rooms), so all their "art" and "rooftop" selling points are just prints (there's a George Washington portrait if you're really into that) and the rooftop was closed all three days and completely inaccessible. I didn't even know the hotel had public toilets. They do not make the rooftop accessible. They need an air filter for the gym. We went down there and there were six ppl, no windows, and it was stuffy and stunk. They need to hire people who know how to be hospitable and at the very least say hello at the front desk. They need to hire someone to make a pot of coffee and learn how to repurpose it so it's not "a waste", people who wouldn't tell guests it's a waste to fulfill their order, that's insane. Please fix that water fountain so it doesn't take so long to fill up a water bottle. Hire people who don't lie to guests and actually know the prices of changing bedsheets. Stop fooling people with your phony "artwork" and "rooftop" that's not ever accessible to guests (unless you reserve it and that's just a lot of money out of your pocket for a subpar view. Take a walk outside or a ferry ride, you see so much more of the city than this rooftop.) There is an extra $40/day charge "water and business services", which, again, is insane. There's no drinking water in the room, you can't even fill up a small Poland Spring water bottle in the bathroom sink bc that sink is too small, you have to go down to the lobby where there's a fountain (that's mislabeled, has a very slow pour, and you have to stand in line for). I don't know what business services they're talking about - again, absolutely absurd and a total ripoff. We didn't go for business, we didn't use it, yet we were charged $40/day to not use the business center. Make that some optional thing for the business class. They're a scam, whoever is running this place doesn't know anything about hospitality and it shows. The reviews aren't exaggerating, no iron, no snacks, no storage, no amenities whatsoever in the room, no coffee maker with coffee, no heat (showers were lukewarm at best, no steamy showers after getting caught in the rain), no working phone, up and down in the elevator if you needed anything. Just go to a real hotel with professionals, this isn't worth the aggravation or your money.

The bed was comfortable (9/10) and the shower had great pressure and temperature (10/10), though the space was extremely tight. The gym was decent (7/10). However, the room was very small, cleanliness only a 6/10, and the soundproofing was poor — you can clearly hear traffic from Lexington Avenue at night. Avoid this hotel if you can’t sleep with street noise. The biggest issue was front desk employee Alfred (Sept 3rd, wearing a cap and glasses). He was rude, dismissive, avoided eye contact, and treated guests with no respect. Because of this, I can’t give the hotel more than 6/10. Other staff members were kind and helpful, but one employee left a lasting negative impression.

Dirty Avoid this hotel Go somewhere else Needs update Noisy Unfriendly front desk staff Extremely small rooms even for manhattan’s standards

Freehand is hands down my favorite hotel in NYC. It's so unique and really, really clean. The staff is so helpful and you never have to wait for help at the front desk. It's the perfect locale - close to Union Square and Madison Square and a short taxi up to midtown or down to soho. LOVE Broken Shakers their rooftop bar, Bar Calico on the second floor, and the cute cafe Smile at the bottom for coffee, breakfast, lunch. There are lots of other restaurants and bars nearby. Everytime I come to New York whether for business or fun I always stay here. Highly recommend!