Freehand Chicago

United States , Chicago - IL
CHICAGO, 19 East Ohio Street
Show on Google | Website | Map

100 reviews shown

2/10

Poor

14 Mar 2026

Gerome

The rooms only have 2 lights. One in bathroom and one in bedroom that is super super dim and can’t hardly see anything. Couldn’t make it on our first night due to flight delays and Freehand wouldn’t reimburse it and they take so long to pick up for customer service. The rooms are much smaller than described and heater/ac does not work at all. Nightstand doesn’t work and bathroom tiles are peeling and gets on your feet. Definitely not safe to walk barefooted.

Partner

4/10

Poor

14 Mar 2026

Pam

Quirky fun vibe. BUT AT 6:20AM they started vacuuming in the hallway and it didn’t stop when we left at 8. Light by the bed did not work. Window shade was broken. My 6’4” husband wasn’t able to fully fit in the queen bed. Would not return - the vacuuming at 6:20AM ruined it for us.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Mar 2026

Miss,Wynel

Very low key and surrounded by many food and beverage locations and there is also a bar with music and excellent bar tenders the front desk representatives and staff management are on site also for questions

Family

2/10

Poor

13 Mar 2026

Jean

Ass

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2026

Jasmine

Loved my stay. The cushions for the couch in the bedroom could’ve used a good wash. It’s exacting in the walking distance of everything which I was surprised about. I will be staying again.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Laquette

I am so grateful for Dana and I believe Mathew the supervisor. They definitely made the stay worth my wild with their genuine courtesy and professionalism. The location is literally one of the best neutral spots to everything. Will for sure be coming again!

Self

6/10

Pleasant

08 Mar 2026

Brad

Hotel is dated and not as cute in person as the online pictures present. Room was super small, old, and the HVAC unit didnt work. Bed/pillows were comfy, but awkwardly staged against the wall sideways. Room was quiet, clean, and secure. Nothing special. Served its purpose for the night

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

08 Mar 2026

Chad

Grocery is right down on the corner.

4/10

Poor

06 Mar 2026

Joseph

Room was overall clean, but no fitted sheets and had actual dirt and stones under the sheets of our bed! Windows are filthy and nothing worked as it should. Lights were out, A/C and Heat were useless and had to open the window to make it less stuffy. One staff member was helpful but the night manager lady is very rude. Never got her name but asked about extending our stay and simply got rude speech and then hung up on.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2026

Ashley

This is a great location right near a Portillo's and Al's Beef, less than 2 miles from Millennium Park, bar inside the hotel has awesome drinks and staff was wonderful. Small room but that is all we needed, a bed and a bathroom.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2026

Amelia

10/10 so comfy, so cute, in a safe and nice area.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

03 Mar 2026

Courtney

Great for walking to many places near River Walk

Friends

2/10

Poor

02 Mar 2026

Yasmine

Hidden fee when we arrived

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2026

Leon

I stay here often when connecting through Chicago. For a fraction of what I'd pay for a hotel room, I get a very comfortable bunk in a 4-bunk room with clean sheets and blankets, a clean room with good amenities, a clean bathroom and shower, and a lockable locker for my valuables. The staff are excellent, the bar and lounge area are great, and the location is perfect to get anywhere in the city conveniently (the L station for the red line is just around the corner a block away). Plenty of shops and restaurants in the area, and very convenient to the pier. Definitely recommend this place to save a LOT of money if you don't mind not having complete privacy in the room (I've usually had like one roommate, at most two, and they have always been courteous).

Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2026

Jesus

The hotel was near from the city . I had a great time sleeping over there .
Looking forward to come back again soon

Self

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2026

chris

Clean, comfortable, conveniently located, small, reasonably priced. Two of the electric outlets didn’t work and the blinds didn’t open. But I’d still recommend it.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2026

Rolf

Great value and great location. It’s an older hotel with lots of character. The rooms are small but absolutely adequate, comfortable and clean. The location is great and surrounded by good bars and restaurants.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2026

Kent

Great bar areas! Very clean rooms

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2026

MaryJane

Great location, clean and decent sized room, staff was helpful and amenities are very convenient!

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Feb 2026

LORI

No better place to stay in Downtown Chicago for the money, comfort and easy walking district for shopping or dinning or nightlife. Casino across the street for added fun if that’s your thing! Book it and you will be happy!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Feb 2026

LORI

This is the best hostel I’ve ever been to and what makes it so fabulous is the staff. Anything you need they are there to make your stay comfortable and wonderful! Give it a try!

Self

8/10

Excellent

23 Feb 2026

Sarah

Centrally located, the price was just right, staff was friendly, room small and kind of worn down but adequate for our needs. Would stay here again!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

23 Feb 2026

Joshua

The staff was courteous and very accommodating. The location was extremely convenient. However, the room was not as nice as presented in the photos we saw upon booking. There was also some confusion/miscommunication about how to receive housekeeping services; we used the \"Please clean\" door tag that was in the room, but no one came to clean the room while we were out. The staff then told us that they don't actually use the tags to communicate room cleaning and that it was too late to get our room cleaned. I don't think we would stay here again, but it seems to be a decent choice for folks who won't be spending much time in their room on a trip.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Feb 2026

Andrew

Staff was nice and very accommodating. Was worth the price, I had to pay a fee that I was unaware of due to booking on a 3rd party site. Had some issues with the bathtub not draining.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Feb 2026

Kiarra

Clean room, nice vibes, close to so much, and great staff. I’d just tone down the essential oils in the lounge area it’s a bit overwhelming

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2026

People were nice. Room was tidy and welcoming.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

17 Feb 2026

Aramis Reign

The pictures were not like the room. The room was tiny and we barely had any space.

Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2026

Enrique

It was a cute spot. The room is very simple, just a bed and a bathroom. Everything seemed clean and well-kept. Very little interaction with the staff, but they were friendly. Overall experience is a 4/5, but the location is a 5/5.

Con
Slow and small elevator.
room temperature all over the place

Pro
The lounge is a vibe
location
price
fun photobooth in the lobby
aesthetically pleasing
Bar and cafe

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Feb 2026

Elizabeth

Some areas were clearly untouched by housekeeping like under the bedside tables and there was a cup we didn't use crammed under one of them. Nice bathroom but all of the shelves were loose and even the wood paneling on the wall was loose. There also wasn't a wastebin in the room? The bed was nicely made. The phone and radio didn't even work LMAO. But the sculptures outside the window are really amazing

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2026

Garrison

Great staff! Can’t beat the location!

4/10

Poor

16 Feb 2026

Justin

I was charged an extra $140.88 when checking in when I was told by Expedia that what I paid included all taxes and fees. Thus I was lied to when choosing the hotel. At the hotel, the front desk was fairly rude and condescending. And the hotel room itself the curtain to the window did not work, the lights flickered for about 30 seconds before they finally calm down and the bunkbeds had maps attached to them that looked like they had been destroyed some 30 years ago. They could’ve at least put new ones underneath. One of my friends mentioned the fitted sheet on her bed had holes in it. Beyond that the bathroom was fine. There’s no way to add heat to the room and the fan system they have in the room was broken. Also, in the mornings all I heard was loud music through the walls. There’s no way to call the front desk because there are no phones in the rooms.

Business Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Victoria

Room was clean, cozy and very comfortable. Staff were all friendly, and the atmosphere around the bar and café area was eclectic. Hustle and bustle, close to so much including the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, Water Tower Place, etc. It's got a different feel from chain hotels and if you're looking for something unique, this place deserves your consideration. We will be back!

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

14 Feb 2026

Linzi

The room was cold, the heat didn't seem to work. They did bring a small space heater when I asked about it. After 3 days of staying there, they didn't take out the trash or bring towels despite hanging up the sign on the door to request it. The curtains were nasty and stained.....the decor downstairs is nice, but a minimum of service would have gone a long way.

Business_and_leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

12 Feb 2026

Eva

For the price it wasn’t bad, however I had payed for a king room and I was told I was upgraded to “queen premium” which was not the case. According to their website, I got a regular queen room. Upon inspection, the room cabinets were falling apart- the screws were easily removable so it was hard to open the cabinets. Housekeeping didn’t come by despite having the sign outside the door- trash started piling outside from other people staying. It worked for what I was staying for- but if I was gonna be staying in my hotel room for longer, I would have found somewhere else to stay.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

10 Feb 2026

Alex

The room.felt very neglected. I don't understand how they are running a business downtown Chicago with no heat in the rooms. What is that foul odor in the lobby? Water stained ceiling. Carpet looked out and saturated with filth. I will say the room attendant makes a mean bed. Minute the disgusting throw pillow that need to be thrown away.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Feb 2026

Emily

I enjoyed my stay

8/10

Excellent

09 Feb 2026

Michael

Good yeah GOOD........ They have 4 person room...... And if I'm Honest this is best with a group of people your FAMILIAR with.......... And then I got Queen Elizabeth's room on the 13 th Flower.......... Amazing........ Absolut VODKA and many of RushAAAs finest Communist Community Commissary QUEENS

Pet

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Netzahualcoyotl

Always is a pleasure stay in Freehand Chicago.

Business

6/10

Pleasant

08 Feb 2026

Margarette

the room was good and everyone that worked there was super nice. the room was a little chilly but we've been in a deep freeze for solidly three weeks so it seemed to be a known issue and they brought us a space heater right away. the main issue was that nearly outlet didn't work, including the radio, TV, and bedside lights. had we been staying for longer than one night we might've tried to get a different room but there were a couple outlets that worked where we were able to charge our phones

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2026

Serge

Very clean room, excellent building, amazing part of the city

Business Self

2/10

Poor

06 Feb 2026

Clayton

The room was not as advertised. In addition, there was no heat. An extreme situation as such during Chicago winter season should have been disclosed prior to completing check-in.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2026

Michael

Its never Easy retracing your Old Footsteps in a WORLD that has changed so much....... but my STAY Here in this Schmoozie Hotel...... has definitely been a REAL Blessing....... take me Home, Country Roads>>>>>>>>>

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2026

LORI

1613 yes everything was immaculate

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2026

LORI

This place offer everything and anything you need ! It right in the city and offer a good night sleep without breaking the bank ! Give it a try

Business_and_leisure

2/10

Poor

03 Feb 2026

Jeremy

The first room our heat didnt work the madw us move all our stuff down to the lobby only to move us to another room on the same floorth

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2026

KARTHIK

Good

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2026

Jayden

i've stayed here twice now and its so incredibly charming and beautiful, staff is friendly, and very affordable, HIGHLY reccomend!!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2026

McLayne

Great staff and clean room. However the rooms are really poorly insulated and it was absolutely freezing both times I’ve stayed here.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2026

Pia

Nice staff, clean and spacious room

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2026

Daniel

Room was clean, very nice bunkmates, amenities are nice and staff was amazing.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

31 Jan 2026

Erika

I booked a Premium King which advertised amenities such as a minibar, seating area, and robes… etc. This room had none of this and also was freezing cold. No heat in sub zero temperatures.
They didn’t care and said “those amenities don’t exist here.”
Then why are they advertised? That is illegal.

It was like being in hell for a week. DO NOT STAY HERE.

They also gave me a towel with blood on it. Zero housekeeping service, nothing was as advertised and I regret paying extra for the tiniest room ever. I am fairly certain the King bed was twins pushed together. It was incredibly uncomfortable.

Business_and_leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

31 Jan 2026

Siying

the room is too cold and the AC did not work bery well. No drinking water provided.

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

30 Jan 2026

karthika

It was freezing outside and the room was also freaking cold, the heater were not working and no portable
heaters as well.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2026

Mike

Super friendly staff. Amazing location, keep it quiet, we do not want this to get out

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2026

James Seth

Great staff, great atmosphere, great location, comfy bed. LOVE the Broken Shaker. Would definitely stay again.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

27 Jan 2026

Rafaela

This was the worst place I have ever stayed. It was the middle of winter, and the heater in the bedroom was not working. I asked multiple times for a portable heater because I was freezing, but the staff ignored my requests. The heater was only turned on after I complained several times through Hotels.com. Even then, Hotels.com had difficulty getting in contact with the receptionist. Overall, the lack of responsiveness and basic comfort made this stay extremely unpleasant. I paid to stay in a freezing room.

Self

8/10

Excellent

23 Jan 2026

alizah

Kind of outdated and pretty small rooms but vibes are good. It was very cold though the entire time and the heater did not seem to be working very well

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Jan 2026

Jason

Very Nice atmosphere and staff. Older building with limited heating in rooms

Friends_and_family Friends

2/10

Poor

22 Jan 2026

MD NUR HASAN

This was the worst hotel experience I have ever had. I stayed for four nights during extremely cold weather, and the heater in my room did not work. I contacted the front desk and the manager every single day. They kept saying someone would come, but no one ever did. They moved me to another room, but the heater there was also not working properly and was not enough to survive the cold.

The room was very dusty, and I have a dust allergy. When I complained, they showed no responsibility or concern. The door did not lock properly and kept getting stuck, which made me feel unsafe. The room was extremely dark with almost no outside light. There was only one power outlet near the bed, and no proper charging point. I had to charge my phone in the bathroom, which is completely unacceptable.

Housekeeping was another nightmare. I had to call every single day just to get them to come, even though they clearly understood the situation. Their service was slow, unorganized, and completely unreliable.

The front desk manager and staff were rude, unwelcoming, and unprofessional. They ignored my complaints, gave empty responses, and did nothing to resolve any issues. To make things worse, I still have not received my refund.

For the price and reputation of this hotel, this experience is unbelievable. I do not recommend this hotel to anyone. Avoid this place.

Business_and_leisure Family

2/10

Poor

21 Jan 2026

Jannatul Islam

nasty managment

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

20 Jan 2026

Karen

The heat did not work and it was -12 outside. The rooms are small. Had to move to a new hotel. Never going back there.

2/10

Poor

19 Jan 2026

Nicole

There was no heat in the room. With temperatures as cold as they were, we were extremely uncomfortable.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jan 2026

Craig

My girlfriend and I stayed in room 810 and we had to leave early because of having no heat in the middle of January.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Jan 2026

Sara

Clean room, comfy bed, hot shower, great cafe and bar. But don’t go when it’s frigid temperatures outside. Even with the space heater, the room was pretty chilly. Otherwise, great!

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

19 Jan 2026

Bailee

Great location, but I wouldn’t stay here again.

Rooms and dingy and dusty. Paint peeling off the walls. They must have used up all the budget on the bathroom tile work.

The heat did not work in our room and when we brought it up, they made it seem like we were inconveniencing them lol. After we brought it up a second time, they did begrudgingly move us to a new room.

They also don’t have any wash cloths??? Which is strange for a hotel but whatever I guess.

Spend a few extra dollars and stay somewhere with actual amenities and customer service.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

19 Jan 2026

Gabriela

It was good but heating in my room wasn’t working so they moved me to a different room

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jan 2026

Peter

I happened to stay at the Freehand while visiting Chicago, which

8/10

Excellent

19 Jan 2026

Antonio

yes

Business Self

4/10

Poor

18 Jan 2026

Auldonie

The room was less than clean & smaller than my closet, the lighting was very dull, the heat was broken so the room was about 58 degrees, the body wash was completely empty, some of the staff was extremely rude.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2026

LORI

Best staff best place in the city for your money if you’re willing to share your space and meet new people!

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2026

Abby

would definitely stay again, good price point

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

16 Jan 2026

Wally

It is what it is. Id stay here again but not for a trip you plan on spending a lot of time in your room good place to just rest your head

8/10

Excellent

14 Jan 2026

Kyllian

Minor issues with first room and lacking some more modern amenities but great value and comfy

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2026

Nicholas

It was clean room but only bad thing was the bed was really low to the ground

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2026

Abigail

Enjoyed the bar

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2026

Sydney

Everything was great

8/10

Excellent

11 Jan 2026

Melissa

Room heater was not working had a little space heater for the night.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2026

Christopher

Very clean room, attendant, staff, lovely amenities, and very convenient location

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

07 Jan 2026

Patrice

Clean. Everyone very accommodating.
Great location. Safe

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2026

Kayla

Great fun place to stay close to most things in downtown

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2026

Vince

Staff very nice

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

05 Jan 2026

Fernanda

The staff never came to clean and the shower is really small, other that i like it.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2026

qaiser

Good clean

Business_and_leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

03 Jan 2026

MariaElena

As someone who has stayed at the Freehand for 4+ occasions and it being my go-to place when staying Chicago, this visit around was sorely disappointing. Our heater hadn’t been working in all day, so when we returned to our room, it was FREEZING. (It was 20° in Chicago - if not lower by the time the evening came around.) When calling to ask for help from the front desk, the rep on the other line was short and simply said they’d send someone up with no ETA. It was VERY cold in the room, as the window seemed to be very drafty as well. After 15 minutes went by, I called the front desk again to get an ETA - only to be hung up on before I could even say “hello”?? It took me asking my roommate to make a 3rd call after another 15 minutes had gone by and only for them to say “we know, we’ll have someone up”. When someone did come by, they didn’t enter our room to inspect the heater, they simply handed us a SMALL space heater and said “turn the heater to 78° should come on”. After they left and we turned the temperature to 78°, the heater only came on for about 10 or so minutes before shutting off again and not coming on again at all during the night. Thank God we at least had the space heater or we definitely would have needed another room or another hotel altogether, but just an insane, disappointing experience here at the Freehand. Will not be returning.

6/10

Pleasant

03 Jan 2026

John steve

Quite area in a good location to walk to different locations.

4/10

Poor

02 Jan 2026

Lydia

The heat in the room did not work, so our room was freezing cold.

Leisure

2/10

Poor

02 Jan 2026

Muhammed

It was very bad, no cleaning, disgusting smell and they charged me extra.

2/10

Poor

02 Jan 2026

Jennifer

Do not stay here. None of the rooms have working heating units and they were trying to hand out tiny electric heaters that kept tripping the power. I thought it was just my room but I could hear other people calling down to tell them their rooms where freezing too.

6/10

Pleasant

01 Jan 2026

Katherine

The room was incredibly cold!

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2025

skyler

Very polite. Easiest check in I’ve had at any other place!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2025

Daniel

grea as always

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2025

Alejandro

Freehand is always a wonderful place to stay. I'm a regular from Cleveland. Everything was great. I'll be back.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

30 Dec 2025

megan

I was told to tell you to call the hotel. There was a broken heater in bathroom and they said they would pay for 1 night but you need to call them

8/10

Excellent

30 Dec 2025

Nellie

love it

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2025

Marcus

Good experience and the staff was very courteous and helpful

Self

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2025

Jenn

Room could use some heavy dusting, but other than that it was nice and easy to stay here for a good price.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

29 Dec 2025

James

The hotel is absolutely gross. The elevator and hallways feels and smell like a crackhouse. Maybe this is just for the hostel and there is a different part of the hotel that is cleaner. I don’t know. The door was open when I arrived late and dark inside the room was so gross I immediately turned around and left. There was no way I was sleeping in that room. The mold, the smell and the vibe is seriously so gross. I went to the google reviews and everyone says you pay for what you get and so nice because it’s cheap and location is good.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Dec 2025

James

We love the Freehand! They treat us great and are super accommodating! Outside the hotel is rough, lots of homeless yelling in the street and hanging in the alley! No police presence. Stay in inside the hotel bars or walk fast to Ballys, UNO Pizza or Weber Grill! Room was clean, did not use the laundry!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Dec 2025

Los

Amanda is the best!

8/10

Excellent

23 Dec 2025

Jarrod

Everything was good, except that there are no ice machines on the floors, the beds sit too low, and we could not adjust the ac/ heater.

Leisure Partner