Name: Freehand Chicago
Address: 19 East Ohio Street, Chicago, 60611, US

Freehand Chicago

Chicago - IL · United States

100 reviews shown

2/10

Poor

03 Aug 2026

Duncan

Used latex gloves left on bed and floor. Stained sheets. The shower made a noisy. Only outlet that worked was in the bathroom.

2/10

Poor

03 Aug 2026

Jasmine

This hotel is awful. The room was very dirty, the a/c unit felt more like a fan, We would keep the hotel hallway door open because it was much cooler in the hallway. Everything was covered in mold. And lastly there was no safety lock on the inside so anyone could’ve gotten in our room if they had a key card. Would not recommend

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2026

Juan

Rooms were on small side but big bed and TV. Stayed on 16th floor and seemed like water pressure was issueba couple of times. Area around hotel has a bunch of restaurants is walkable and easy access to subway.
Cafe on-site was excellent

4/10

Poor

02 Aug 2026

Clio

the room was not clean, there was a layer of dust on almost every surface in the room. the linens were stained, and in poor condition. pillows were too small and flimsy. there was a couch in the room but the cushions were flimsy and fell off, the cushions were also stained. the room had a strong odor. staff were helpful with multiple issues, they were quick to respond to requests. the bar had a fun vibe but it was not worth it to be in the conditions the room provided.

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2026

Brandon

The room was old and cramped but well-maintained enough. You come to this place for its prime location in Chicago, not the room itself. Couples will be challenged by queen rooms but it's actually not bad for solo travelers.

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2026

Jacob

Room was relatively clean. Elevators are very small and take a long time to wait when called for

4/10

Poor

01 Aug 2026

Bradley

I would not stay at the Freehand again. Our stay was a mess from the moment we checked in. They said we had “checked in” already, but we had not yet been to the property yet. They had to give us a new room.

When we got to our room, the room was not very clean. There was still trash from the last guests. When we left the sign for them to clean our room, all they did was give us new towels.

The bed is also shorter than most queens; I’m tall and I could not fully extend my legs. The walls are also paper thin, and other guests were screaming down the hall until 1 a.m. It was not easy to get a good night’s rest here.

The building has also not been updated. An old building can have charm, but this one did not. The doors were nearly impossible to open—this was for all doors in our hall. I heard other guests struggling with their doors too. The AC does not work very well. I had it set to 60 and was sweating most of the night. There was a persistent musty smell throughout our stay.

I did feel safe at this property, but then again, Chicago is relatively safe. The showers had consistent water pressure and warmth. The location was also convenient. Other than these few things, I was disappointed with the quality of the hotel.

I generally don’t expect much out of a hotel. I need a safe and clean place to lay my head at night, and this didn’t quite clear my bar for those things.

8/10

Excellent

01 Aug 2026

Milena

If u looking for a place for just sleep this is the one

The location it’s PERFECT! theres not to much to do in the hotel, the rooms are small but it was enough for me and other 3 people in the cuádruple room, we would like it to have a mini fridge or water or coffee at least.

4/10

Poor

31 Jul 2026

Sabrina

description and pictures do not match the reality of this facility. I drove around the block 2 times trying to find this location before finding it, they did not have their signage on. Then I drove around another 2 times ( 4 times after 10pm at night) trying to find parking. Finally parked blocks away to check in. Got to the room and was disappointed of the condition, It was dirty and I didn't feel safe or secure so I went down and canceled my stay. The staff was understanding and said they would issue me a full refund. I still haven't received my refund, only half...

2/10

Poor

31 Jul 2026

Miguel

Very disappointed by my experience here. Left my suit in my room when I checked out. I called a few hours later to help locate it and was was told by the receptionist to register the lost item on ileftmystuff.com they refused to help any further. My suit was never found. I called back and was directed to the head of house keeping who did not answer. I left a voice mail that was never returned. Also at one point during my stay the overhead lights flickered out and my room was in the dark due to someone vacuuming the halls. Attached is my view from the window.

2/10

Poor

31 Jul 2026

Heather

I never leave negative reviews but this is absolutely the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed at. We were booked for 3 nights but could only tolerate 1 so I am out the money for the second two nights and had to pay to book another hotel. The room was absolutely filthy—dirty tissues on the floor, used ear buds in one of the beds, dust, debris and literal trash under the mattresses. The curtains were broken and had the boning sticking out. Our hand soap was completely empty. When we asked for more at the front desk they said we could get some the next day. This was a room with 2 sets of bunk beds. The beds had curtains around them with horrible stains. The sheets were dirty with spots of dirt and hair embedded in them. I was told by the front desk and Expedia that I could get a refund for the second two nights. It’s been a week with no refund and communication has stopped.

2/10

Poor

31 Jul 2026

Muhammad

Sucks

2/10

Poor

31 Jul 2026

Arben

My daughter and I stayed at Freehand Chicago for a weekend while visiting universities. We chose the hotel because we wanted to keep the trip economical. I wasn’t expecting a luxury experience, but given the location and price, I did expect the hotel to provide a safe and secure environment.
Unfortunately, security was a major concern throughout our stay. I tried working in one of the common areas one morning and noticed a homeless individual come in shortly after I sat down. He wasn’t threatening, but when I returned about eight hours later, he was still there, which made me question whether the common areas were being monitored at all.
The more troubling incident happened later that day. While working in the same common area, another individual who appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol aggressively propositioned me for sex. When I ignored her, she approached another guest and did the same. Eventually, a staff member asked her to leave, and after a heated exchange involving threats to call the police, she finally left. This was the first time I’ve ever felt genuinely uncomfortable and unsafe staying at a hotel. Regardless of whether these individuals were guests, the hotel should have better security and monitoring of its common spaces. Given the rates being charged, I was surprised there wasn’t a visible security presence. I didn’t raise the issue at checkout, which I probably should have, but I simply wanted to leave. I cannot recommend this place.

6/10

Pleasant

31 Jul 2026

Helen

The only thing was that there was no tv in the room. But it wasn’t a big thing. Everything else was just as expected

2/10

Poor

30 Jul 2026

Maria Lisette

The worst staff experience I’ve encountered at a hotel in all my years of traveling across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Our room was pretty loud, and when I asked if we could be moved to another room, I was told they were sold out and that we had been assigned that room because I booked a discounted rate through Expedia. I use Expedia quite often and have never experienced an issue like this before.

To be fair, one of the staff members did try to help by looking into the situation, but the person he consulted was the one who made the comment about the discounted Expedia booking. Unfortunately, other staff members we interacted with were not very pleasant either. A friend I was with even commented that it seemed like they weren’t able to help us with anything.

It was incredibly frustrating being in a different city on a summer Saturday night, trying to figure out how I was going to get any sleep. What disappointed me the most was the lack of empathy and effort to find a solution. Thankfully, it was only for one night.

I was relieved that I thought of using the noise cancellation feature on my AirPods, and fortunately, the noise stopped around 10:15 PM. The noise appeared to be coming from the parking area next door, so I would recommend requesting an upper-floor room if possible.

The location itself is great, but the poor customer service significantly affected the overall experience.

8/10

Excellent

30 Jul 2026

Salvador

Very close to all the attractions. Parking is nearby but pricey😉. Staff are OK. Cleanliness is OK and the smell of our room we love it.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2026

Mya

Found this hotel for me and my sister to stay at for a concert. Only stayed for one night but loved what we experienced at this hotel in that amount of time. Super friendly staff and very clean environment!

8/10

Excellent

30 Jul 2026

Peter

The room was clean, the service responsive and the ambience warm and inviting. Some of the staff were unhelpful and one was rude.

8/10

Excellent

30 Jul 2026

Paula

The location is great and it’s a clean and fun hotel. But you can’t trust the final price you see in Expedia. There are extra charges not mentioned here.

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

29 Jul 2026

Angelina

The hotel was not ready for check in until 3 hours later than what was considered to be \"check-in\" time. I also requested room service to refill amenities within a four day span and they only did it once which was our last day there. Also, the ceiling started to randomly crack on our last day which was from a water leak from the room upstairs.

2/10

Poor

29 Jul 2026

Gabrielle

Room was digusting, there was black mold in the bathroom and room itself. Dust was caked on every surface and the room smelled stale. I was scared to turn the ac on or expose my skin to the room. I complained to the front desk and they did absolutely nothing. Will not be returning, truly don’t know why or how we saw so many guests.

4/10

Poor

29 Jul 2026

ruben

This place is a bit like a Hostal.

Beds in my room were 4 compact bunkbeds.
No soap in shower, only in sink.
Slippery bathroom floor.
Ac not working.
No fans to spare.
Had to crack-open window and city noise did not let me get a good sleep.
It was clean and staff tried to be helpfull.

4/10

Poor

29 Jul 2026

Chris

Room did not look to be cleaned at all. No soap, ac was inop

6/10

Pleasant

29 Jul 2026

Jessica

Hustle and bustle of the city sounded like it was in our living room. Comfy beds but hard to sleep with the noise. Very unique hotel. Location was great right in the middle of downtown. Would stay again maybe on top floor I. The center to minimize the noise.

6/10

Pleasant

29 Jul 2026

Nathan

Very old and dark and small hotel with small bathroom, not all outlets worked, bed and bathroom were clean but room was dirty otherwise.

4/10

Poor

28 Jul 2026

Yasue

I stayed a double room. There is no fridge or coffee in the room, no coffee in the lobby. Unlike other hostel type property, there is no communal kitchen. Very small gym with no towels or sanitary wipes to clean equipment. Very bare bones, basic necessity property. On top of that, the front lady was very rude - she gave a completely different treatment to the young guy in front of me (gave him a comp drink ticket) but didn't even give me information regarding the property for me. Only two good things.... it was in a very convenient location, and my room was clean. That it. Surely there has to be better property for the price they charged. I would NOT recommend it.

2/10

Poor

27 Jul 2026

Erwin

No hotel should be having carpet floors.

4/10

Poor

27 Jul 2026

Lavar

6/10

Pleasant

27 Jul 2026

Dylan

The couch in my room was covered in stains (it was gross and I am pretty tolerant usually of that sort of thing). No standard hotel toiletries (fine but could have used a heads up on that). the four bunk bed concept was a little odd but comfortable. Bar down stairs and the vibe was cool, just needs some work on the cleanliness.

8/10

Excellent

27 Jul 2026

Valeria

Cozy, private, aesthetic with a vintage vibe. Staff was nice. Room was clean, except for a few stains on the couch. Great location. Would definitely stay here again.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2026

Christopher

Nice staff

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2026

Josilyn

Great customer service, the bartender was fantastic and fun!

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2026

Nick

Great stay highly recommend.

2/10

Poor

26 Jul 2026

Aerreon

Terrible

2/10

Poor

26 Jul 2026

Yeimi

The pictures looks differents,
The blankets didn't have linings, so I should bring my own in case I needed them. It was dimly lit and smelled damp. The staff was excellent.

8/10

Excellent

26 Jul 2026

Jessica

Rooms are small which was expected, but they seemed a little worn. The property was in need of the maintenance, but it wouldn't stop me from staying here again for the price. We weren't spending a lot of time in the room anyway because we were out exploring the city. It was very centrally located and a great way to explore the neighborhood. Close to restaurants, bars and shopping.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2026

Joanna

We were looking for something last minute, and decided to go for this one for the price. We loved the bunk beds and they are very comfortable! Very cute tiny rooms.

6/10

Pleasant

25 Jul 2026

Ryan

Rooms good for sleeping. Not much room to move arround. City view through smaller windows. Beds are comfortable.

8/10

Excellent

25 Jul 2026

Frank

Really great area to get around, comment faces of the hotel are really cute. Really enjoyed the broken shaker for breakfast and drink drinks.

I did find the walls to be thin and rooms tend to be noisy if anyone was being allowed in the neighboring rooms.

2/10

Poor

25 Jul 2026

Abigail

Our room was incredibly hot and smelled bad. As soon as we checked in we requested to have the air conditioner be looked at. No one ever came. With the heat and mugginess it smelled of mildew because of the leaking faucet. Sweating and miserable we got no sleep and left very early in the morning. Will not ever come back!

2/10

Poor

24 Jul 2026

Chun Hei

This is the dirtiest hotel I ever stayed in my years of travel. I experienced all of the below points for just 1 night stay at the hotel.

- stain on the bed sheet
- a used towel hanging behind the washroom door
- a pair of socks found on the floor, beside the bed (unbelievable!)
- an obvious human hair left on top of the toilet cover
- the bottom of the toilet seat was not clean, there was yellow stain

When I reported the issue to the reception at night, the hotel staff did not apologise at all about the situation, he simply said he will refund half of the money for my stay and changed the room for me. I am okay with it as I just want to get a new clean room for my sleep.

Few weeks after I still haven’t got my money back and no response from the hotel even after I wrote email to them to follow up.

Terrible hotel, avoid at all cost!

2/10

Poor

24 Jul 2026

Rafael

Great location. Walkable to everything down town. Terrible service and management. I spent over $1600 to stay for the week and I only asked to have my room cleaned one day. It wasn't done. I did what their site policy says about requesting service. When I reported that evening to management about my room not done, he wrote down my number and i figured it would be cleaned then the next day (so i thought). I asked for additional towels to be delivered that night. The next day I went off to work and figured that my room would be cleaned as I complained the night before and would expect it to be done the next day. When I came back to my room, it wasnt done again. I spoke again to the afternoon manager and he said that I didn't request it in the morning of that day. I told him that why would I do that if I already complained it from the night before. He as a manager should have made sure to leave a note or comment about getting it done the next morning. His take away from all this was that policy states if requesting service, ask in the morning. So, pretty much he was putting the blame on me. What a poor manager and leader he is. I would not return here ever again and wouldn't recommend anyone else with that type of leadership!

6/10

Pleasant

24 Jul 2026

Ben

Room smelled a bit musty. Was pretty small and old with only a slight bit of charm

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jul 2026

Loren

Very much the budget option if you're going to be staying in downtown Chicago. Rooms are kinda small and the building is old. The bed was not very good, but it was okay.

Where the hotel loses points though is cleanliness. The bed sheets had visible stains on them that kinda grossed me out. Maybe I was just unlucky and got the junky sheets, but I hope that's not the norm here.

However, it's a pretty good location. Not far from the station and there's some stuff in walking distance around there.

8/10

Excellent

23 Jul 2026

Maria

Great place in the heart of the city
Accommodations met our needs!

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2026

Damein

The staff was very excellent!

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jul 2026

Petra

The ac could have been cooler.

2/10

Poor

21 Jul 2026

Nikki

We booked with freehand Chicago despite the reviews because the New York location was awesome. We called the day before check in to see if we could get a mini fridge in our room because I needed to store breast milk. We were told they are typically all in use during the weekend and they couldn’t not reserve one for us. We checked in for our premium king room on Saturday. We asked the front desk for a mini fridge and the man at the front desk quickly intervened saying they were all signed out. They were unable to store the milk for us at all. Oh well it is what it is. We get up to our room and it is HOT and very humid. We turn on the very outdated AC unit and leave for dinner hoping to come back to a cool room. We were very wrong. The room did not cool off at all and was still 76 degrees. We spoke to the front desk about this but all rooms were sold out. They brought us a small desk fan. We left the hotel that evening to stay with family in the area. Can’t express how much I do not recommend this hotel.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Jul 2026

Nya

That's the hotel doors were stuck always had to push them open. Half the time the key cards did not work. the room was smaller than expected and tight. bathroom was tight as well there's no extra other than the light switch in the room and a TV.there's no coffee pot there's no microwave there's no fridge there's nothing like that. the lobby definitely very nice but the rooms are dated and definitely need an upgrade when it comes to that so that. The stay is okay if you're just looking for somewhere to put your head down and get a stiff drink. There was a location fee of $88 that I was not told of. $88 when I arrived to check in is not what I was expecting. I feel like at least should have been made aware of that either on this platform or in some other way and if it was mentioned it should have been shown in big bold letters somewhere.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2026

Robin

The hotel is in an amazing location close to everything you would want to do in Chicago. The price cannot be beat! The vibe of this boutique hotel is hip and cool and it was very clean.

Partner

2/10

Poor

19 Jul 2026

Anisha

they had so much dirt in the bunk beds and the little miniature sofas in the room, there was literally hair on that small sofa, the curtains had weird stains on them, the technical switches to operate the light and everything else was so so so outdated and not maintained properly, the ac wasnt working even on 60 F, and the staff had such an attitude whenever you tried talking to them, no concern about customer problems at all
worst experience ever, will never consider any freehand hotels ever again

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jul 2026

james

Great location
Great vibe

Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Jul 2026

Laura

Not a lot to say about this property other than our room was stinky and dirty. Our bathroom smelled like urine and our shower looked like it needed a good scrub. Staff was decent.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

19 Jul 2026

Taylor

Room was filthy. Light fixtures are twine so they’re covered in dust. Hairs all over the shower and bed. Curtain liner in the shower had mold spots. Smelled musty with the a/c making a huge wet spot on the carpet below. It was so moist in the room that the door was sticking and wouldn’t even latch so our belongings were in the room where the door could just be pushed open. Tiny elevators, dark and dingy halls, no water refilling stations unless you go into the fitness room in the basement. I even spoke to another guest who said her and her sun woke up with bad sinuses. Do not recommend.

Partner

2/10

Poor

19 Jul 2026

Kyra

I really wanted to like this place because the concept was adorable. The room had four bunk beds, which made it perfect for a group of friends and gave it fun and a unique vibe. Unfortunately the cleanliness was a major issue. The pillows were stained, there was a noticeable layer of dust around the beds. The curtain were also stained, and there was even a clump hair and dust sitting in the shower when we arrived. In addition the banquette seating was terribly dirty we used towels to cover it because it was littered with stains and crap. It seriously mad us question how thoroughly or rather IF the room has been cleaned before check in.
We went downstairs to ask for clean pillows, but there wasn’t anyone at the front desk at the time. I understand that staffing issues happen, but even when we checked in the employees (4) were clutter by the front desk hanging out and talking. Only one cut off the gab session to welcome and check in their guests. Overall, the room had a lot of potential, but the lack of cleanliness a d staff accessibility incredibly overshadowed the experience. I also have photos to corroborate our experience, which I am not sure if Expedia will allow. So if not please refer to my yelp review.

Friends

2/10

Poor

18 Jul 2026

Rebecca

Bare bones amenities and extremely small rooms and bathroom space. A taller person would have a difficult time using the toilet and tight space in the room made it difficult to justify the price of the hotel. It was trendy in all the wrong ways with a club like vibe 24/7. The noise, dark and damp atmosphere can make it easy to conceal dirt and bacteria. Overall, the price absolutely does not justify the experience.

Self

8/10

Excellent

18 Jul 2026

Narayanan

No Microwave oven present.

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

18 Jul 2026

Jane K.

Broken AC in one of the rooms we rented. 2nd room had an underperforming AC. Staff was super nice but not able to get the rooms cool.

Rooms are tight. Linens are clean. Hotel is refurbished historic hotel--a little dark and dank, but a great location.

Good vibes with staff and guests in spite of the challenges.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2026

Anna

Authentic Chicago Vibe

8/10

Excellent

17 Jul 2026

Tiffany

We stayed for one night for the Noah Kahan concert. Check in was easy. Common areas were clean. Staff was friendly. The private dorm we had was a standard. The shower was hot & the A/C was cold. While I appreciated 3 of the 4 mattresses had encasement covers, the mattresses were not overly comfortable. The curtains between beds were dirty/stained as were the room curtains. Only carpet that was easily accessible had been swept. A thick layer of dust was visible on the top of the locker. This room could have been great had it been cleaned a little better. Overall, a good place to stay for the price if you are looking for a cheap stay & do not plan on being in the room.

Family

4/10

Poor

17 Jul 2026

ROBERT

Unique place but room smelled. No soap. Ac wasn’t working.

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jul 2026

Lisa

We get to the hotel and the room we are in is not cleaned. I go and ask for another room and they said they didn't have any available. So I called the manager and ask about getting another room. It's funny how they told me there was no other rooms available, but when I called the manager, we got another room.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

16 Jul 2026

Steven

Great bar and restaurant. The rest was bad. Musty rooms with mold. Ac was useless. Showers smelled funny. Stay away unless ur looking for a step above a budget motel with an awesome bar and lobby. Best bar and bartenders in the city IMO

Self

8/10

Excellent

16 Jul 2026

Lea

This is an old property with a spruced up lobby and bar. Rooms have been given a superficial update, but fabric on seating areas was worn and not particularly clean. Walls and woodwork could have used a wipe down. Room was quite small, as expected (no problem), but the bathroom was surprisingly large. We booked a premium quad with four bunks, and the twin bunks were surprisingly comfortable with clean, fresh linens and a decent duvet on each. Front desk staff were pleasant, helpful, and efficient. Service at the bar was great, and it was still doing a brisk business when we got back from a concert at 11:30 on a Wednesday night. Overall, for our unfussy family of four, this was a perfectly decent one-night stay that’s right on the red line.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

15 Jul 2026

Trista

Room was disgusting-it’s like they’ve never actually cleaned the place just put new bedding on between guests because there are stains all over the bunk bed dividers- I didn’t even want to touch them since it looked like bodily fluid stains- they should just take the dividers down permanently.
There was mold all the way down the corner of the shower and a huge mold growth at the base of the shower.

The window shade and visibly broken and didn’t roll up.

The toilet paper roll holder attached the wall fell apart as it was already partially broken.

They had no toiletries in the room- I had to go down to request anything that we needed because there’s no phone in the room as well as no microwave/fridge/TV and only the outlets in the bathroom worked for charging all 4 of our phones.

Overall felt gross and cramped
The ONLY thing I like abt this place is the location, hated spending time in the room though.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jul 2026

Raymond

No problem with check in. Great location.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jul 2026

Lindsey

Great place for the price!

6/10

Pleasant

14 Jul 2026

Annil

honestly the place wasn’t horrible, it was livable. the ac unit did not work, the blinds did not open, the phone was not working and was missing buttons, it smelled like a previous guest was smoking in the room we were in and the TV did not work at all. it was an ok experience.

4/10

Poor

14 Jul 2026

Alex

Disgusting room, stains on bed and windows. Virtually no lighting. Staff unhelpful. Requested new sheets that never came. Moldy shower curtain.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Jul 2026

Jaclyn

I was a bit concerned with how this property was maintained. Walking into the room, the door would almost get jammed every time we opened or closed it. There is only one light that we had trouble turning on and it was very dim, which made me feel like I was staying in a seedy motel. There were no lamps. The paint was peeling off of the ceiling. The bathroom door is sliding and does not fully close, which means there is no privacy while using the toilet if you are traveling with anyone.

A couple other things to note would be that the rooms are very small (understandable in a bigger city) and there is no fridge or microwave.

We were looking forward to going to the cocktail bar at the end of the night but when we arrived at 12:30 on a Friday, they had already done last call even though the posted hours online say they’re open until 2 AM.

I would not return to this hotel.

Partner

4/10

Poor

13 Jul 2026

Jillian

Upon arrival, the hotel check-in staff was nice. We went up to our room and immediately were confused as the pictures did not compare to the grungy room we entered. The room had a mustiness to it, the shower curtain was moldy, and entirely felt unclean. The music in the lobby was thumping so hard we could hear it in our room. We went downstairs to the employee and asked if we could be changed to another room, which he then barley looked at his computer and said they were all booked and we could try again in the morning. We toughed out the night. Went downstairs in the morning where a lovely woman employee changed our room to one on another floor. We take all out stuff up, enter the room, and someone had either still been using it or just left 10 minutes prior as the bed was unmade, had a yellow stain, shower was still wet. We went back downstairs, and the lovely worker apologized, upgraded our room, and gave us free drink vouchers for the bar. The rest of our stay was okay. I definitely would not book this hotel again as it just had an overall general must to it.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2026

LORI

The staff is what makes this place worth staying ! Dana front desk is always pleasant, very efficient and is willing to help your stay as comfortable and stress free as possible. David the night clerk was also super friendly and honestly they care about your stay. The rooms are clean and comfy and the whole vibe is chill .. calm and edgy! Take a chance you won’t be sorry!✔️✔️💙💙

Friends

8/10

Excellent

13 Jul 2026

Clifton

Great location.

Self

8/10

Excellent

13 Jul 2026

Moeen

Perfect location, small room but I didn’t stay in Chicago to spend extra time in the room. Hotel has a lot of character. Room was clean except for some mildew on the shower curtain. Would stay here again.

4/10

Poor

12 Jul 2026

Michael

Old hotel
Room not really clean
They gave me a room with no refrigerator or microwave on top of the bar
Toilet would run. You had to turn off it's water source to make it stop.
Old carpet

Only two real grace is it's in walking to miracle Mile attractions.

Self

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2026

dusty

Small rooms but if you don't plan on being in the room much it's perfect. The bar was great friendly staff delicious drinks!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jul 2026

Traci

Great location, affordable, comfortable bed, great air conditioning and plenty of hot water great water pressure in the shower.

Self

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2026

Nathalie

Nice place
Good vibe

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jul 2026

Chai

Bar could’ve been cleaner, the rest of the stay was excellent

Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Jul 2026

Theo

Nice hotel for the price. It was in the city - walkable to all city attractions. If you don’t mind staying in a room about the size of a cruise ship interior room then you will enjoy your stay. We enjoyed our stay because we spent most of the time out exploring the city.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Jul 2026

Aaron

We enjoyed out short stay at the Freehand in Chicago. We were originally placed in a room on the 17th floor. However, the air conditioning wasn't working so they quickly moved us to another quad room on the 4th floor. The space worked great for my family of 4 adults. We also enjoyed talking with Selma at the bar while watching World Cup games.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jul 2026

William

Amazing overall

2/10

Poor

09 Jul 2026

William

Moldy private equity owned bummer.

Partner

2/10

Poor

06 Jul 2026

Mia

We had to switch rooms because the ceiling vent in the bathroom was taped to the ceiling and fell while we were out of our room. There was hair clogged in the drain. Our TV did not work and there was hair in the sink. Our door also did not properly close. Overall not a great experience. Then our second room, the bathroom floor was sticky.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2026

Marsha

The decor was excellent!!!!!! Inviting, relaxing atmosphere the music was great!! Which that was playing in the sitting area. I will definitely stay there again. Close to public transportation, walking distance from shopping, restaurants and the food service there was good.

Self

8/10

Excellent

06 Jul 2026

Conor Genki

It was pretty clean overall except just make sure you are are aware of how to use the air conditioner because it took me a bit to understand it. Also it doesn’t say but the city of Chicago charges an extra $100 dollar fee for staying here because of tourism.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2026

Lynette

The staff are very friendly and helpful. They really make you feel welcome! Our room was great, we have 4 bunk beds and a private bath.
Great location, fun atmosphere, nice coffee shop/cafe!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2026

Charles

It was very nice and staff were nice as well.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2026

Dainiso

El hotel está muy bien. No tiene parking es lo malo.

4/10

Poor

05 Jul 2026

Natalie

My friends and I literally used this hotel as a way to store our luggage because there was no accessibility to use basic functions of what you would need in an hotel/motel. For example, there was only one towel, no shampoo/conditioner or body wash, the lights of the quad bunk bed didn't turn on. The size of the room for a quad and bunk bed was super small. The room doors didn't even open, and you have to push it hard as if you are breaking into your own hotel room. Save your money since you get charged additional fee for it to be in downtown area. Forget about living in this hotel, I won't even want to live on any hotels in the same block as it felt risky and scary.

Friends

2/10

Poor

05 Jul 2026

RAJWINDER

Very very bad hotel

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2026

Colin

Was good 👍

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

02 Jul 2026

Megan

Great location. Rooms were clean. Offsite parking for 49$. Rooms are really quite small. Very very slow and busy elevators. Phone didn’t work to call front desk. We kept being told someone would bring up a mini fridge to our room for our medications however it never got brought up and eventually after asking all day was told that they must be out. They did not follow up with us or offer us ice in the meantime.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jul 2026

Stephen

I took my kids on a summer trip to Chicago and stayed at Freehand. Was perfect location and they loved the bunk beds. The private quad was perfect for us. Close to everything.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

01 Jul 2026

Prakash

The hotel was dark and dingy. The room was small, dark, the curtains were old and dirty, the carpet needed a good clean. The bathroom was so small. The only thing positive was the bed was comfortable and the hotel location was close to the river.

Partner

4/10

Poor

30 Jun 2026

Marissa

the bathroom was adorable, the rooms were dusty and outdated. also had a stained bath towel and no garbage bags for the can. 3/10 recommend

Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Jun 2026

Jacobb

Nice vibes, private quad was nice for my group. Water was hot n stayed hot. In DT so if you're a light sleeper it probably isn't the best but if you're a heavy sleeper like me it's fine.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jun 2026

Sharon

This is an old hotel in Chicago. Not fancy but really hip. It's a hostel style, but I had a single room. Walked in and was greeted by friendly, helpful assistance. The place is all dark wood and dimly lit with some whimsy. They seemed to have a happening lounge. I just peeked in as I was headed out for the evening to see Weird Al. I thought it was a pretty cool hotel. I liked the ghost sign that said Tokyo Hotel underneath the Freehand sign. Bally's casino is right across the street. You won't be bored in this location. I'd stay here again.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jun 2026

Sierra

The cutest stay ever!

Partner

2/10

Poor

28 Jun 2026

Robert

The hotel didn’t meet my general expectations for a normal stay at a moderately-high priced city hotel:

1. Bath gel was completely empty upon arrival
2. On checkout on a Sunday morning, we were told that luggage storage was already at capacity so we were stuck holding our luggage for the afternoon. Front desk staff provided no alternatives or when storage would be available.
3. The cook had to leave and close the restaurant so there was no food available after 11:30 am. Again, nowhere to go since we couldn’t store our luggage anywhere.

Partner