Name: Freehand Los Angeles
Address: 416 W 8Th St, Los Angeles, 90014, US

Freehand Los Angeles

Los Angeles - CA · United States

75 reviews shown

4/10

Poor

31 Jul 2026

Edward

We live 30 minutes away. We went to the hotel to cool off for the weekend as the temperature outside was in the high 90s.
The A/C in the room did not work. Called the front desk twice. Once when we checked in and once again, four hours later and both times they said they would send a technician to take a look at it and they never did. The room was hot and the refrigerator was warm.. We took our own food and it spoiled because they did not keep the food cool.

Security up at the pool area can use some customer service training. They speak to people of they are children. Will not be going back

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jul 2026

Fabiola

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2026

Maria

Great management
Clean hotel would definitely recommend

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2026

Thomas

This place is a very neat building, charming rooms, friendly staff, an outstanding rooftop restaurant and bar, plus pool, it is a whole vibe! From the moment of entry until checkout it is a relaxed atmosphere. We ate breakfast at the little restaurant downstairs twice. The salmon bagel is outstanding. I have the Bloody Mary too. They are strong but tasty. The coffee bar in the lobby makes the most delicious drinks. There is even a unique store with hand drawn and screen printed wearables, hats, bags, art work and candles. 10/10 recommend staying here. The bathroom was clean, bed comfortable, rooms eclectically decorated and comfortable. The hotel is about 10 minutes from Union Station via Uber/Lyft or other ride share. There is a metro stop outside of the hotel.

Across the street is a Dunkin’ Donuts, a night club, and food trucks at night.

8/10

Excellent

29 Jul 2026

Christopher

The Freehand is a good Hotel. The staff stands out. Friendly, courteous and knowledgeable about the area. The surrounding area nightlife is a bit robust but playful. The rooftop pool and restaurant was a welcomed highlight of me and my teenage Son. Overall The Freehand charming motif made for a very pleasant experience.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2026

Stacie

This place was a real gem - fun, boutique style hotel with classic charm and mellow surroundings. Great bar directly across the street too! Definitely would stay here again :)

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2026

Bronica

This was a mom and small daughter trip. The hotel was beautiful. Our room was very nice. I need to acknowledge the valets they were amazing, super friendly even giving us food recommendations. The desk staff was great too. We wanted to use the pool but unfortunately it is open to the public- the whole upper deck is open to them. The restaurant staff was not that great we had to seat ourselves because no one offered help. And when we did get attention after we sat we were greeted with an attitude. Location is close to a lot of places but neighborhood is shady.

8/10

Excellent

26 Jul 2026

Patricia

The room was a 4 person private quad. A little smaller than it looked in the pictures. Roof top pool and amenities were excellent. I wish there was an ice machine.

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jul 2026

Hendrik

The hotel was clean, and the room was big however there is an unlisted additional mandatory amenities fee of $32 per night. Considering the wifi was literally 100x slower than mine at home (5mbs per second vs 500mbs per second) and I struggled to send photos and load websites or Google stuff without just using my data instead. Overall if it weren't for the unforseen fee and unusable wifi it would've been 5 stars. I was unhappy to pay for such bad amenities.

2/10

Poor

25 Jul 2026

Wai

DO NOT STAY HERE, from a seasoned traveler who knows how to splurge but save with cheaper/affordable hotels. LOUD. DIRTY. SHADY MANAGEMENT. The guy charged my credit card for $97.59 in \"facility fee\" WITHOUT telling me at 2AM in the morning when I checked in. REFUSED TO REFUND. SHADY! DISPUTED WITH MY CREDIT CARD COMPANY.

4/10

Poor

24 Jul 2026

Liza Jane

I usually love Freehand but this visit disappointed :( The bar area closed early two of my three nights there due to private parties. My room smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, but I was so exhausted upon arrival I just wanted to sleep instead of switching rooms. I alerted the front desk the next day, and they said they mentioned it to housekeeping, but it smelled the same (potentially worse) after they deodorized it. They also didn't make up my room on the first day. The front desk said I had to go to the gym area to get water. The cappuccino machine was broken when I tried to get breakfast at The Exchange. Such a bummer - I've loved my NYC Freehand visits!

6/10

Pleasant

24 Jul 2026

James

I don't know if I'm just not native to L.A or what, but the shower water was excessively hot. Even when it was barely turned on it was hot as hell. The A/C was also mid to okay, not very strong and just barely kept the room at a comfortable level. The staff were very patient, helpful, and were a highlight.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jul 2026

Andrew

The streets outside are filthy, have a plan to decontaminate when you enter your room.

8/10

Excellent

20 Jul 2026

Ololade

The rooms are clean and the environment in general. The staff are ready to help as well.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2026

Kalani Marie

The room was not what we expected

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2026

Whitney

Great place to stay for a weekend getaway. Everything was clean, food and coffee were good, pool was great, staff friendly and helpful. Will definitely return.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2026

Jason

Well maintained room. It was ready when I requested early check in

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2026

Christopher

Great

Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2026

Andrew

A really amazing stay, and a wonderful experience. The staff were most helpful.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2026

Roy

Very nice!!!

2/10

Poor

14 Jul 2026

Hailee

No AC unless requested. No microwave unless requested. Lights in the room only stay on for 5 minutes at a time. Lights would turn off while I was in the shower multiple times. Paid wayyyy to much for this quality

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2026

Randolph

Honestly, i have no bad comments to make. Everyone and everything exceeded my expectations. I book a private room and was upgraded to a room with a view because it was a birthday trip. The hotel has so much charm and sophistication. The staff were very helpful and friendly. I’d highly recommend the Freehand hotel Los Angeles. Perfect location and the views from the rooftop gave Miami. Thank you for a wonderful stay freehand i will be back.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2026

Aaron

Friendly Staff.

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2026

Wei

great staff

Friends

8/10

Excellent

12 Jul 2026

Vincent

I like how friendly the staff really is and sometimes the showers wasn’t cold.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jul 2026

Ashley

Great staff

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

10 Jul 2026

Xiao

very little sound isolation to the street, lots of cars revving all night every night. room service never came over 3 days (with or without the \"Come In\" card). Rooftop bar is packed with little seating and water from the pool made the whole area slippery.

Self

8/10

Excellent

08 Jul 2026

Adriana

Customer Service lacking. The front desk workers seem overwhelmed. Rooms are slightly run down. Would look best without carpet. Other than that all was fine

Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2026

Alberto Bernardo

I’d come back.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

05 Jul 2026

Raquel

This place was ok , cute rooftop but not worth the money

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2026

David

Great!

2/10

Poor

04 Jul 2026

Fernando.

Didn't use the hotel because of lock of parking people not helpful! Need to credit my card please

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2026

Martha

Friendly staff, amazing views, good food and natural wine! Woo! Lovely time, every time.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2026

Gloria

Room was clean and quiet.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jul 2026

Isaiah

I loved everything about it. Great stay.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jun 2026

Alenoosh

Loved the experience. extremely helpful staff and the Rooftop is a plus beautiful and cozy ambiance. We enjoyed our stay very much. The rooms has 1920’s vibe. Historical! we really loved it. Definitely we’ll be back.

8/10

Excellent

29 Jun 2026

Robert

its starting to need some better maintainance or refresh. Stafff was very hospitable.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jun 2026

Annie

Super cool hotel with great history!

Self

8/10

Excellent

27 Jun 2026

Greg

Generally good. I paid an extra $5.00 for a \"city view\" single room. The room staff gave me was on the 3rd floor & didn't really have a view.
Also last year I stayed in a standard single and seemed larger than last night's room.
Staff is very helpful especially helping me with my bicycle. Next year I will demand a larger room that's higher up.

Partner

2/10

Poor

27 Jun 2026

KANAE

I appreciate the front desk staff for being friendly and helpful during my stay.

I was also looking forward to visiting the café attached to the hostel. On June 19 at around 9:00 a.m., I went there to enjoy a morning latte. A male staff member wearing glasses came to take my order, and I ordered a café latte.

After waiting for more than 10 minutes, he came back to my table empty-handed and asked whether I was only ordering a drink and not any food. I replied, “For now, I would just like a latte, please.”

At that time, I was the only customer in the café. The male staff member and a blonde-haired female staff member continued chatting, yet they made no effort to prepare my drink. I believe I waited another 15 minutes or more.

Even after all that time, they still had not served a single latte. It was a very unpleasant way to start the morning. I did not feel that this level of service deserved my money, so I left and went to a nearby café instead. There, I was served a fresh hot latte and a hot sandwich in less than five minutes.

I do not know whether I was treated differently because I am Asian, but the experience certainly matched some of the negative comments I had heard before. Unfortunately, because of this experience, I will not be returning to this café.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Jun 2026

Syed

Very nice rooms, excellent showers. Bathroom space to put toiletries is a bit small - a very minor point. Wifi is good and reliable. Rooms had an iron and ironing board, but lacked a coffee machine. Good breakfast options, Very helpful staff.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2026

Mark Owen

Affordable for solo travelers. Very Clean room, well maintained every single day. The ambiance is Lit specially the pool and bar at the rooftop staff are Fabulously kind and gentle. I am well Accommodated. Highly Recommended

Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2026

Laura

The hotel is very clean and the people are super nice. The roof top is so charming. The area of LA around the hotel is a little \"interesting\" and there is public parking around the corner. I thought the amenities fee was ridiculous since we didn't use any of the amenities.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2026

Kendra

I chose this establishment because it was reminiscent of McMenamins properties in Oregon. I loved the history and the ambiance of the building. If you’re expecting modern amenities in rooms, you won’t find it here. But, you will find amazing staff, character, and a prime spot in DTLA. Access to main highways was easy. The location reminded me of a similar hotel in Seattle. You will hear outside noise and traffic, but that wasn’t a deterrent for me. There is a shopping center and CVS just a few blocks up, and plenty of business to Door Dash from. If you want to stay somewhere with ambiance and excitement staff, this is the place for you.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

25 Jun 2026

Leyser

Jkandksm

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2026

Priyadarshini

Good stay,polite staff. Walkable distance to CVS, Starbucks, subway, Whole Foods, Paris baguettes etc

Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Jun 2026

Joseph

Fantastic property. Great service. Water pressure was unbelievable

Self

8/10

Excellent

22 Jun 2026

tierra

clean, but the lighting in the room is HORRIBLE and there is no makeup mirror, so if you do makeup... bring a mirror!!
also- breakfast was really good but also very expensive.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2026

Valerie

Our room was really clean and the bed was really comfortable, it was a bit loud at night outside, but it’s okay , we had an overall pleasant stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2026

Cameron

Highly recommend this hotel. One of the best places we have stayed at! The hotel has a great vibe, awesome rooftop, and clean rooms. The staff were wonderful and so welcoming. I love how much character the rooms and hotel had. My ONLY issue was how loud the street was at night (no fault of the hotel) just something to be mindful of. I believe that would be the case anywhere you stay in LA ❤️ no fridge or microwave but that wasn’t an issue for us!

ALSO the hotel does not have free parking only valet. However, there are a bunch of parking options within walking distance of the hotel. The area is relatively safe

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Jun 2026

Sabrina

Roof top bar had a nice ambiance and the food was good.

The fire alarm went off at 8 am with no communication and the phone did not work. After evacuating (walking down 8 flight of stairs), we returned with an announcement that it was a false alarm.
Went to breakfast in the hotel and the server forgot to put our order in so we waited over an hour.

I would go back just to visit the rooftop bar.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Jun 2026

DaVinci-Theonardo

Stayed in a shared room. The latch for the locker I was assigned was broke. Staff were incredibly helpful and solved the problem immediately. Very well kept historical building. The part of town is a little unsafe after dark but otherwise good.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2026

Arath

Excellent

Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Jun 2026

Madiha

Ideal location, the rooms were clean and the other client in the hostel was also nice. The rooftop bar was great.

Self

2/10

Poor

17 Jun 2026

Morgan

DO NOT BOOK!!!! The rooms were NOT as pictured and were DIRTY. They also give you 1 old fleece blanket and a small pillow. The mattress had a GROSS stain on it. The room, the mattress, and the decor haven't been upgraded since the 80's/90's.

It's deceiving because when you walk into the lobby, you'll be welcomed with the modern and beautiful decor, but the upstairs hallways and rooms will NOT match what you see in the lobby/rooftop.

I was able to quickly receive a refund when I reached out to Expedia, but I was then stuck in LA trying to find a place to rest my head for the night.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jun 2026

Justin James

Had a nice experience with my stay

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

16 Jun 2026

Diane

PROS - Walkable to Crypto Arena, great food options, and Whole Foods/CVS next door. Staff was friendly, rooms were a solid size with a wardrobe and mini fridge. No complaints there.

CONS- SUPER LOUD! The street noise is relentless — cars, honking, and the occasional late-night screaming match from below at all hours. Light sleepers, choose a diff spot.

But the dealbreaker? A SURPRISE $65 FEE slapped on at check-in for a 2-night stay. Not mentioned during booking, not in the confirmation, just… there. Nothing says trust us like a hidden fee you discover with your credit card already out.

Great location, friendly faces, questionable billing practices. I WOULD NOT STAY HERE AGAIN.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jun 2026

Brenda

Great location. Great hotel. Coffee shop and restaurant and pool in hotel. Great vibe vintage.

Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Jun 2026

Ilima Adriana

I really liked the hotel. My daughter and I stayed when we attended the Ariana Grande concert. Everything was great, nice room, many walkable eateries, and a nice staff. Only complaints I have are that our window was facing the street and it was sooo loud all night long with people and cars. I couldn’t fall asleep until after 3am.

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

11 Jun 2026

Kaitlyn

Since my room faced the street, I was awoken by gunshots, loud music, and cars going over a pothole in the middle of the road.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2026

sabrina

The hotel had a nice vibe, it was clean and all the employees were nice. The location was perfect for our needs

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2026

Alberto

Friendly staff as always. When we got to the room after checking in, the room was clean, but some stuff from the previous occupant’s were still in the room. Just some drinks, some swag from a convention, nothing major. I called the front desk and they offered to switch rooms for us so we accepted and it was an amazing room upgrade! A great surprise since we were in town for my husband’s birthday. Staff was amazing and even with the little snaffoo from the first room, we will definitely stay here again. It’s become one of our favorites when we come to LA!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Jun 2026

Carmen

Very well appointed hotel, beautiful lobby and rooftop bar and pool. Staff is excellent, very helpful. Our room was nice, but the window sills, blinds, and bedside table surfaces were very dusty. Even when they came and made the bed and refreshed towels, they never dusted any surfaces. Weird. Good location for downtown LA, still a major homeless problem. Expect to see a lot of rundown areas
There’s a Whole Foods next door, a Starbucks, and sweetgreen on the same street as well. We stayed 5 nights and used the valet for our car- in and out no problem, prompt service. The valet guys were great.
Also a unique store connected to the lobby selling tote bags, shirts, sweatshirts and the like with a cool movie and tv series quotes theme “These gays. They’re trying to kill me” I’d recommend!

Family

4/10

Poor

09 Jun 2026

Mehran

Great staffs but poor quality hotel

Self

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2026

Abdul Karim

Hotel outside bad smell and hotel room don’t have shampoo and teeth brushes.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2026

Nichole

Front check-in staff friendly and helpful.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2026

Koyana

Our stay at Freehand LA was wonderful. From our 2 minute checkin to the rooftop bar and pool (check out their happy hour!!), everything was amazing.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2026

Michelle

We had the private room with 6 beds. It seemed like it’d be fun for the kids but it was too high and unsafe for the younger kids. In general the hotel isn’t a great family option. There was a lot of noise and downtown yelling in the middle of the night.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jun 2026

Conrad

No blow dryers. It’s ok. We stayed two nights and asked to clean our room 1 of the days. They forgot. AC works well. No toiletries - it’s ok. I brought mine. Be sure to bring a blow dryer. Price is good for what you don’t get

6/10

Pleasant

06 Jun 2026

Joshuaine

Stayed for work - room was fine.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2026

Jennifer

I stayed at the Freehand Hotel for one night during the week and had a fantastic experience. The hotel has a fun, stylish vibe and a great location in DLA. I spent some time at the rooftop pool, enjoyed drinks from the bar, and absolutely loved the mushroom tacos.

My room was on the smaller side, but it was cute, comfortable, and had an incredible view of the DTLA skyline. Everything felt clean, well-designed, and welcoming. Staff was friendly and helpful.

This has officially become my new favorite place to stay in Downtown LA. The only downside was the valet parking, which was $60 for the night. Other than that, I had a wonderful stay and can't wait to come back.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2026

Nick

Stayed with kids. We all enjoyed it.

8/10

Excellent

04 Jun 2026

Zhenqiao

Good.

Self

2/10

Poor

03 Jun 2026

Clara

The room we stayed in was TINY. It had no tv, no chairs, no extra towels, no body wash, no clean blankets or pillows or a phone. Terrible. I don’t recommend staying here

Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2026

Carla

Our shower has the best water pressure of any hotel I’ve ever stayed in! The rooftop bar was a bonus and super cool spot to hangout at. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The Freehand hotels always have a super cool vibe and this location was no exception.

Partner