If you're used to be hosted in hotels (3* or up), you'll might get disappointed. On the other hand, it's a nice place for low profile travellers, where you can improve your network since, as the hostel concepot says, you'll share your room with different people (from 4 to 10 people rooms). I got a private room, which was in the third floor, the elevator didn't work and the corridor had a strange smell, like wet wood and it was a little sad... The people at reception was friendly and nice and the breakfast had few choices (muffis and orange juice).

Stayed here 4 nites in a quad in high season for under 40USD per nite. Placen is clean, staff plentiful & pool & garden area + location/price are the draw. European, Braziillian crowd/ median age 26 (though some young families w kids& 50+).Free wifi/street meter parking 8-6pm Things to know: bring a small sturdy lock(luggage size) for non private room lockers; bring earplugs/eye shades if sensitive to dance music till 2 am (the pool area=evening hangout for public) and roommates returning in same period. Outdoor smoking/pool, garden etc is allowed throughout Fla. If you're a young single female: be wary of some of the guys!

The Freehand is a funky little hostel property for twenty-something hipsters from all over the world. It is certainly not for everyone. The halls can be a bit noisy at times. There is no carpet in the entire place, as far as I could tell. If you are over thirty years old, and are discomforted by being the oldest person in the room, you absolutely should not stay at this property. If you have kids with you, this is not the property for you. However, I absolutely loved the little place. They have a great little salt water pool, with a really fantastic high-end cocktail bar featuring the work of two truly excellent mixologists, and some friendly and knowledgeable bartenders. The rooms are profoundly spartan. Many of the rooms are shared, with bunkbeds. I opted for a private room. Service, as with any hostel, is less than minimal. The housekeeping "staff" isn't going to put chocolates on your pillow, in other words. No restaurant or food, really, other than complimentary muffins, juice and coffee for breakfast. However, there is a great little Cuban family restaurant a half-block away that serves cheap, excellent food. Plus you are a significant walk (or short cab ride) away from all of the restaurants of South Beach.

For a comfortable, very simple, affordable stay in Miami Beach, it is hard to beat the Freehand. If you are in your 20's and you are part of the super-cool crowd, you'll fit right in. That doesn't describe me, but I will definitely be back anyway. Great place.

I stayed at the Freehand from Feb 7-11 for my first visit to Miami Beach with a few friends. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the hotel.

Pros: The hotel provides complimentary coffee/muffins in the morning which is nice. The outdoor space is pretty awesome. Lots of places to lounge about and a good amount of chairs by the pool for laying out. They also play great music. The outdoor area with the bar and pool was great fun. It was nice to have a drink or two there before hitting the town. The outdoor area is never locked, so when my friends and I came home, sometimes around 4 or 5am, we could dip our feet in the pool and just relax for a while. I thought this was really nice. The room itself was simple, but always clean and comfortable. We were in the four person private quad. I was on a top bunk, so getting up to go to the bathroom at night meant climbing a ladder but this was the most minor of inconveniences. No complaints about the room or room service. Also, every time we needed something the staff was friendly and available. The location of the hotel itself is also quite nice - just two blocks from the beach. It is not in the heart of South Beach, but it's a nice quiet area. The heart of SoBe is easily walkable in 10 minutes, and a cab ride from the hotel to Nikki Beach (southernmost part of Miami Beach) was only $12.

Cons: The only two cons to this place was that there did seem to be a funky odor permeating the air in some parts of the hotel. Not sure where it was coming from or what caused it, but on our floor there was a general odor of "funk". Secondly, the hotel does not offer late check out, which we had hoped to get, so be prepared for that. Check out time is 11 AM.

Overall, we had an excellent time. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting Miami Beach and I would definitely stay there again. Thank you for the hospitality!