Freehand Chicago
19 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611-2707
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About
#14 of 135 Specialty lodging in Chicago
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.1
Service
4.1
Value
3.9
Freehand Chicago, located just 2 blocks from Michigan Avenue in the heart of River North, offers comfortable accommodations and great dining all in a building featuring the designs of renowned firm Roman & Williams. Our hotel features queen and king bedded rooms as well as rooms featuring 2 sets of bunk beds (4 twin beds in total), and two Penthouse Suites in a historic building. We have a coffee shop, Café Integral, as well as an award-winning cocktail bar, Broken Shaker.
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Property amenities
Parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Business Center with Internet Access
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
24-hour check-in
Wifi
Restaurant
24-hour front desk
Laundry service
Self-serve laundry
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Room features
Air conditioning
Room service
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Languages Spoken
English
Location
100Great for walkers
Grade: 100 out of 100
266Restaurantswithin 0.3 miles
80Attractionswithin 0.3 miles
Contact
19 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611-2707
Getting there
GrandChicago L2 min
ChicagoChicago L6 min
Rental CarsSee rental cars from $34/day
942Reviews27Q+A100Room tips
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+1
Stayed here during Riot Fest and really appreciated that it was such a quick (10 minute) walk from the pink line. I even felt safe on my own at night walking there as a solo female. The hostel itself was good also, definitely on the higher end. Rooms were small (4 bed dorm) but the bunks had curtains and individual plugs and lights. The bar downstairs had great cocktails and was very lively at night. I'd come back again!
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Date of stay: September 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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As someone who slept in dozens of hostels, Freehand was the comfiest bed I've EVER stayed in. It's even comfier than some hotel beds. I wish I stayed longer just for that bed! I'm going to recommend it to my travelling friends. Pros: - A spacious, comfy bed with a warm duvet - Big bed (for a quad room) - Clean bathroom - Clean room - Clean sheets - Cool architecture inside the hotel - Great interior design inside the hotel - Amazing location, most things are walkable - Friendly staff!
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled solo
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
My husband and I stayed here for three nights and enjoyed our stay. I would classify this as an elevated hostel. The king deluxe room with a private entrance and bathroom offers more privacy than a typical hostel. The room was small but clean, and had a little closet and desk for our things. I think it is a little bit pricey for what you are getting if it were anywhere else, but compared to everything else in the area, The Freehand is a great budget option. If you want to spend a lot of time relaxing in your room, choose somewhere else. If you are in an active trip and will mainly be out doing things in the city, I would highly recommend staying here. Pros The location is excellent. We were able to walk to coffee shops, shopping, restaurants, and bars. We really liked the cafe and Broken Shaker cocktail bar. there are comfortable places to sit and have coffee, breakfast, and cocktails through the day. Very friendly staff. Our bed, pillows, and comforter were surprisingly comfortable. Loved the walk in shower. It had great hot water and water pressure, and they provided shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. We didn’t need them on our stay, but they have washer and dryers available. Cons The room was really hot and our air conditioner was either disabled or not working. Thankfully the window opened about 3 inches to cool if down but there wasn’t much air flow. There was nowhere to fill up our reusable water bottles unless the cafe was open. We ended up having to buy plastic water bottles and hate to waste. There are no individual or common fridges. Again, hated having to waste leftovers.…
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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We stayed October 24/25 and 26th, our first room on the 7th floor was dusty but ok, no luxuries such as tea/coffee no comforts except a bed and shower & a tv. The second room booked for us was on the second floor,a quad. As we are in our 70s this was not good, we had to scramble around to make our own bunk beds, there were wires all over under the bunks, one of the reading lamps was broken. The bathroom had no shower amenities only hand soap. The seating was barely adequate, no tv, no phone . We had no control over the room booked as done by our travel agent. When we booked into the hotel we gave a credit card and were assured that it would not be charged and deposit refunded, this has not happened and I have been charged £47 (50 dollars),I have tried emails to hotel with no response. I would say this hotel would suit someone on a budget certainly not a luxury hotel.…
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip: Check your credit card before you leave, poorer than a travelodge or premier inn. If all you want...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jenna Ubrig, Other at Freehand Chicago
Responded Nov 21, 2022
Thank you for providing this feedback. It sounded like you were in a private quad room which does not have the amenities that you are speaking of. If you used an international credit card it can take up to 10 weeks for the deposit to release. However if you ask to speak to the general manager we can certainly look into your account and ensure the funds are released on our end. Thank you for staying with us!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sadly I cannot recommend this hotel. We had a wonderful stay in a clean small room with attentive staff in summer of 2022, but: I gave them a credit card at the time of check in for the traditional incidentals and a guarantee. At checkout, I was told that everything was fine, and as I prepaid via Hotels.com, nothing was to be charged to my CC. but Surprise! One day later, I got a Freehand Chicago hotel charge for $95 with NO explanations or justifications or even a bill or an email. I have tried to call the hotel and all other available numbers on their website, but NOBODY ever picks up and they have no voicemail options. I have now written 4 emails, and NO response. NEVER use them, this is so sad as it was a good agreeable stay in the heart of Chicago. Their customer service is non existent and deplorable.…
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Date of stay: July 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Response from Jenna Ubrig, Other at Freehand Chicago
Responded Oct 31, 2022
Hello! Thank you for taking time to send a review. I am sorry you have not had any response to your calls or emails, that is very strange. I would like to look into your reservation and take a look at the charges you mentioned. If we overcharged you I would be more than happy to issue a refund. Please reach out to jenna.ubrig@thefreehand.com with your stay date and the reservation name and I will get back to you!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I booked a bed in a female quad room to spend a weekend in Chicago after a work trip. I couldn't justify the crazy hotel prices so here I am in a hostel. I was pleasantly surprised at the room, it was clean and tidy with 2 people already in it. The room was really quiet and I slept well. The shower was decent in a private bathroom which was super clean. The room was cleaned whilst I was out for the day. Check-in/out was easy, and my $50 deposit was refunded later in the day. The location was excellent. I really had no complaints and found the value very good for the location.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled solo
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jenna Ubrig, Other at Freehand Chicago
Responded Oct 31, 2022
Thank you for staying with us! We are so happy you enjoyed the hotel and staying with us. Please come back and visit again!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Julia Z wrote a review Oct 2022
It has been two days, after having booked housekeeping, that we come back to our hotel room around 5-6pm and find that housekeeping did not come. It is unbelievable that this hotel is mentioned in CN traveler and design hotel webpages. The hotel smells worse than a college dorm, the carpet is dirty, there is no water bottles if you are thirsty at night. It has been a terrible experience. The worst part is that no one answers at the front desk even though there is 24 hour service.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jenna Ubrig, Other at Freehand Chicago
Responded Oct 31, 2022
Thank you for taking time to provide this feedback! We will share with our teams and continue to create better experiences for our guests. We hope you will visit us again in the future!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DONT BOOK YOUR STAY IN THIS HOTEL!!! 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎 (1MILLION TIMES) I travelled all the way from Europe with my 2year old Son bringing his Food in a cooler with us cos he is in a SPECIAL DIET hoping that when we arrive at this hotel they would at least allow me to store the food in their fridge/freezer even if I pay extra (which I really offered) FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY. Unfortunately, upon arrival I settled down first and attempted to call RECEPTIONIST to ask them regarding the food but after 3calls NO ONE PICKED UP so I went down to talk to the receptionist. The receptionist said that THEY DONT HAVE FRIDGE/FREEZER cos what they have is for luggage storage only, UNDERSTOOD! But when I asked if I could maybe put it in the RESTAURANT WHICH IS PART OF THE HOTEL, he then said "THEY ARE NOT PART OF US, if you want you can go and ask them" He then proposed "MAYBE YOU CAN BUY A COOLER AND A BAG OF ICE?" He has his point but I am with my 2 year old boy sick and first time travelling in this country so Im a bit hesitant. I offered to pay extra just to store the food. But that didnt work! So, I went to the restaurant and talked to guy who's sitting infront of the desk and asked him But he said "we dont have fridge/freezer here" but my face went sour thinking "WHO IN THE HELL ON THIS EARTH WHO HAS NO FRIDGE/FREEZER IN A RESTAURANT BUSINESS?" Then he suddenly said "I mean its for the restaurants food only" I then offer to pay but still he refused. I paid 397.99 euro FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY in this hotel hoping that at least they could help me. But I BOOKED THE WRONG HOTEL! People should be kind at least and helping one another!!!!! NEVER EVER BOOK IN THIS HOTEL IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO VISIY CHICAGO! I DO NOT RECOMMEND! WORST!!!!!…
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jenna Ubrig, Other at Freehand Chicago
Responded Oct 31, 2022
Thank you for taking the time to provide detailed feedback from your stay. I am so sorry that your stay was far from amazing. We will share this feedback with all our teams in hopes to continue creating better experiences for our guests.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Female quad: I booked a bed in a FEMALE quad. I checked in and went to the room to find men’s clothes hanging and men’s shoes. I went back to the front desk telling them I paid extra money to be in a female quad and there is a man in the room. She said the person is a woman but she wears men’s clothes. I went back to the room, the second I open the door, a black man jumps into his bed and closes the curtains. I came closer to him and said hi, he ignored me and used a towel to cover his face. I went back to the front desk, they sent a security to check. The security man didn’t let me be in the room with him, and asked me to leave the room so he can have a word with him. 5mins later, the security man comes out and says its a girl, but I defiantly saw a man. I went back to the room and the man still tries to hide his face by a towel. Went back to the front desk and asked to put me in a bother room as I don’t feel safe sleeping in this room, they refused to transfer me. Then I asked to cancel my reservation and refund me and they refused to do so. I ended up leaving and going to another hotel. Hotel: The hotel and room doesn’t look like what they advertise on their website. The room is very very small to the point that there is no room to open your suitcase on the floor. The bathroom is very disgusting with no room service to clean. There is even no enough lighting in the room or the bathroom. The elevators looked like a coffin, very dark with no light and slow. There is no lobby to sit and socialise with other. They will charge you if you use the lobby. Front desk: The people at the from desk are very rude, especially the short black woman. She has no customer service skills, rude and yells at people. She could be a janitor, plumber, car mechanic but not receptionist. Clearly the hotel doesn’t care about providing good customer service. Deposit: they will charge you $50 despot at check-in and claim that it will be refunded after checking out. Be aware, it won’t be refunded. I didn’t stay at the hotel, despite that they refunded only $44. I called asking why did you charge me $6 if I didn’t stay at the hotel, the black woman yelled at me and ended the call after telling her I don’t understand what she is saying. I emailed them asking for a refund, no answer.…
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Date of stay: September 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jenna Ubrig, Other at Freehand Chicago
Responded Oct 4, 2022
Thank you for all of your feedback! I am sorry you did not enjoy your stay. Your deposit was retuned less the urban fee which is $5 plus tax. All issues above will be addressed with the team. We hope that you will come stay with us again in the future!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I had an excellent stay in the heart of downtown Chicago. I often travel alone and look for the bargains. The Freehand offered great social life and I felt very safe. The location, staff, cleanliness were all perfect! I also had a walking tour with Trip Advisor. “Dash,” our guide, was phenomenal! I’ve never had a bad experience with Trip Advisor! Thank you!
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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PRICE RANGE
$42 - $204 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United StatesIllinoisChicagoCentral / Near North Side
NUMBER OF ROOMS
217
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Frequently Asked Questions about Freehand Chicago
Which popular attractions are close to Freehand Chicago?
Nearby attractions include The Magnificent Mile (0.2 miles), The Escape Game Chicago (0.08 miles), and EscapeHouse Chicago (0.10 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Freehand Chicago?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Freehand Chicago?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Freehand Chicago?
Conveniently located restaurants include The Capital Grille, Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken - Streeterville, and Eddie V's Prime Seafood.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Freehand Chicago?
Yes, guests have access to a fitness center during their stay.
Is Freehand Chicago located near the city center?
Yes, it is 1.0 miles away from the center of Chicago.
Are any cleaning services offered at Freehand Chicago?
Yes, laundry service and self serve laundry are offered to guests.
Are there any historical sites close to Freehand Chicago?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Garfield Park Conservatory (4.7 miles), The Rookery Building (0.9 miles), and Macy's on State Street (0.6 miles).
Is Freehand Chicago accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.