Freehand Chicago

Hotels
Generator Hostels
7.6 (4512 reviews)
19 East Ohio Street , Chicago , us

Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Nightclub
Fitness facilities (surcharge)
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Restaurant
Room service
Family rooms
Pets allowed
Lift / Elevator
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Friendly staff
Cons:
Cleanliness issues
Small room size

Categories

Cleanliness
6.81
Several reviews mention issues such as dust and hair in the beds, indicating low cleanliness.
Service
8.28
Staff were mentioned as friendly, with some positive interactions despite issues.
Location
9.32
Multiple reviews highlight the great location near attractions and transport.
Room Quality
6.27
Rooms are described as small and underwhelming with maintenance issues.
Amenities
7.3
Amenities mentioned appear limited or in maintenance, affecting overall satisfaction.
Value for Money
7.76
While some found it reasonable, others mentioned double charges which impacted the perception.
Food and Beverage
7.31
Not explicitly mentioned, assumed standard quality for the hotel tier.
Overall Experience
7.78
Mixed feelings due to location and service but impacted by cleanliness and room quality.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-07 16:42

Property Description

Unique Boutique Hotel Experience
Located in Chicago's vibrant River North neighborhood, Freehand Chicago offers a blend of comfort and style. The property features a restaurant and free WiFi, ensuring a convenient stay.

Versatile Room Options
Choose between private and shared rooms, each equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and cozy seating areas. The provision of linen and towels adds to the convenience and comfort of your stay.

Exceptional Dining and Entertainment
Indulge in signature cocktails and small bites at The Broken Shaker, or savor gourmet coffee and creative breakfast dishes at Cafe Integral. The hotel's proximity to popular attractions like the Magnificent Mile and John Hancock Observatory makes it an ideal choice for travelers.

Book your stay at Freehand Chicago for a memorable and enjoyable experience.

Important information:

Please be informed that, any reservation of 10 people or more per night will be considered a group with different terms and conditions. Groups reservations can only be made through our reservations team, and Generator reserves the right to cancel it otherwise.

Additionally, we would welcome a dog on property but only when staying in a private room and subject to a fee per dog/per Stay. Please note that the property can only allow pets with a maximum weight of 34 kilos / 75 pounds.


PAYMENT: For Advance Purchase rates/Non Refundable rates, we require the payment card used for booking to be presented upon check in.Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Airport code: ORD

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed on request. Charges may be applicable.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Groups

    When booking more than 6 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 3 years old stay for free when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 17 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    You haven't added any extra beds.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.

  • Parking

    Public parking is possible at a location nearby (reservation is needed) and costs USD 49 per day.

Location

Guest Reviews

7.6
Based on 4512 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.81
Service: 8.28
Location: 9.32
Room Quality: 6.27
Amenities: 7.3
Value for Money: 7.76
Food and Beverage: 7.31
Overall Experience: 7.78
R
ruiz malinarich solo_traveller es
4
Pros:

La ubicación

Cons:

La limpieza, la atención, el tamaño de la habitación, el bar que funciona junto a los ascensores. Por las fotos parecía un hotel familiar y no lo era.

2026-06-26 via Nuitee
R
Robert solo_traveller us
10
2026-06-26 via Nuitee
K
Karen solo_traveller us
10
Pros:

Friendly staff - great location and awesome breakfast

2026-06-26 via Nuitee
C
Cano extended_group co
7
Thank you
Pros:

People

Cons:

Clean

2026-06-25 via Nuitee
N
Nils solo_traveller ch
7
It was a nicely located hotel, but the cleaning was horrible and there was mold
Pros:

Quiet nice Staff and very practical location for it's price.

Cons:

In our original room, there was mold all over the bathroom and AC when we pointed it out to the staff, we were told, there is nothing they can do and that they are booked out. And suddenly when we got impatient and asked to see Management or someone that could approve of a Room change, there was a room free... It was kinda annoying but okey. The second room was better but the Windows were extremely poorly isolated and due to that the temps were quite annoying and the Sound of the streets were very loud.

2026-06-24 via Nuitee
D
DanielVilla89 solo_traveller co
6
Pros:

Location!.

Cons:

The shower curtain has mold, and the shower is too small compared to Freehand Los Angeles.

2026-06-23 via Nuitee
K
Kyle couple us
5
Will charge you for random fees and fail to tell you why.
Pros:

Located centrally

Cons:

The rooms are an older build. Also they charged me $40 for no reason at the end of my stay.

2026-06-21 via Nuitee
P
Paula couple ar
8
2026-06-20 via Nuitee
D
De Pellegrin solo_traveller us
8
2026-06-20 via Nuitee
M
Malgorzata solo_traveller pl
8
2026-06-18 via Nuitee
C
Cory solo_traveller us
5
A great River North location, good staff, comfy rooms, but a little dirty. Needs some TLC.
Pros:

My third stay, and as always the staff are friendly. I love the comfort of the rooms, they are cozy, with a nice little desk and of course the bar and cafe are great.

Cons:

Toilet was running, maintence couldn't fix it. I had to turn the water off between flushes. Shower drain had someone else's hair in it, took them more than 24 hours to clean it. Nobody ever cleaned the room despite putting out the service sign. Also it got expensive.

2026-06-18 via Nuitee
H
Holdge couple us
10
2026-06-18 via Nuitee
E
Eugenia solo_traveller ar
8
Pros:

La ubicación es ideal. El hotel es limpio. Yo fui a un cuarto compartido y la verdad me pareció muy funcional.

Cons:

Es un hotel con cuartos compartidos, no tiene ningún tipo de lugar para estar fuera del cuarto si necesitas trabajar, etc. No tiene el típico espíritu de hostel.

2026-06-16 via Nuitee
J
Jonathan solo_traveller es
6
2026-06-16 via Nuitee
L
lillian solo_traveller es
1
No AC, No Compensation!
Pros:

The area was was the only good thing about booking here.

Cons:

No AC for the entire stay, our room was 85 degrees inside and felt like a sauna. Our Ac wall unit had blue coolant coming down the wall and the light was red and would not work. They said they sent someone to look at it and couldn't figure it out. I asked to move rooms and they said they were unable to do that due to being fully booked. I asked if we could at least have a fan and they said they were limited on resources. They did say that they would compensate me for my stay, and that I needed to reach out to booking.com to receive my refund. When I reached out to booking.com they said that the hotel denied any compensation. I looked this up on Google reviews, and the no AC, and not compensating people back on their stay is a regular occurrence at this hotel. I am going to report this hotel, for not providing AC in a hotel or apartment building in the summer is illegal in Chicago.

2026-06-16 via Nuitee
R
Rahman extended_group us
1
2026-06-15 via Nuitee
J
Junglas solo_traveller us
10
2026-06-15 via Nuitee
J
Jasmine couple us
7
Great location, rooms are okay
Pros:

Great location.

Cons:

Staff was okay, not really that helpful

2026-06-15 via Nuitee
H
Hugo solo_traveller pt
3
Pros:

Location. Bar.

Cons:

I spent 4 nights with AC. With no possibility to open a window either. But that was not so bad because the noise was so much from outside that I slept with ear plugs.
They gave me a Fan…
Days with 90degrees.

2026-06-12 via Nuitee
J
Jose couple us
5
It was ok just ok
Pros:

The location

Cons:

Staff fees room

2026-06-12 via Nuitee