Freehand New York

Hotels
•
Generator Hostels
8 (3349 reviews)
23 Lexington Avenue , New York , us

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Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Fitness facilities
WiFi available
Free WiFi
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Fitness center
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
Heating
Family rooms
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Beautiful property
Great location
Friendly staff
Cons:
Filthy carpet
Small rooms
High price for quality

Categories

Cleanliness
6.71
Some guests reported filthy carpets and stained sheets.
Service
9.18
Multiple reviews praised the friendly and helpful staff.
Location
9.22
Guests consistently remarked on the excellent location and convenience.
Room Quality
7.17
Several rooms were reported as small or with inadequate lighting.
Amenities
7.7
Some amenities received praise but also complaints about the refrigerator and bathroom size.
Value for Money
7.16
Guests felt it was overpriced for the quality and size of the rooms.
Food and Beverage
8.21
Positive comments about the rooftop bar and in-lobby coffee shop.
Overall Experience
8.68
Guests had a generally positive experience despite some issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-09 06:18

Property Description

Historic Charm and Creative Legacy:
Formerly the residence of renowned writers and musicians, the Freehand New York offers a unique blend of history and creativity, evident in its design by Roman and Williams.

Luxurious Amenities:
Indulge in bathrobes, slippers, and premium Argan amenities in every room, along with complimentary water, apples, HD smart TVs, and safes for your convenience and comfort.

Culinary Delights and Rooftop Oasis:
Savor delectable dishes at the restaurant and lobby bar by Happy Cooking Hospitality, grab a bite at The Smile's takeout outpost, and enjoy craft cocktails at the rooftop Broken Shaker by Bar Lab.

Experience the vibrant neighborhood of Flatiron from our prime location on Lexington Avenue. Book now to immerse yourself in the cultural tapestry of Freehand New York.

Important information:

GROUP POLICY: 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.
RESORT FEES: - High-speed WiFi - Access to 24hour fitness center which features Peloton bikes - Priority seating, based on availability, to F&B outlets - Access to game room When traveling with pets, please note that an extra charge of 75 USD per stay applies.
PET POLICY: We would welcome a dog on property but only when staying in a private room, and subject to a fee per dog per Stay. Only Dog under 75lbs./ 34kg.
For Advance Purchase rates/Non Refundable rates, we require the payment card used for booking to be presented upon check in.
AGE RESTRICTIONS: Individuals under the age of 18 can only stay at the Hostel when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian in the same room.
The room must be private.
Unaccompanied under 18's are not allowed to stay in shared rooms, unless they are part of a group that has booked out the entire shared room. The group leader must provide the required documentation to Generator. Failure to comply with these policies will result in automatic cancelation of the booking with no refund. Guests violating these rules will not be permitted to check into the HostelGuests 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: JFK

Property Policies

  • Groups

    When booking more than 8 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Internet

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

  • Parking

    No parking available.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    You haven't added any cots.
    You haven't added any extra beds.

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed. Charges may be applicable.

Location

Guest Reviews

8
Based on 3349 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.71
Service: 9.18
Location: 9.22
Room Quality: 7.17
Amenities: 7.7
Value for Money: 7.16
Food and Beverage: 8.21
Overall Experience: 8.68
I
Ilaria Maria Carmela • couple • it
8
Perfect for a first time NY visitor
Pros:

Great location in a building full of character. Nice restaurant and rooftop, quite lively place in the evenings but wouldn’t hear any noise from the room Staff was so helpful, attentive and friendly.

2026-07-12 • via Nuitee
W
waterfront • solo_traveller • fr
10
Fun hotel
Pros:

Well situation, nice design and good value for money

2026-07-11 • via Nuitee
K
Kovács • extended_group • hu
9
It was excellent, would recommend for everyone
Pros:

Location, staff, cleanliness, modern

Cons:

Shower is weird, you only have one handle for everything

2026-07-10 • via Nuitee
S
Simon • solo_traveller • ch
7
Cons:

Crazy expensive for what it has to offer... but I guess it is just NY

2026-07-09 • via Nuitee
A
Aracelis • extended_group • us
6
Overall, these issues negatively affected our stay.
Pros:

Location, lobby and rooftop

Cons:

The air conditioning was not working properly. I contacted the property about the issue, but I never received a response or follow-up.
The shower curtain also had a strong mildew and dirty fabric smell, which made the bathroom feel unclean. It seems there may be housekeeping or maintenance issues, possibly due to the large number of rooms that need to be serviced.

2026-07-09 • via Nuitee
G
Gabbi83 • couple • se
7
Overall ok! Value for money very fair
Pros:

Room location was next to some very loud aircons or boilers so it was very noisy which also meant we could not open the windows which made the room too hot during the night.

2026-07-09 • via Nuitee
A
agathe • family_with_children • fr
7
2026-07-08 • via Nuitee
J
Joanna • family_with_children • au
8
2026-07-07 • via Nuitee
Z
Zsolt • solo_traveller • ro
9
Pros:

Great location, very nice room and staff.

Cons:

Expect a tiny bathroom

2026-07-05 • via Nuitee
פרץ • solo_traveller • il
9
צוות מדהים, חדר קטן
Pros:

צוות הקבלה מאוד מאוד אדיב, עוזרים בהכל עונים על כל השאלות בנחמדות יתר ומביאים בקבוקי מים בלי סוף, כל יום בוקר וערב.
צוות הניקיון נחמד מאוד.
המיקום טוב, המעליות זמינות ומהירות.
תמיד יש מים חמים, והמלון שקט מאוד ונוח.

Cons:

חדר קטן, בניין ישן אז דלת המקלחת מעט קשה לפתיחה, אורות מעומעמים, חדר חשוך.
המלון מארח קבוצות גדולות אז לפעמים יש רעש ועומס בלובי.
חוץ מזה הכל היה מצויין

2026-07-05 • via Nuitee
V
Vanja • couple • hr
10
2026-07-04 • via Nuitee
J
Jessica • family_with_children • us
10
Full of character, quality and high value for the comparable cost of Hotels in NYC.
Pros:

Location was perfect for our needs. Atmosphere is top notch, creative, unique and full of Old New York charm with beautifully carved wood features, color pallet and lighting. Food choices on property are all high quality. Beds are comfy. Rooms are very clean with good use of space. Love the unique designs and art in each room. Shower pressure and temp is wonderful. Mini fridge for water in room. Asked for a tea kettle which was provided. Staff is friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and responsive. Always felt safe. Good music in the elevators. Must use room card in elevator to make it work, ensuring only guests and staff are using them. Roof top bar has its own entrance on side of building for added security for guests. Free water bottle station in the lobby which we used several times per day. I will stay here again!

Cons:

Bathroom Sink and mini fridge are tiny but truly a good use of space so this is not a negative. Just an honest observation. No coffee maker in room but they provided a kettle on request. I brought my own tea and instant coffee and travel mug. Again. Not a negative, just tips for others. Don’t let “no coffee in room” deter you. Just come pre paired and ask kindly for a kettle, they’ll accommodate you if they can. Also the coffee in Smile to Go was very good.

2026-07-03 • via Nuitee
D
David • solo_traveller • us
7
All in all, just fine!
Pros:

Bed was comfortable and the room was very clean. Top floor rear was very quiet too. Staff was excellent and very responsive.

Cons:

At first I was in a Lex Ave fronting room and the hotel does not have double or triple paned windows. AC is a window unit but I don't use AC so it did not matter.

2026-07-03 • via Nuitee
M
Massimiliano • couple • it
8
2026-07-01 • via Nuitee
C
Camila • solo_traveller • nl
10
Beautiful and cozy hotel in a great location
Pros:

The hotel is beautiful and in a great location, walking distance to many places and close to the subway and bus stops. The staff was very nice and the room is quite clean and comfortable.

Cons:

The room is a bit smaller than what it looks in the pictures, but it is cozy.

2026-07-01 • via Nuitee
B
Bridget • couple • us
6
2026-06-30 • via Nuitee
A
Andreja • solo_traveller • nl
6
Het was prima, maar mijn verwachtingen lagen hoger aan de hand van de foto’s etc
Pros:

De ligging was echt perfect super leuke buurt!! En de mannen van de koffers en taxi’s aanhouden zijn geweldig!!

Cons:

Ik had betaald voor een kamer met uitzicht, ik kwam laat aan lange vlucht gehad super moe. Kreeg ik een kamer zonder uitzicht en met een onwijs lawaai makende airco die met ductape vastzat. Ik had gebeld en zou de volgende dag een andere kamer krijgen. Maar door de lawaai van de airco heb ik de eerste nacht geen slaap gehad. De kamer was ook niet super schoon, ik voelde mij daar totaal niet comfortabel. De tweede dag kreeg ik een andere kamer die beter was met centrale airco en uitzicht, maar goed te weten dat die optie er wellicht niet is.

2026-06-30 • via Nuitee
N
Nafissa • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-06-30 • via Nuitee
E
Ethan • couple • us
8
Convienient well managed stay in midtown. Overall comfortable and clean.
Pros:

The staff were great.

Cons:

Some light flickering in the bathroom and not the most sunny hotel, windows were a bit small.

2026-06-30 • via Nuitee
M
Maria Ana • couple • ch
8
Pros:

Great location, very friendly staff. The rooms have been renovated and are comfortable and clean.

Cons:

Small room, no natural light in the room (a common problem in NYC hotels).

2026-06-29 • via Nuitee