Freehand Miami

This is my first time staying here, and maybe my last. Now the people that work for the most are really nice. The bad thing is that they kind of disorganized. There are no phones in the room to call the front desk. The room seems rundown and dated. Yesterday I had to call the front desk from my phone to ask for extra towels. After telling the clerks two times what room I am in, the towels went to another room. Nearly an hour later after I got tired of waiting for the towels I decided to go down to the front desk and pick up some towels myself. I got to the front desk asked for towels and was handed to beach towels because the person that has the keys for the regular room towels would not been into work this day. Now let’s talk about the people that clean the rooms. (no joke) as I am writing this review they in the hallway either talking or arguing at the top of their voices. Luckily I’M NOT SLEEPING. Here is the worst part of my stay here. Yesterday of check in I decided to take a nap. While I was talking my nap I was woken up to a woman hanging a bathrobe in the closet. I asked her what she was doing in my room and she says «yeah I’m hanging this robe». So I’m the one that was asleep on top of the sheets in my boxers, and she looks at me like I’m crazy for asking her what she was doing in my room. YUP… pretty creepy. I will say this. This hotel is in a pretty good location.

GARBAGE!
SLOPPY!
A NIGHTMARE!
Please go SOMEWHERE ELSE just like the other reviews are saying.
The Freehand is attractive aesthetically but it is where the appeal ends. It was nightmare after nightmare with this place. I hope this saves you like I wish some one saved me from coming here.
NIGHTMARE # 1-​POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
I asked before booking if I could come at 1 am. Then I called the next day 5 times to let them know I would be arriving the next day. I left a voicemail too. I arrived after traveling 7 hours to find out no one held my room.
I had to wait until 5 am to get a room for a few hours. I got 4 hours sleep because I had check in and out in the afternoon. A whole day wasted of my vacation.
The staff did not apologize. They were rude and heartless. The staffer was more concerned with talking to his friend than helping me like he was doing me a favor.
NIGHTMARE #2– BED BUGS
There were filthy bed bugs all over my room. It bite one of my bunkmates so they cleared everyone out. We had to wait around 5 hours to check into a new room.
By the time we packed up and switched rooms an entire day of our vacation was wasted. No one apologized. They refused to refund us for this health hazard and inconvenience. They’d rather win an argument by no acknowledging any wrongdoing than keep a guest happy
NIGHTMARE #3– KEY CARDS
Key cards constantly did not work throughout my stay. I had to keep returning to front desk to fix it.
NIGHTMARE #4-​SLOPPINESS
I asked to extend my stay for an extra night since there was a weather emergency in my state for flying back. I had to ask several times to book an extra night because they kept forgetting.
So they switched me to a Co-​ed room without telling me. I find out the day of when Im locked out of my current room. This is 3^rd time I had to switch rooms. 2 whole days wasted at the Freehand for their mistakes.
NIGHTMARE #5-​LOSING ITEMS
Ive lost a few of my items from all the room switching and lockouts that happened. Once I caught the cleaning staff giving away my stuff to other guest in a pile of other lost items they found.
NIGHTMARE #6– NO RUNNING WATER
On my last night here there was no running water. Wtf!!!
CONCLUSION;
Fuck all hostels everywhere especially the Freehand. It deserves to be bulldozed. Get an Airbnb for just $ 30-​$ 40 more a night. You can get a whole apartment to yourself. It is not worth the stress. You’re hotel accommodations set the tone for the whole trip,.
In addition to sloppy tacky services. You are sharing just 2 bathrooms with 5 – 7 people. Who all want to go to sleep at different times. So you’ll likely won’t get quality sleep or satisfying shower because of so many people are in one room.

Boy oh Boy, what an experience. I think the old Indian creek hotel has seen better days. I stayed here three nights. First off don’t plan on parking anywhere near the hostel unless you want to pay 3 $ an hour. The closest parking garage is about a mile away for 8 $ a day. I booked a quad room and got a nice 10% discount on a promo code from the website. At around 40 $ a night its a cheap way to stay in Miami beach. Your experience will likely be determined by the type of roommates you have. There are no all male rooms, only all female rooms and coed. Also they ask you to consume your own alcohol in your rooms since they have a popular pool bar just outside the lobby. My first night my roommate woke us all up by turning on the light and having a conversation. She was also smoking something in the bathroom which is a big no-​no here. She was reported the next day and promptly kicked out. The next two nights I got much better sleep. Its worthy to note the unpleasant smells in some of the hallways. Also, bring a lock for the personal lockers in each room. There was also a leak coming from the ceiling in the lobby, which they were trying to fix. The continental breakfast was ok, which included cereal, bananas, toast and croissants, nothing too robust. The hostel was cheap and only one block from the beach which was nice. If you are going with friends make sure to book together since they would not put us in the same room. Our prices were different because we booked at separate times. Expect to do a lot of walking if you want to get to the good restaurants and bars down in South Beach. Enjoy your stay!

I was pretty disappointed with the Freehand. They were not very accommodating, my room was absurdly loud at night, they didn’t do a good job of keeping the hostelites quiet, and it lacks the communal environment I wanted.
The first night was horrendous. I can’t believe I had to pay for it. If someone at the Freehand reads this, I want a refund! My bed was literally only separated from a full jazz band by 1 foot of wall. Yes, they played all night until 2am. Add to the fact that I was woken up by being shaken by a drunken guy who was yelling. What a terrible first night. Even with my earplugs and fancy eyemask, I still couldn’t get to sleep. I nearly started punching people.
Despite recounting this story, the hostel would not offer any improved accommodations for me other than offering that I pay more for a downgraded quad room.
The hostel fills up with folks going to its bar (The Broken Shaker) and its restaurant (27) such that it lack the convivial atmosphere that a hostel ought to have. It’s basically just a motel with shared rooms.
There aren’t many good places to eat nearby and you have to have a car to pretty much do anything interesting. But the hostel does no parking. So you either have to pay $ 3/​hour (really !?!) or park about a mile away for $ 8/​day in the Sheridan garage. Walking 20 mins every time to get the car was pretty annoying.
Skip this place. Get an AirBnb.

We went for Christmas holidays and the prices for the hostel type of lodging were pretty horrendous
At 400 dollars a night on average was really pretty bad deal.
Food is good and the bar too but not the rooms for the price

At first I was skeptical of staying at a hostel, but this place grew on me. My friends and I had a private room and I think the price is good compared to staying at a hotel for two nights. It felt like a dorm and the employees were nice. The room itself was comfortable enough to stay at and sleep, the bathroom was kind of small and you can tell it wasn’t the newest but manageable for someone who is picky about bathrooms. There were lockers in the room as an option to put your small belongings in. They provided a towel for each person; however, toiletries were not provided and could be purchased at the front desk for a few bucks; I suggest to bring your own products.
The outdoor/​pool area was nice and relaxing. During our stay, there was a pool party event going on serving free drinks and small appetizers with good music! Definitely a young environment, a place to save some money, walking distance to multiple restaurants, convenient store, and the beach.

Freehand was recommended by a friend and definitely a highlight of our trip.
PROS:
–Very cute place, cozy inside and the outside patio is awesome with lights in the trees, seating areas, pool, little bar and music
–Upstairs bar: One of our favorite spots while we stayed there with a great ambiance, the beef jerky is awesome and the bartenders super cool and friendly
–Complimentary breakfast in the morning
–Knowledgable staff and lots of options of local things to do and events they hold
–Good central location
–Clean rooms with lockers
–No curfew
–Wasn’t super noisy or loud which was nice but was still a fun atmosphere
CONS:
–Lacking in some basic stuff like soap or air conditioning that you can put on auto (at least in our room). It was either freezing or stifling
–The restaurant outside was expensive and the employees seemed a bit snobbish (but some were also really nice)
–Can’t bring your own drinks onto the patio
–Really small bathrooms and like 2 outlets in the room unless you are using the ones in each bunkbed area which is hard if you are doing your hair for instance
Overall, had a great time and would recommend it and come back. Maybe just tighten up on some of the «luxuries» but otherwise, fun place if you don’t mind hostels.

So I was taking a break b/​w jobs and I have only 5 days to get out of NYC. I have never stayed at a hostel & for some reason decided to this time. This place is awesone! I got a very comfy bed to sleep on. The room was spacious and nice. Best of it all, their local bar downstairs is incredible. I pretty much hung out there some part of everyday. The pool is not huge but perfect! If I am traveling by myself, I would definitely be back. Maybe not stay at the hostel but to their bar for sure.

A very lovely looking hostel with a great outdoor garden. The beds are comfortable, and each has a lamp and power points and there is a free breakfast supplied. Problem is, there were no travellers. I’d heard hostels in the States can be a bit odd, and yes it was, the place didn’t know what it wanted to be.
The bar and hipster restaurant bring people from far and wide for the laid back atmosphere and fancy cocktails. So if you’re a traveller it can feel a bit uncomfortable — people dressed up for a night out wandering around your temporary home. No one is looking to meet people or team up for the next adventure — they’re just looking for a night out at the city’s latest hot spot.
Most the people actually staying here were American. Except for a group of 40 clicky, rude Dutch on an 8 week school trip (yet the hostel had a 14 day stay policy for every one else). It would be great if there was information on hand for moving onto a new destination via bus or train (not just vacation hot spots near by). Or even staff that could provide useful info. I worked in a backpackers in Australia and we would be able to tell anyone how to get anywhere on a shoestring budget! Same for hostels in Asia and Europe. Where are the backpackers? I guess real travelling isn’t a thing in America.

Front staff are always personable & I love the concept of this place. It’s eclectic, vinage feel, affordable, accommodating and there are options when it comes to room choice.
I sure do recommend this place.

Two stars merely because the manager was courteous enough to give us a full refund.
We arrived at the Freehand after finding it right here on Unilocal and seeing it’s great reviews. Immediately, we noticed that the lobby was full of teenaged and early-20’s people being rowdy. One of them creeped behind my shoulder looking at what I had in my wallet as I checked in. Not a very good welcome.
Things only got worse when we arrived at our private room. We had to cross through another rowdy pool party with a bunch of luggage to get there, and then climb up two flights of stairs because there was no elevator. The room looked like a college dorm room, and it felt hot and muggy. We tried cranking the wall a/​c all the way down to cool the room a bit, but that was useless. Even the bed felt wet from the moist, muggy air coming from the a/​c.
If that’s not enough, the bathroom isn’t big enough to sit on the toilet facing forward; you have to sit sort of slanted. The space was so tight, I hit my head on the towel rack trying to use the toilet. For the cherry on top, the room was infested with flies, and the walls were paper thin! And we had a neighbor with a crying baby!
We couldn’t imagine sleeping in a hot, muggy room with flies all over us and screaming next door. We immediately went back to the front desk to get a refund. Luckily, the manager was very sweet, and he refunded us without a problem.
Perhaps these great reviews are for the shared room experience, which I can’t comment on. But if you’re going for a private room, this ain’t the place.

The Freehand Miami, oh the memories! It is a little bit pricier than other hostels in town, and a bit off the centre of South Beach. The hostel and the hotel are in the same building, so you share the bar and the courtyard and the lobby. Basically the rooms are just different and you have a kitchen on the side where young adventurers can cook their meals.
First, I love how it is decorated, feels just like home, but a better home. Room was ok, in the end it just depends on who you end up sharing it with.
Breakfast was good, courtyard, with stools and armchairs and summer lights after sunset, looks superb, the bar is cool and the pool is great, with nice artwork.
The kitchen is awesome, wish it was mine.
Attended the yoga class on the beach which was excellent and I know that you can also rent some cool bikes.
Would definitely choose to stay there if I were to come back to Miami!
I subscribed to their newsletter just to remember the sun and the cool place thanks to my inbox, every week or so.

I had an amazing time here! This was my first hostel experience and Freehand certainly gave the hostel life a great first impression. Having nothing planned on this trip my friend and I always found something to do each day. The hostel is a two minute walk from the beach and a 10 – 15 minute walk from an outdoor mall. Plus Freehand has daily coordinated events like yoga on the beach and salsa lessons. I stayed in an all female dorm with a friend of mine. The dorms were nicer than some of the hotels I’ve stayed in. Can’t wait until I check out the one in Chicago!

I have stayed at hostels all over the world and the freehand is up there with the best.
The highlight of the hostel is the pool area and bar. People come from all over Miami for the renowned cocktail bar.
Rooms are great. Beds are big and private and two bathrooms per room makes it feel more like a hotel than a hostel.
All the staff were very accommodating and friendly and went above and beyond what was required during our stay to make our time at the freehand more enjoyable.
If you are considering staying at a hostel in Miami the freehand is the only option.
Big thanks from Australia to the freehand!

Stayed at the Freehand the end of April. The Freehand is the most beautiful hostel I’ve stayed in. Really comfy beds and considering the quarters, privacy with a wall where you lay your head and a curtain that separates you and the bunk by your feet. The Broken shaker within the hostel is off the chain and the pool set up nicely and not rowdy. My favorite part of the stay was the pop up shop and Flower crown workshop. The girl who was running it was so sweet and wore my crown around SoBe.
With that said there are some things that do need attention. I signed up for a females dorm, my first night they bunked a guy in there. When i asked the front desk if i made a mistake he said «how did this happen someone put him in this room» and woke him up while he was napping due to their mistake. Also i moved bunks my second night and confirmed later with the front desk that i was assigned that bunk. the girl behind the desk said yes. Later a new person came in and said that i was in her bunk… another mix up by the staff. They need to have more than one person at the front everything takes forever to get handled.
Never was told where the bathroom was. no run down of what to do around town or given a map (which all other hostels I’ve been to have done) It has more of a hotel vibe than anything else. If you are looking for a hostel community, not really the place for it. But, if you are looking for comfort, affordability, and close to the beach… this is your spot.
Also I traveled by myself. not really a hostel for solo travelers.
Bike wise, if you are unable to get a bike through them there are plenty of citi bikes around town. Also super close to the beach. I would deff stay again. hopefully they fix their quirks.

Love the smell of stale cat urine emanating from the walls? A service desk that takes over 20 minuted to figure out where your luggage is? Or how about a soggy apple for breakfast?
All this and more at FreeHand!
While some may call the magazine pages by the front lobby wall Chic, I suspect its more likely there to cover up gaping rat holes.
Our room smelled like month old cat piss, despite asking the front desk about this twice. The front desk staff is polite, but in that just hired so i’ll smile and nod and say mmhmmm despite not really being able to help kind of way. Even before we arrived. Two calls for an early check in went unreturned. A simple callback taking 30 seconds would have been nice. The shower temp is a bit tricky to master, given a whole quarter inch turn controls ice to scalding.
The free WiFi is a perk, as is the hidden water cooler (cough, gimme coffee, cough), and the rooms have potential to be nice. But for over 200 a night for a room, give me an AirBNB place.

Uff que dificil esta reseña, llegué acá por comentarios en otras páginas y por medio de Unilocal también. Quería un hostel que no fuese joda todo el día y creo que es algo dificil eso en Miami, pero en dicho aspecto no me decepcionó, pero sí en otros que detallaré a continuación:
LIMPIEZA: Creo que limpiaban dos veces por semana, cada habitación contaba con sus baños (2 en las habitaciones de 10 camas) y muchas veces los encontrabas sucios, me pasó de encontrar cucarachas. La verdad que los baños no eran de lo mejor, se notaba el sarro en las paredes, un tanto desagradable.
MOBILIARIO: Si bien en las fotos se en re lindos muebles y lo eran, a estos le faltaban mantenimiento, al haber tanta gente circulando es obvio que se deterioren, pero la idea es mantenerlos o cambiarlo, acá no pasaba. Pero pongo a favor que cada cama contaba con TRES ENCHUFES, algo genial ya que piensen que hay que cargar celular, cámara, ipad, tablet o notebook, SUPER importante.
UBICACIÓN: La parte más linda de Miami es South Beach, también es la más concurrida, el hostel queda bastante alejado de esa zona, así que si querés trasladarte va a ser necesario tomarte un bondi hasta ahí.
En las cosas positivas puedo colocar la hermosa pileta que tiene el hostel, la verdad muy bella aunque no me metí ya que prefiero ir a la playa.
El hostel cuenta con un bar que al parecer es TOP en Miami (tendrá su propia reseña) y sucede que todas las noches circula mucha gente de 25 años para arriba, la verdad particularmente no me molestó.
El desayuno me pareció bastante bien, leche, cereales, muffins, bananas y manzanas, café, etc. Un desayuno básico pero bueno.

This is the definition of a one-​star hostel. The beds were unmade, the bathrooms had neither hand towels, bath mats, nor bath soap. The only electrical outlets are tucked away in the bed alcove, where you cannot plug in anything larger than a smartphone. Maintenance is lacking: in our first room, the toilet paper was wet and the bathroom smelled of mold. The rooms are little more than a roof above your head, with no amenities.
Also, be aware that if your room is anywhere near the downstairs bar, the bass from the music may keep you awake at night.

I like the concept of a hostel /​hotel and I liked the price. I opted for my own private room rather than share. The place is under-​staffed and the staff they do have is under trained. My expectations were modest… and still, they were not met. It’s a decent place. but lots of little problems that went unsolved. Like checking in… major hassle.
The Freehand seems more interested in being a happening nightspot than a place for accommodations. They dont seem to have their act together with regard to the basic operations of a hostel /​hotel.
It’s not bad… just not that great. I guess you get what you pay for.

The Freehand. For hostel-​lovers there is only one word: perfect! As soon as you enter the typical hostel feeling pops up — young people from all over the world, gathered in the lobby (with a well frequented piano) or the backyard, which is not only the pool and pinpong area but also home of a great (but rather pricy) bar, called the «Broken Shaker».
The rooms are clean, fresh towels are provided everyday and finally this is a hostel with large enough lockers (locks can be borrowed from the reception for 4 $). The only negative things about the rooms are the windows: They can’t be opened. After some days of residence, with wet beach stuff, this would be a nice feature. also the «breakfast» is not really existent, but hey, it’s free!
All in all, a very good hostel. We enjoyed the stay and if I happen to stop by Miami again I definitely know where to stay — see you, Freehand.

Such a beautiful hostel!
Beds were so amazingly comfy and the rooms were huge. I stayed in an 8 person dorm and it was so spacious, it didn’t even feel like you were sharing a room with 7 other people. The two bathrooms inside the room definitely helped with that.
There are no hairdryers in the rooms, but you can just ask at reception and they will give you one to borrow.
The kitchen is fairly small and basic, but it has everything you need. You have to walk outside to get to it, which was kind of annoying to get to when there’s torrential rain, or you’re already in your pyjamas and have to walk past everyone drinking outside to get to your left over pizza you saved from lunch!
The Broken Shaker (onsite bar) was pretty great. The garden of the hostel looked beautiful all lit up at night time which gave the bar a really amazing vibe. Drinks are fairly expensive, but it’s pretty standard prices for miami.
The location is pretty great! A very short walk to a grocery store and to the beach. The main part of South Beach is about a 20min walk, or a very short bus ride away.