Was very pleasantly surprised with my stay!!!! Location is absolutely perfect- central downtown with a 20 min or less walk to pretty much everything, or a 2 min walk to the CTA lines. Check in was smooth, the room and bathroom were very clean (a little dusty on top of taller pieces of furniture and light fixtures, but that’s it), and the bathroom was much bigger than expected. The small wardrobe was tall enough for long dresses and there was a good amount of space to unpack for how small the bedroom was. Bed and pillows were relatively comfy too!
The staff was super friendly, yet efficient and helpful. Stairs and elevator are secure which made us feel much safer. Didn’t get a chance to visit the bar/lounge/cafe on the floor level, but they looked super vibey and cute. I also really loved how unique the aesthetic was of the main areas- it gave the Freehand character and made it feel more welcoming than the typical cookie cutter lobby you see.
Only cons were how poor the lighting was and not having access to a fridge of any sort to store leftovers. Getting ready in the morning was comically difficult, to the point that we went outside on the street to do any hair and makeup in the mornings, and it felt like it was midnight at noon. Limited natural light made sense with the building structure and us being on a lower floor, but we really wished light fixtures were brighter, or even just the bathroom was lit better. As far as the fridge goes- for the value we were paying it made sense that we didn’t have a mini fridge in the room like a hotel, but I’m used to having access to a community one in places like this.
Overall a great stay and will definitely be back!!!