Pros
- Stylish, converted 1930s Art Deco building
- Great location near the beach
- Clean, comfortable rooms (some private, some dorm style)
- Hip, social atmosphere in lobby lounge
- Nice outdoor pool with poolside table service
- Broken Shaker cocktail bar attracts locals and visitors
- Good value for style and location
- Free breakfast and free Wi-Fi
Cons
- Street parking only
- Rooms near pool can be noisy
- Not a traditional hotel (a youth hostel)
Bottom Line
Combining a '70s hippie vibe with thoughtful design, The Freehand is a hostel for sophisticated young travelers who care about style, atmosphere, and a good party. This welcoming property offers a range of rooms from an eight-person dorm to private bungalows. The bar scene is renowned, drawing locals along with visitors for DJ-spun tunes and artisanal cocktails. Look for other digs if a solid night's sleep is more important than socializing, as the revelry often continues into the wee hours.
Hotel & Amenities Photos
Amenities
- Internet
- Pool
Oyster Awards
Scene
Mellow hipster vibe
Housed in the old Indian Creek Hotel, the 63-room Freehand's decor celebrates all things vintage, from the faded floral wallpaper in the bar to the jumble of midcentury tables and chairs in the campus rec hall-style lobby. Out back, guests hang in a shady cobblestone courtyard filled with more mismatched seating, strumming guitars and sipping cocktails from the tiny bar. There's ample room for sunbathing on striped loungers that surround the small but well-maintained pool.
Location
Off Collins Avenue, north of South Beach proper
The Freehand is on Indian Creek Drive just off Collins Avenue, about two blocks north of where Collins converges with A1A. The beach is a couple of blocks from the hotel, but guests will probably need a bike or taxi to reach the Lincoln Road Mall or South Beach, as both destinations are more than a mile away.
Rooms
Bunk alone or with a group
Rooms range from king suites with private baths to four-person bungalows to bunk rooms for up to eight people. Bunks are surprisingly comfortable, with hotel-grade mattresses, adjustable reading lights, and docking stations for personal electronics. Decor is tastefully basic, with built-in cubbies, oversized clothes hooks, and small, wall-mounted writing desks.
Features
Just the right basics
The Freehand provides a simple continental breakfast and inexpensive bar snacks. There is currently no on-site restaurant, although plans for one are underway. The hotel rents retro-style bikes for cruising around the neighborhood or heading to South Beach.
This Hotel Also Featured In
8 of the Trendiest Hotels in Miami
When it comes to trendy beach destinations, does it get better than Miami? Between a vibrant party scene, amazing art and design culture, and beautiful blue waters, the seaside city in South Florida is quite literally a hot spot. Dozens upon dozens of hotels line the beach — and inland — which means that you…
13 U.S. Hotels With the Best Outdoor Restaurants and Bars
When spring and summer roll around, diners and drinkers around the world love to indulge outdoors. (And if you’re in a destination that enjoys temperate climes year-round, you can even do so in the winter!) Since we’re big fans of hotels, we’ve taken a look at properties across the United States, from cities to the…
5 Buzzy Miami Beach Hotel Restaurants for 2017
It’s not hard to eat well in Miami, as it’s an exciting time for its culinary scene, but the question is where? From a farm-to-table hot spot in Mid Beach to authentic Latin American cuisine in the luxurious South of Fifth neighborhood, eat your way around Miami Beach at these five hotel restaurants.
10 Hostels You Actually Want to Stay In
If you see hostels as falling somewhere between dorm rooms and jail cells in terms of their chicness and comfort, these properties will elevate your opinion. Gone are the musty lounges with beanbag chairs; the rusty lockers of questionable security; the plain rooms with flimsy mass-produced furniture. In their place, you’ll find urban artwork, design-conscious…
Eight Hostels For When You're Too Old to Stay at a Hostel
Sure, college students and party animals may seek out hostels as an ideal way to meet other young travelers and save money on the road, but there comes a point in every traveler’s life when showering with flip-flops and playing drinking games with strangers becomes less appealing, and clean bedding and quiet at a reasonable…
Modern Hostels --They Do Exist! -- For the Low-Budget, High-Style Traveler
Forget no-frills lodging; today’s new brand of hostels offers cool decor and plenty of perks. Sounds too good to be true? Well, we’ve got the scoop on hostels that pack a wow factor with upscale amenities, contemporary comforts, prime locations, and good food. Plus, with fun social scenes and affordable rates, they have all the…
Scene
Mellow hipster vibe
Housed in the old Indian Creek Hotel, the 63-room Freehand's decor celebrates all things vintage, from the faded floral wallpaper in the bar to the jumble of midcentury tables and chairs in the campus rec hall-style lobby. Out back, guests hang in a shady cobblestone courtyard filled with more mismatched seating, strumming guitars and sipping cocktails from the tiny bar. There's ample room for sunbathing on striped loungers that surround the small but well-maintained pool.
Location
Off Collins Avenue, north of South Beach proper
The Freehand is on Indian Creek Drive just off Collins Avenue, about two blocks north of where Collins converges with A1A. The beach is a couple of blocks from the hotel, but guests will probably need a bike or taxi to reach the Lincoln Road Mall or South Beach, as both destinations are more than a mile away.
Rooms
Bunk alone or with a group
Rooms range from king suites with private baths to four-person bungalows to bunk rooms for up to eight people. Bunks are surprisingly comfortable, with hotel-grade mattresses, adjustable reading lights, and docking stations for personal electronics. Decor is tastefully basic, with built-in cubbies, oversized clothes hooks, and small, wall-mounted writing desks.
Features
Just the right basics
The Freehand provides a simple continental breakfast and inexpensive bar snacks. There is currently no on-site restaurant, although plans for one are underway. The hotel rents retro-style bikes for cruising around the neighborhood or heading to South Beach.
Hotel & Amenities Photos
Best Rates
Amenities
-
Air Conditioner
-
Balcony / Terrace / Patio
-
Beach
-
Business Center
-
Concierge
-
Free Breakfast
-
Internet
-
Mini Bar (with liquor)
-
Pool
-
Rental Car Service Desk Onsite
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.