Freehand Los Angeles review: a hip downtown hotel with a rooftop pool

The Freehand hostel-meets-hotel group is known for its affordable rooms and hip guests — and the Downtown LA outpost is no exception. The 1920s building may have started life as a run-of-the-mill office space and home to several dental offices, but it’s since been transformed with the best bits preserved including the original “Commercial Exchange Bldg.” sign and the 1930s era bar. The building has been given new life too with a tropical rooftop pool and an excellent Israeli-Californian restaurant. Prices are reasonable (for notoriously expensive LA at least) and the 167 private rooms and 59 shared dorms attract a mix of backpackers, friends, and young couples alike. But the communal spaces here — the laid-back, living room-style bar and buzzy rooftop — are also where the city’s creative types come for their sundowners. Service is friendly and attentive, and the location is ideal for those seeking the action of downtown.
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Score 8/10All 226 rooms, designed by the trendy New York firm Roman and Williams, feature tones of beige and brown with mahogany furniture, Navajo woven jute rugs, custom wooden lights and colourful wall hangings. That’s not to say they all look the same though — your lodgings (and expenses) for the night will vary dramatically depending on which category you opt for. On the more pricey end are the two large 13th-floor corner suites (Burroughs and Loft) which comprise adjoining retro 70s-style rooms (Loft has two bedrooms, while Burroughs has one bedroom with an adjoining living area), two tiled bathrooms (one with a powerful shower), and spectacular city views. Private rooms varying in size from a standard size king to spacious deluxe kings are a quarter of the price but have similarly good views and equally cool decor. For stylish travellers on a budget, a room in one of the 59 shared dorms (four, six, and eight-bed rooms are available, as well as female-only dorms) is the ultimate steal, at a starting rate of £22 per person per night. These are no grimy hostel rooms but tastefully pared-back spaces with comfortable cedarwood bunk beds, crisp white linen, woven rugs and sparklingly clean shared en suite bathrooms. Windows have practical blackout blinds but even the highest rooms bring in noise from the streets below — so light sleepers beware: pack ear plugs.
Score 8/10By mid-afternoon guests and locals have filled up the tables at the atmospheric rooftop poolside bar, Broken Shaker, which is deservingly well-known for its cocktails — the “guavafornication” (£15) is a spicy blend of tequila, guava, Cointreau, agave and lime which packs a punch. The cityscape views here are divine at sunset — and the fried fish tacos are good too. The best food here is served at wood-panelled restaurant The Exchange which serves Israeli-Californian dishes on the hotel’s ground floor. Order the rich braised lamb pita sandwich at lunch and the garlicky pan-seared coho salmon for dinner. Low-lit lobby-level Rudolph’s Bar — named after Rudolph Rosenberg, the former owner of the Commercial Exchange Building — comes alive in the evening with regular live music sets and a menu of tea-infused cocktails and small plates; the lamb tostada is particularly delicious.
There’s no buffet breakfast but a decent à la carte selection is served at the compact Café Integral which has excellent coffee and a varied menu (mains include bagels, chorizo and egg burritos, and a hearty cooked breakfast platter).
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Score 8/10The rooftop pool is the highlight: colourful parasols, funky pineapple-shaped inflatables, stylish striped towels, attentive poolside food and drinks service and, best of all, 360-degree skyline views. The only downside is the opening hours — 12pm to sunset — meaning no morning swims. You’ll also want to pop into Paper 8, a quirky retail store on the hotel’s ground floor, which stocks a selection of eclectic artwork and printed T-shirts. Overnight valet parking is available, but note it’s on the expensive side at £46 per night.
Score 9/10If you’ve come to LA for buzz and bustle rather than beaches you’re in the right place here. This hotel straddles the corner of 8th Street and Olive Street in downtown LA and is within walking distance of Grand Central Market — a historic food market with options for every palate — and The Broad, a contemporary art museum with free entry. Should you want to venture further afield, many of the city’s most popular spots — from the Hollywood sign to Santa Monica Pier — are less than an hour’s drive away. Los Angeles international airport is a 45-minute drive.
Price Room-only doubles from £116; room-only in shared dorms from £22Restaurant Mains from £12.40Family-friendly YAccessible Y
Claudia Rowan was a guest of The Freehand Los Angeles
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