Miami Beach is home to some of the world's most luxurious resorts and chicest boutique hotels, so it makes sense that it would be home to a designer hostel.
Once the domain of backpackers and college kids on a budget (and designed as such), the Freehand Miami, which will open in the space of the old Indian Creek Hotel, hopes to bring some swankiness to the world of shared room hostels.
The Freehand is the brainchild of the Sydell Group, which owns trendy New York hotels like the Nomad and the Ace. The Freehand is their first entrance into the Miami Markets.
Fifteen of the Freehand's 60 rooms will be in a more traditional hostel style, with as many as 8 beds, bunk style, in a room. Opening in November (just in time for Basel), rates will start at just $50 a night. That's a bit more pricey than South Beach's other hostels, but those others don't feature interior design by the renowned Roman and Williams. The New York Times has the first images of the interior of the hostel, and also reports that the group hopes the Freehand is a game-changer for hostels.
As previously reported by Short Order, the group behind pop-up bar the Broken Shaker will operate a bar and restaurant in the Freehand. It will also feature "a vegetable garden, swimming pool, table tennis, bicycles and even art classes." Perhaps most importantly to regular hostel stayers, it will have one bathroom for each room.
Located at 2727 Indian Creek Drive, the freehand will be just a short Deco Bike drive into the heart of South Beach.
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