Freehand Los Angeles

We’re not saying Miami and Chicago were warm-up acts, necessarily. They’re big cities, and major destinations in their own right. But Los Angeles is the big stage — and when a mini-chain like Freehand chooses downtown L.A. as a location for its third hotel, the anticipation tends to run high.

Follow the enormous neon “Commercial Exchange” sign — at 12 stories, the largest in the city — to a historic, renovated office building, once the home of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s publishing company. There’s a suite named after him on the top floor of the building with unbeatable panoramic views of DTLA. (If you’re looking for something smaller and cozier, stay in a king room, studio, or suite. You’ll still have great views, and you can take in the full panorama from the rooftop pool.)

Bringing a group of friends or a big family? Try the shared rooms with bunk beds — trust us, they offer a lot more privacy than your college dorm room ever did. But no matter the room you choose, the decor here is homey and very L.A.: Roman & Williams outfitted these generous guestrooms with dark woods and cream walls, big windows with plenty of light, and Angeleno artwork hanging on the walls.

The Freehand team worked to make their newest property the full L.A. experience, but they made an exception by bringing along the Broken Shaker cocktail bar that’s become beloved in Miami and Chicago (and racked up a few prizes as well, including a James Beard Award finalist spot). Combined with the buzz building around the hotel restaurant, The Exchange, named for that neon sign and featuring food from local chef Alex Chang, we expect you’ll find a lot of locals hanging around — and that’s always a good sign.