Having established a reputation for boutique accommodation with a remarkable devotion to site-specific detail, the Sydell Group – whose properties include New York’s NoMad hotel – have now turned their attention to the Windy City. Working with long-time collaborators, design firm Roman and Williams, the newly opened Freehand Chicago – the second in the company’s hip hostel series after Miami – celebrates the city’s Midwestern heritage with a string of evocative communal spaces and rooms located in a restored 1920s Art Deco building, set among the high-rises of the downtown River North neighbourhood. The designers imbued the interior with a layered feel, using a combination of textiles, leather and wood to create a cosy, lived-in atmosphere, as well as using a mixture of vintage and custom-designed pieces inspired by regional craftwork traditions. In addition to the inviting private and shared rooms, the property plays host to a second location of acclaimed craft cocktail bar Broken Shaker, as well as an outpost of artisanal coffee purveyors Café Integral.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
19 East Ohio Street
-
Paul McCartney’s backstage photographs of Beatlemania, formerly presumed lost, will go on show in LondonThe Gagosian exhibition ‘Rearview Mirror: Liverpool–London–Paris’ also offers the chance to acquire rare and signed photographs from McCartney’s archive
-
Orlando Museum of Art wants to showcase more Latin American and Hispanic artists. Do you fit the bill?The Florida gallery calls for for Hispanic and Latin American artists to submit their work for an ongoing exhibition
-
This spa in the Riviera Maya stays open until midnight. Here’s what happens after darkRosewood Mayakoba’s Akbal Series proposes a new kind of night out
-
Size doesn’t matter at Now Now, a micro-hotel for solo travellers in New YorkCan you pack style into 32 square feet? We find out
-
At this LA dining hotspot, go Spanish or Japanese as you pleaseA dual-concept dining destination designed by the Rockwell Group brings Mediterranean warmth and Japanese precision to Century City
-
The Benjamin’s chic new upstairs bar is Hollywood’s hottest hideawayAt Bar Benjamin, speakeasy mystique meets elevated snacks, cocktails and views
-
More is more at Bar Issi, a maximalist new dining destination in Palm SpringsFettle studio fuses eco-conscious materials with bold design gestures in this playful space inside the new Thompson Hotel
-
Do luxury hotels need a farmer-in-residence?From Ibiza to Indonesia, hospitality brands are cultivating a new travel experience, where wellness begins in the soil and ends at the table
-
A local’s guide to AtlantaDrawn by the city’s diversity and queer community, life coach and writer Cator Sparks returned to Atlanta after 25 years away. He shares his favourite haunts
-
Philadelphia’s ‘Grande Dame’ reopens with a dazzling French twistThe Bellevue Hotel has been restored to its former glory through a stylish renovation by design studio Ward + Gray
-
Beloved sushi restaurant Sōgo Roll Bar comes to Highland ParkThe sushi hangout begins a new chapter in its second location, becoming the perfect spot for a quick grab-and-go or a relaxed tasting experience in east LA
