SoBe Will Be Home To The Coolest Hostel (Yes, Hostel!) We’ve Ever Seen

You might have to sit down for this one: There is, in Miami (the city of a billion gorgeous hotels), a hostel we might actually want to stay at. If you are hyperventilating, too, we don't blame you. The cheaper alternative to the already budget-conscious motel evokes images of bed bugs, group showers (not the sexy kind), and bad horror movies. Except, of course, when it is in South Beach.

In the spirit of the rustic-chic Ace Hotel in Portland and New York City, Freehand is taking over the old Indian Creek Hotel as a legitimately cool upscale hostel. Yes, those apparently do exist, and the Sydell Group (who also developed the aforementioned Ace Hotel and owns NoMad in NYC) is embracing bunk-bed chic for a nautical, coolest-sleepover-ever vibe.

Suddenly, visitors are no longer "travelers on a budget" but actually in the center of a cool Miami venue. The Broken Shaker (one of our favorite pop-ups of, say, all time) will make its permanent home at Freehand — and will still be managed by the Bar:Lab cocktail geniuses. In other non-hostel-like moves, the space will offer 15 private rooms out of the 60 available, and those that are set up communally will have an adorable cabin-like vibe. The location will also be kitted out with amenities like a gym, a pool, and an onsite garden.

Making SoBe travel affordable and appealing for all is an exciting new prospect — especially when it's done by a developer like the ones behind Ace. Though the doors don't open until November (just in time for Basel, of course), the Freehand is taking reservations now at around $50 a night. We've heard its Art Basel schedule is firmly cemented, so it's safe to say, unlike the travelers this new joint is sure to attract, the Freehand is here to stay.