London-based Generator, a hospitality company that launched in 2011 with design-centric hostels, has purchased the New York-based Freehand Hotels and its food and beverage operations for $400 million. Generator's owner, Queensgate Investments, led the acquisition. With the four Freehand properties operating in New York, Miami Beach, Chicago and Los Angeles, plus a Generator hotel set to open in Washington, D.C., in 2020, the company will offer 19 properties across Europe and North America. Generator's European locations include Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, Paris and Rome. Both companies offer both private rooms and shared accommodations, and both focus on a social, "community-driven atmosphere."