The William Vale

Everything about the William Vale comes back to the views. They’re spectacular and practically unavoidable no matter where you are. When you step off the elevator on any floor, you’re met by a wall of solid glass and the sprawling expanse of Brooklyn. After walking down a short hallway to your room, you can relax on a private balcony overlooking the tiny, ant-like New Yorkers below (yes, every single room in the hotel has a balcony.) Furthermore, the hotel’s current main attraction, a rooftop bar called Westlight on the 22nd floor, has a perspective on the New York skyline so staggering that it might make you do a double take. Just in case you somehow fail to appreciate it, the bar offers complimentary bright-yellow observation viewers.

Of course, in order to achieve those envious views, the sleek, modern structure was built so high that it sometimes resembles an alien ship hovering over hipster Williamsburg. But judging by the Frette linens and L’Occitane en Provence products in every room, these visitors come in peace. Other perks that come with staying at the month-old hotel are an elevated 15,000 square-foot green space (AKA Vale Park) that you can explore, a 60-foot outdoor pool (the longest in New York) and—opening later this fall—the hotel’s flagship restaurant Leuca, a Southern Italian restaurant by Andrew Carmellini.

The hotel is perfectly located for taking advantage of the best North Brooklyn has to offer. Brooklyn Brewery is just across the street, the boutiques and restaurants of Bedford Avenue are a short walk away and McCarren Park is right next door. For those that aren’t in a hurry to rush back to their comfortable beds, the mega-club Output is just a few blocks south. In fact, the venue’s pounding music can be heard from many of the room’s balconies. Luckily, shutting the soundproof balcony door quickly takes care of that problem, one of the only times during your stay that you may want to draw your attention away from the world outside.

TIME OUT TIP: Feeling a bit too elevated from your surroundings? Head four blocks north to the expansive Spritzenhaus33 where you can throw back pints alongside local college kids and families while trying your luck at a game of free Jenga.