The William Vale is effortlessly cool. Nestled on the border between the ultra-hip Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods of northwest Brooklyn, the five-star stay opened back in 2016, has 183 guestrooms over 23-floors and resembles something you’d see in an up-and-coming neighborhood in Tokyo or Seoul.
With a gym, pool, rooftop bar(s), and three dining spots that get many of their fresh herbs from the on-property Vale Garden, there’s enough here to enjoy The William Vale as an urban resort, all with the perk of being nestled in a lively, walkable part of New York area that’s not overcrowded like much of Manhattan.
Why stay at The William Vale?
First up, while in Manhattan hotels can feel pretty cramped, visitors to the William Vale will instead enjoy spacious, modern rooms (which each have their own balcony), plus access to the gym, pool, and three different drinking and dining options—you don’t need to leave the hotel if you don’t want to.
But, as it’s close to some of the museums, restaurants, bridges, and public spaces that make New York America’s top tourist destination, William Vale allows you to enjoy the Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods as a proper, temporary local
What are the rooms like at The William Vale?
There are 15 different room types, from the Queen rooms to the Vale Garden Residence, which has a large deck with a hot tub. And in case you don’t have the energy to make it down to the gym, the Vale Garden Residence has its own Freemotion Coach bike. Each room has a balcony, a Lavazza espresso machine, and the higher-end rooms also have JBL Bluetooth Speakers that are loud enough to hear in the shower.
The hotel’s design throughout is pleasingly modern, with sleekly-decorated rooms and bold architecture nodding to trendy neighbourhoods in Seoul or Tokyo, and it adds some contemporary drama to the redbrick of this part of Brookyln.
What is the food like at The William Vale?
While both Westlight, the 22nd-floor, dimly lit evening spot, and the rooftop bar each have undisputed best views, Southern Italian-inspired LEUCA is the culinary star of The William Vale. The pasta dishes stand out as much as its Neapolitan-style pies, which rival those of any NYC flavor-of-the-month spot, with lines outside the door. While some Italian spots charge $30 for seafood pasta which arrives with just two spoonfuls of seafood, you’ll get a fifty-fifty ratio at LEUCA. Lumache is the most popular pasta dish, and it’s topped with a lamb bolognese and enough ricotta to tame the spice.
There’s also Little Fino, a bakery and breakfast spot that serves cocktails and Italian small plates in the afternoons and evenings. You’ll have to walk through there to get to LEUCA.
However, if you’re stopping over at William Vale for more than a night or two, there are dozens of cracking spots within walking distance of the hotel. The Sichuan MEILI is a brilliant regional Chinese restaurant, and there are several casual Thai spots in the area, including KRU, with no Pad Thai or drunken noodles in sight, and the AM-THAI, which is closer to the iconic Williamsburg Bridge and serves one of the best bowls of Khao Soi in the five boroughs. For drinks and smaller plates in a cozy neighborhood setting, Cecily is a dimly lit Michelin Bib Gourmand spot where the dishes feature an eclectic mix of ingredients. On the higher end, there’s the Michelin-starred Restaurant Yuu, a French-Japanese omakase restaurant that caters to the bougiest of diners.
What’s the service like at The William Vale?
While Westlight in particular gets very crowded in the evenings, I received attentive and intimate service at the pool and in the downstairs dining spots, and generally the hotel is small enough for the staff to learn your name.
What are the pools and facilities like at The William Vale?
Rooftop pools which offer bar snacks and enticing drinks aren’t uncommon in New York, but what makes the Vale Pool special is its barrel saunas and small hot tubs with a partial view of the Midtown skyline. Both can be reserved by guests and non-guests, and there’s also much more tranquil places to perch—the poolside gets rather crowded.
The gym is open 24 hours and has dumbbells, machines (plenty of which overlook the pool) and, given we’re in Brooklyn, the essential yoga mats and blocks, too.
What’s the area like around The William Vale?
Greenpoint and Williamsburg are two neighborhoods which have, since the 2000s, become some of the most stylish zip codes in the city, and William Vale is slap-bang in the middle of them both. It lies between Bushwick Inlet Park and McCarren Park, and out and about you’ll see swathes of trendy young professionals.
Expect to pay Manhattan prices for food, drinks, and parking, around here. While valet services are available to guests and diners, most people in this part of NYC use public transportation or a rideshare service. Fortunately, The William Vale is located between the Nassau Av (G) and Bedford Av (L) subway stations and there are Citi Bike docking stations one block east and one block west, but the hotel also offers complimentary bikes for guests, so you can wave those stressful time constraints goodbye.
For an intimate and quirky place to visit, guests can head southeast to The City Reliquary, which has a collection of small relics representing all five boroughs. The Brooklyn Winery, a classy bar and events space, is just a 10 minute walk away from the William Vale.
Why you should book a stay at The William Vale
The William Vale showcases what’s so great about New York in a towering, stylish nutshell. At 250 feet, it’s tall enough to offer dazzling views of the city that never sleeps, and while it sits on the lesser-explored side of the East River, you’ll have easy access to New York’s transport—the subway is nearby, as is the NYC Ferry. All that paired with brilliant on-site restaurants, vibey roof-top bar and trendy neighborhood, it’s a solid place to base yourself when visiting The Big Apple.
DETAILS
Address: 111 N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY
Price per night: Queen with Balcony rooms from $395; Vale Garden Residence room from $6,500
Closest transport: LaGuardia Airport is a 20-minute drive
Book now: Via Booking.com
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