Editorial score of 8.9 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why book The William Vale in Williamsburg?
The William Vale is worth booking for one decision made at the drawing board that no rival can retrofit: every one of its 183 rooms has a private balcony. Standing at the corner of Wythe Avenue and North 12th Street, the hotel treats Williamsburg's outdoor dimension, the waterfront, the rooftop views and the street energy, as part of the product rather than an add-on. The balcony turns a New York room into something Manhattan hotels in this price range simply cannot offer, and the higher categories, up to the Vale Garden duplex suite with its own outdoor space, extend that logic as far as it will go. If the point of your trip is to be outside and above the city, this is the address built for it.
The building backs the balconies with two of Brooklyn's better hotel amenities. Andrew Carmellini, a James Beard winner, directs the food, and his southern Italian restaurant Leuca sits at street level with house-made pasta and wood-fired pizza, while the Westlight bar on the 22nd floor delivers roughly 360-degree Manhattan and East River views and ranks among the most-visited hotel bars in the borough. A heated rooftop pool, at about 60 feet one of the longest in New York, completes the outdoor set. Where the Vale asks for the right expectation is polish and location: service and finish sit a notch below Manhattan's best, and the L-train ride into the city is the trade for the value and the views. Accept that, and Williamsburg rewards it.
What are the best rooms to request?
Request a high-floor room on the western side and prioritise the balcony orientation, because the Manhattan skyline is what you are here for. All 183 rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and a private balcony, so even the entry categories deliver the outdoor extension the hotel is built around, but the higher you sit and the more westward you face, the more the balcony becomes a private box seat over the East River and the Manhattan grid. Suites open up the sitting space a celebration weekend wants, and the Vale Garden duplex, with its two-floor layout and private outdoor area, is the room that takes the concept to its conclusion for a honeymoon or a milestone.
The honest caveat is finish and consistency. This is a design-led four-star in Brooklyn rather than a Manhattan five-star, so the rooms trade a degree of polish and service depth for the value, the balcony and the view, and guests should set expectations accordingly. If the outdoor space and the skyline are the priorities, that trade is easy; if flawless five-star service is non-negotiable, weigh a Manhattan address. Book a high floor facing the water, use the balcony as the second room, and the Vale earns its place.
Ask for a west-facing balcony on a high floor for the sunset over Manhattan, and book Westlight and a Leuca table before you arrive, since both draw locals as well as guests. For a honeymoon, ask about the Vale Garden duplex, and time your evening so a rooftop-pool afternoon runs into a Westlight sunset.
Where do you eat and drink at The William Vale?
The food is a real reason to book, not a convenience, because a James Beard winner runs it. Andrew Carmellini directs the programme, and his southern Italian restaurant Leuca occupies the ground floor with house-made pasta and wood-fired pizza served to locals and hotel guests alike, which is exactly the kind of neighbourhood table a design hotel wants at street level. Twenty-two floors up, the Westlight rooftop bar is the headline, pouring curated cocktails and small plates with roughly 360-degree Manhattan and East River views, and it has become one of the most-visited hotel bars in Brooklyn. Between a Leuca dinner and a Westlight nightcap, you can spend an evening without leaving the building.
Does The William Vale have a pool?
Yes, and it is a genuine draw rather than a token facility. The heated rooftop pool sits on the Vale Terrace and, at about 60 feet, is one of the longest hotel pools in New York, with a bar alongside and the Manhattan skyline across the river. It runs in parallel with the hotel's defining idea, which is outdoor space at every level: a balcony on every room, a pool and bar on the terrace, and Westlight above. Wellness otherwise runs through a fitness centre and in-room spa services rather than a full spa floor, so treat the rooftop, not a spa, as the reason to book here.
Signature amenities
On the Williamsburg waterfront edge
Williamsburg · Wythe Avenue at N 12th Street, near the East River
What's nearby
- East River State Park
Waterfront green5 min walk - Bedford Avenue L
Subway to Manhattan5 min walk - North Williamsburg Ferry
East River route6 min walk - McCarren Park
Neighbourhood park8 min walk - Domino Park
Riverside promenade12 min walk
The balconies, the pool, the rooftop
Balconies
Guest room
Rooftop pool
WestlightHow does The William Vale compare with other Brooklyn hotels?
Against its Brooklyn peers, the Vale is the balcony-and-rooftop choice, and the decision turns on which waterfront you want. The Wythe Hotel, a few blocks away, is the smaller factory-conversion classic with Bar Blondeau's Manhattan views and a more low-key character. 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, across the borough at the DUMBO waterfront, trades Williamsburg for the closest, most head-on Manhattan skyline and a sustainability-led design. The Bowery Hotel is the Manhattan alternative if you would rather not cross the river at all, with a fireplace lobby at the edge of the East Village. The Vale's own trade is its four-star finish and the L-train commute, offset by the balcony on every room and the pool.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| The William Vale | Balcony-led design hotel | Outdoor space, rooftop, value | Four-star finish; L-train commute |
| Wythe Hotel | Factory-conversion classic | Character, Bar Blondeau, Williamsburg | Smaller; fewer facilities |
| 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge | Waterfront eco-design | Head-on skyline, sustainability | DUMBO, not Williamsburg |
| The Bowery Hotel | Manhattan downtown-classic | Fireplace lobby, no river crossing | East Village; no rooftop pool |
Frequently asked questions
Where do you eat at The William Vale?
Leuca, Andrew Carmellini's southern Italian restaurant on the ground floor, serves house-made pasta and wood-fired pizza. The Westlight rooftop bar adds cocktails and small plates with full Manhattan skyline views 22 floors up.
Does every room at The William Vale have a balcony?
Yes. All 183 rooms have a private balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows, a design decision made at the building stage and unmatched by Manhattan luxury hotels in the same price range.
What is Westlight at The William Vale?
Westlight is the hotel's rooftop bar on the 22nd floor, with roughly 360-degree Manhattan and East River views. It is one of the most-visited hotel bars in Brooklyn.
Does The William Vale have a pool?
Yes, a heated rooftop pool on the Vale Terrace. At about 60 feet it is one of the longest hotel pools in New York, with a bar and Manhattan skyline views alongside the balcony on every room.
Where is The William Vale located?
111 North 12th Street at Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, close to the East River waterfront and the Bedford Avenue L train into Manhattan.
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