The William Vale

Reviews

• NM

  Nick M.

  Aug 10, 2026
  2.0
  If you have ever stayed at a true five-star property, The William Vale will fall incredibly short of your expectations. Still finding its footing after an involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the property seems to be recouping its losses by pandering heavily to TikTok and Instagram influencer trends. If you are a traveler looking for genuine hospitality, you may feel oddly out of place here. However, if you are strictly looking for a killer IG photo dump, the architecture provides a great backdrop. My advice? Skip paying for an overnight stay entirely—just grab a rooftop drink with the yuppie crowd at Westlight or use a ResortPass for the day. The Rooms & Noise: - Non-existent soundproofing: My room on the 16th floor was surprisingly loud, with nearby Brooklyn venues blasting music all weekend long. - Defective doors: For whatever reason, you have to violently slam the heavy heavy doors just to get them to click closed. Service & Staff Breakdown: - Front Desk: The reception staff consistently give off a cold, exclusionary vibe reminiscent of a Mean Girls sequel. - Housekeeping & Dining: Conversely, the cleaning crew and restaurant staff are fantastic, kind, and easily the most personable, hard-working folks on the property. The Vibe: Peak Capitalism Over Hospitality As a solo traveler in my late 20s who frequents top global luxury properties, I love high-end experiences, nightlife, and capturing aesthetic photos. This isn't about affordability. I’m not easily put off by a lively scene, but The William Vale takes monetization to an exhausting extreme. True luxury is defined by seamless, refined service, but this property feels void of any real charm. The Westlight rooftop features "premium seating" tiers designed solely to charge you more to see and be seen. The pool is even more egregious, leveraging surcharges up to $700+. To top off the hyper-commercialized vibe, guests at the pool are handed Sephora-branded towels rather than hotel linens, effectively turning paying guests into walking advertisements. It all seems like a test of how much you could get young folks to charge to their authorized user AMEX Platinum cards. Highly disappointing luxury hotel experience.
• KS

  Kristina Saing

  Aug 7, 2026
  2.0
  The room was beautiful, the balcony was incredible, and the views of the city were absolutely breathtaking. The hotel itself is stunning, and the front desk staff was pleasant throughout my stay. However, I was extremely disappointed with the pool experience. One of the main reasons I chose to book this hotel—and spend between $500 and $800 per night—was to enjoy the pool. I was shocked to learn that hotel guests are only allowed to use the pool for a two-hour time slot. To make matters worse, during my reserved two-hour pool time, I was seated in the very back of the pool area with no view and barely any sun. What made this more disappointing is that I learned you can purchase an all day pool pass for $275 without staying in the hotel. It completely defeated the purpose of paying for my stay here for a premium experience of this hotel. For a luxury hotel at this price point, I find this policy unacceptable. Hotel guests should have reasonable access to one of the property’s main amenities without such strict time limits or poor seating placement. While I genuinely loved the room and the incredible balcony views, the pool policies left a very disappointing impression and would make me think twice before booking another stay.I truly loved my stay at the William Vale. The room was beautiful, the balcony was incredible, and the views of the city were absolutely breathtaking. The hotel itself is stunning, and the staff was pleasant throughout my stay. However, I was extremely disappointed with the pool experience. One of the main reasons I chose to book this hotel—and spend between $500 and $800 per night—was to enjoy the rooftop pool. I was shocked to learn that hotel guests are only allowed to use the pool for a two-hour time slot. To make matters worse, during my reserved two-hour pool time, I was seated in the very back of the pool area with no view and barely any sun. It completely defeated the purpose of paying for a premium pool experience. For a luxury hotel at this price point, I find this policy unacceptable. Hotel guests should have reasonable access to one of the property’s main amenities without such strict time limits or poor seating placement. While I genuinely loved the room and the incredible balcony views, the pool policies left a very disappointing impression and would make me think twice before booking another stay.
• GC

  Gabriella Carter

  Aug 5, 2026
  4.0
  My stay at the William Vale exceeded my expectations, especially thanks to Isaac and Kim. They welcomed me to the property with such warmth and were very knowledgeable about the amenities and services available. They answered all questions with a smile and were personable and professional. They set a stellar example for what service should be like in the hospitality industry! Leuca, the restaurant on the property, was really good. I enjoyed my food and drinks, and the service was great as well. The Asian bartender I had was very kind and gave great recommendations. Multiple people checked on me throughout my time dining, so service was top notch across the board. My room was spacious, with gorgeous views of the city. I do wish the bathroom lighting was brighter, especially in the mirror. It’s hard to do your makeup. Walls are very thin so it does get noisy, even on higher floors. Think twice about booking if you’re a light sleeper. Overall, I would definitely come back and stay at this hotel - it was clean, service was great, location is safe and vibrant, and views were breathtaking.
• JV

  Jasmine Vo

  Aug 2, 2026
  1.0
  DO NOT STAY HERE IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A LUXE EXPERIENCE. I booked a staycation at The William Vale specifically to watch the Fourth of July fireworks over the Brooklyn Bridge. As a hotel marketed as a luxury property and recognized by Forbes, I expected an elevated guest experience. Instead, it felt more like checking into a Las Vegas nightclub. What the hotel doesn't advertise is that it leases its rooftop to outside party promoters. The property was completely overrun with non-hotel guests, making it difficult to even enter or leave the building. Every time I walked through the lobby, I was stopped and asked if I had tickets. Despite repeatedly explaining that I was a hotel guest, I was continually treated like an attendee trying to get into an event. One of the reasons I chose this hotel was to enjoy a cocktail on the rooftop before heading to the park for the fireworks. I made a reservation through the hotel's website, but when I arrived, the host requested my ID and credit card as if I were entering a nightclub. The manager then informed me that my party would only be seated if we agreed to a **$1,500 minimum spend**. I politely asked if we could simply have one drink before leaving, and was told no. For three people, reaching that minimum would have required ordering an excessive amount of alcohol or spending far beyond what was reasonable for a brief visit. For a stay costing over **$1,300** for two nights, this was far from a five-star experience. If I had booked The Standard, I'd expect a party atmosphere. At a luxury hotel, I expect paying guests to have priority over outside events. To make matters worse, room service and housekeeping were virtually nonexistent. The William Vale appears to prioritize event revenue over the guest experience—and unfortunately, it shows.
• LN

  LeVar Nero

  Jul 22, 2026
  1.0
  I stayed here for my wedding anniversary with my wife expecting 5 star treatment and was extremely disappointed. While booking, I added all the amenities offered on their website (champagne, chocolate, valet parking, and a pool voucher for the cabana). When we checked in, the front desk staff was disinterested and did not deliver a wow service. They asked me for a credit card, charged it and did not state the price or provide a receipt. When I asked about the pool (which was the primary reason for booking) the receptionist stated that the pool was closed due to a private booking. There was no accommodation for this inconvenience and the receptionist advised that we speak with the pool staff on the 4th floor for the discount on your voucher. When we arrived to the 4th floor we weren’t greeted by anyone and had to locate a staff member for assistance. When we finally did the initial interaction stated to us was that we are closed. He refused to inquire why we were there or offer any assistance. His manager came out and she was unsuccessful in finding us in the system and stated we had to go back downstairs for additional assistance. This hotel brands themselves as 5 stars but lacks professionalism and accommodation. After going back downstairs to the initial front desk staff we spoke with and advised what the pool staff stated she proceeded to call her manager. The manager Elton Ivanaj came out and I had to repeat my experience since arriving to him and he proceeded to offer a day pass to visit the pool on another day and a credit for dinner at Lecua. With how much they charge for rooms and the poor service received this was not acceptable for me and I will not be visiting or recommending this hotel.