The William Vale

Terrible experience. I just stayed there with 3 suites to get ready for my wedding at a nearby venue. At the price of these suites, I expected luxury in both the hotel experience and the rooms themselves. First, the elevators were not only extremely slow (they only use 2 of 4 which is odd), but they were buggy and buttons in lobby didnt work half the time, then once in it the key card was finnicky. That aside, one of the glass panels in the balcony was shattered, which is extremely dangerous on a high floor. Then most of the light switches in the room did not function. The shower knob in one room required two hands to heave ho to turn on and in another room kept switching cold and hot. The third room didnt get coffee service refreshed. The bedroom tv didnt work just the living room. Just would have expected things tip top shape for the cost of stay and the star rating of the hotel.

This is not a five star hotel. At all. It's fine if you need a place to crash and you're under 30 and don't mind the hotel feeling like a club and/or it sounding like a club outside. I called the front desk to ask about a giant dance party happening across the street in a roofless space with bass and music pumping. They said they're not sure what time it will end. You would think they'd have the information for guests paying $600 a night. And it's Sunday night. Not Friday or Saturday. Just a very mediocre place.

The hotel itself is very nice. Brooklyn, the surrounding area….not so nice, but it’s New York. The woman who cleaned my room did a fantastic job. I left her a tip on 2 separate occasions. When I asked her if she got them, she said she didn’t? On my last day I noticed some other woman, I think she was the boss? Coming out of my room with the money I left to tip the woman that was actually cleaning my room. I told the guy at the front desk, hopefully he handled it? Those cleaning women work hard.

My stay at The William Vale over the weekend of May 24, 2025, was deeply disappointing and easily the worst hotel experience I’ve had. Major issues included: • Severe cleanliness problems – Our room had dirty towels and robes upon arrival, and overall didn’t feel like it had been properly cleaned. The balcony, while offering a nice view, had dirty chairs and a grimy floor. • Unresponsive staff and poor communication – I called every number listed (housekeeping, room service, front desk) multiple times over two days and only received one response—from valet on the day we checked out. Most calls went straight to voicemail, and none were returned. We eventually had to locate housekeeping ourselves, only to be given more towels—some of which were also dirty. • Underwhelming facilities and inattentive staff – The hotel feels worn down and doesn’t meet even basic four-star expectations. The elevator made concerning noises throughout our stay, as if it needed maintenance. Vale Park was just a plain law with no atmosphere, but perhaps that was intentional. Aside from the valet, staff seemed indifferent or overwhelmed. The room itself was modern in style, but the furnishings felt well-used and not well-maintained. Noise was a constant issue and we could clearly hear conversations outside the room and activity both through the walls and from outside the hotel. While the first-floor common areas and Westlight were stylish and had a good energy, the overall atmosphere skewed heavily toward a mid-20s to early 30s party crowd, which may not be what everyone’s looking for in a “luxury” stay. The William Vale markets itself as a high-end experience, but in reality, it delivers inconsistent service, poor maintenance, and a party-centric atmosphere. I won’t be returning—and I’d suggest others look elsewhere if they’re expecting quality and professionalism.

Our stay was OK. I really find it difficult to understand how this hotel is 5 star. Which instantly puts the hotel on the back foot, because you are paying 5 star prices. I don’t know if there is any confusion about the rating as when we mentioned it to reception the comment back was it isn’t 5 star. If you look on google and booking.com it states it is 5 star? What is 5 star - the view from the room. The Westlight, the service there was excellent and the staff should be commended. Especially the bar staff. Though non hotel guests can easily access The Westlight so that isn’t enough to overlook everything else. What definitely isn’t 5 star - the hotel inside is tired. The windows / glass aren’t clean. The room was clean (so thank you to the cleaning staff) but again the finishing was tired. The amenities weren’t 5 star, we couldn’t use the pool which was understandable but the pool area looked extremely tired. No showers at the gym. The check-in was ok. Location is great, views are great, I’m sure the pool is great in the summer. It just isn’t a 5 star hotel. Our reference having stayed at The Langham, Boston previously and that certainly is 5 star. If the hotel was rated 3.5/4 star - your expectations are aligned. Our stay was pleasant, but reflecting against the 5 star rating and price I don’t think we would return. If you are considering staying here, do weigh up the costs. Westlight excellent though you can access it easily, if the pool was open this would be another positive.