Traditions Hotel & Spa Johnson City - Binghamton, an Ascend Collection Hotel — Hotel in Town of Union

We travel twice a year to Binghamton to visit family who do not have the space to put us up in their home. As a result, this beautiful and comfortable hotel has become our home-away-from-home whenever we stay in Binghamton. For the second time, we booked a Homestead Suite, which offered a sitting area separate from the bedroom. This area has a sofa, end tables and coffee table, a desk and chair, and a console with a flat-screen TV. The entire suite is spacious and spotlessly clean. A wet bar, Keurig coffee machine, and a refrigerator were nice features, and the bathroom was spacious, with a good supply of thick, fluffy towels and high-quality toiletries.||Traditions is located just a short distance from a large commercial shopping area which includes gas stations, shops, restaurants, and a huge Wegmans food store. However, once you drive up the winding road to the hotel, you feel as if you are far out in the country. It’s wonderfully quiet at night.||We enjoyed the buffet breakfast which was included in our room rate. It has a wide variety of offerings, including scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, an assortment of breads and bagels, a make-your-own waffle machine, and really good coffee. There was a large bowl of fresh fruit each morning… blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, pineapple, and melon. You don’t normally see ample fresh fruit like this on a hotel buffet, and we enjoyed it very much. The breakfast buffet is staffed each morning by friendly attendants who greet their guests and see that food is replenished when necessary.||We had only one glitch in our stay this time. The person who checked us in when we arrived was a young woman named Caitlyn (not sure of the spelling, since there are many different versions of “Caitlyn”). It was an unpleasant experience. She seemed to be irked that she had been disturbed from her reverie, and she offered neither a smile nor a single word of welcome. “Name?” she asked, emotionless, and we replied, explaining that we had reserved for three nights and that we were returning guests. “ID?” she asked, again cold and emotionless, with no indication that she was happy to see us or that she was glad that we had returned. Our interaction with her felt more like a traffic stop where we were being asked to identify ourselves. We were quite taken aback by this perfunctory and unfriendly demeanor, and had we not already stayed at Traditions several times before and had become acquainted with its outgoing and helpful staff (such as Barbara, Jeff, and Monica), we would have thought that we had made a big mistake by choosing Traditions rather than a chain hotel in town. Fortunately, Caitlyn is the exception and not the rule when it comes to the Traditions staff. As a millennial, she probably experiences the world through her phone, which doesn’t require her to look up, acknowledge living human beings, listen to them, and converse with them. She probably has no clue that a guest’s interaction with a staff person behind a hotel reception desk represents the first point of contact between the guest and the hotel, and it quickly sets the tone for how the guest can expect to be treated during the rest of the stay. So to Caitlyn we say: a smile costs nothing but goes a long way in extending a feeling of hospitality and good will, and a few words of welcome require hardly any effort at all but will leave guests feeling seen and appreciated.||Traditions still gets full top marks from us, in spite of this one unsettling experience. We can’t devalue our stay simply because of one person’s sour attitude. We’ll be back in the spring, happy to once again enjoy the hotel, its typically warm and engaging staff, and its beautiful surroundings. With luck, we might even find a polite and animated Caitlyn at the...

This is about the golf course, and the director of golf. I’ve been playing golf a long time, and I have NEVER had an experience this poor on a golf course. There was a stretch during this season where I would play Traditions once a week, now I will never return.

I had reserved an 845AM tee time on a Sunday. Pace of play was a little slow, but that’s to be expected on a weekend on a busy day. What’s not expected is to have a large tournament event, with a shotgun start, to start 3 hours after your tee time. We got to the 17th hole to see 4 different groups waiting to tee off. All 4 of these groups were paying customers from the morning tee times. There was a group from this tourney teeing off, and another group from the tourney was on the fairway, while one more group was on the green. After playing 16 holes in around 3 hours, I estimated it would’ve taken another 1 1/2 to 2 hours to play the last 2 holes. Which is just ridiculous. The group directly in front of us voiced their displeasure with the course and left without finishing. My group decided to do the same. The situation basically made the last two holes unplayable. No one wants to spend that long to play two holes. As we drove off, I noticed the group behind us also drove off as well. That’s a lot of paying golfers not finishing the round of golf they paid for, and who knows how many more groups left.

I decided to go into the pro shop to voice my concerns with what happened. First, the pro shop attendant got very argumentative, offered zero apologies, and zero compensation of any kind. My family and I play this course a lot, and I am familiar with the director of golf, Brandan, so I asked to speak with him. He came to the clubhouse, told me that he “had a lot more important things to be doing” -(this is a direct quote, and an absolutely terrible way to talk to a customer), and proceeded to act like there was nothing wrong with the situation. Again, offering zero apology for us being unable to finish our round of golf. I honestly would’ve been appeased with an apology, and maybe a $10 gift card or something. GOOD customer service, would’ve been to offer a 9 hole rain check and a sincere apology.

The fact that this was a nice, sunny, beautiful day to play golf, and at least 3 entire groups of golfers did not finish their round, means there was a massive problem with how things were run on this day. If you want a tournament to take priority over normal weekend tee times, then you need to make sure those people are informed about the situation before happily taking their reservation in advance, and their money. Of, better yet, do not reserve tee times that will certainly be interrupted by the tourney. We were never told about this tournament at all. If sending out the tournament ahead of the morning wave was a last minute decision, it was a bad one. If there was no other options, then you need to make it right with the customers that were unable to finish their round. I have never left a golf course with such a sour taste in my mouth, and I cannot remember ever seeing such awful...

A Magical Stay

My Daughter, Grandmother, and I recently took a road trip to visit family in Binghamton. From the moment we arrived at Traditions at the Glen in New York, we knew we were in for something special. A sanctuary among stunning natural beauty, this hotel offers a rare combination of breathtaking scenery, heartfelt hospitality, and rich history — all of which made our experience unforgettable. The scenery is absolutely impeccable — nestled amidst lush greenery with breathtaking views in every direction, it felt like we had stepped into a peaceful retreat away from the everyday. The gardens adorning the estate were in full fragrant bloom — Butterflies fluttered among pink blooms and red roses, while bees hummed softly, savoring each blossom’s sweetness. Around the lawn’s fountain, rose bushes blushed in full bloom as birds dipped playfully in the water, sending sparkling droplets into the air—a quiet ballet of nature in perfect harmony. Whether it was early morning mist rising from the hills or the golden glow of sunset through the trees, every moment was picture-perfect.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Traditions is its origin as a private residence. That warm history is still very much alive in the atmosphere, creating a unique sense of coziness and charm that is truly a treasure in itself. The elegant architecture, thoughtfully preserved details, and welcoming common spaces made us feel like we were stepping into a beautifully cared-for home rather than just a hotel.

But what truly made our stay exceptional was the people. The staff at Traditions are some of the kindest and most passionate individuals we’ve ever encountered. A heartfelt thank you to Barbara at the front desk who welcomed us with such warmth and professionalism that we immediately felt at home. She went above and beyond to make sure our check-in was seamless and that we had everything we needed throughout our stay.

A special shout-out goes to Kayla, the bartender and hospitality waitress whose friendly smile, attentive service, and genuine care made every evening in the lounge and dining room feel like catching up with an old friend. Her attention to detail and warm demeanor added a personal touch that truly made a difference.

And we can’t forget Larry, who oversaw breakfast each morning. His pride in the kitchen and hospitality shined through in every delicious bite and every kind word. He brought such a comforting energy to the start of each day with a hearty meal and a kind smile.

Though we didn’t catch the names of every team member, it’s clear that every single staff member at Traditions takes pride in their work and truly values their guests. Their collective hospitality and passion made our stay not just comfortable, but genuinely heartwarming.

Traditions at the Glen isn’t just a place to stay — it’s a place to feel at peace, to connect, and to create memories. We left feeling refreshed, deeply cared for, and already looking forward to returning. Thank you to the entire team for such a beautiful and...