Arms At The Glenn Introduce
Located in the heart of one of New York’s most iconic village destinations, Arms at the Glenn offers a unique and intimate lodging experience for those visiting the Finger Lakes. This property features a collection of charming cottages and guest rooms that cater to travelers seeking a more personalized alternative to standard hotel stays. Known for its vintage appeal and modern updates, the establishment provides a "home away from home" atmosphere that resonates with visitors who appreciate character and proximity. The cottages are particularly favored for their placement at the rear of the property, which shields guests from the primary street noise of the village while keeping them just steps away from the action.
Arms at the Glenn is a notable part of the local hospitality landscape in Watkins Glen, a village famous for its dramatic shale gorges and world-class racing. The property has seen various renovations in recent years, with several cottage units being updated to include contemporary finishes and comfortable furnishings. Managed with a focus on providing a quiet and clean environment, it serves as a tranquil base camp for hikers, wine enthusiasts, and racing fans alike. While it operates with the simplicity of an unfussy guesthouse, the attentive management is often cited as a key factor in ensuring guests have a smooth and welcoming stay in the region.
The location and accessibility of Arms at the Glenn are perhaps its most significant advantages. Situated at 330 S Franklin St, the property is perfectly positioned for those who prefer to explore on foot. It is located just a few blocks from the main entrance of Watkins Glen State Park, allowing guests to beat the crowds to the Gorge Trail in the morning. Additionally, the southern tip of Seneca Lake and the bustling shops and restaurants of "downtown" Watkins Glen are all within a short walking distance. For those traveling by car, the property is easily accessible via New York State Route 14, providing a direct link to the surrounding Seneca Lake Wine Trail and other regional attractions.
- Physical Address: 330 S Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891, USA.
- Prime "Downtown" Location: Walking distance to the Watkins Glen State Park main entrance.
- Proximity to Seneca Lake: Only minutes away from the pier, waterfront dining, and boat launches.
- Regional Connectivity: Located approximately 20 miles from Elmira/Corning Regional Airport and 25 miles from Ithaca.
- Parking: On-site parking is available for guests, providing convenience in a village where street parking can be limited during peak season.
Services offered at Arms at the Glenn focus on providing a clean, comfortable, and independent stay. The property operates with a blend of traditional guesthouse hospitality and modern self-service convenience. While the accommodations vary by unit, the focus remains on essential comfort and cleanliness. The management is known for accommodating late arrivals by coordinating key pickups through secure on-site locations, ensuring a stress-free check-in process for those traveling from further reaches of New York or neighboring states.
- Personalized Check-in: Flexible arrival procedures including key-drop options for late-night travelers.
- Connectivity: Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi is provided throughout the cottages and guest rooms.
- Climate Control: Units are equipped with air conditioning (often window units) and heating to handle the variable New York seasons.
- Housekeeping: Meticulously maintained rooms with a focus on high standards of hygiene and presentation.
- Local Expertise: Attentive management that provides recommendations for local dining, wine tastings, and hiking routes.
- Flexible Check-out: Occasional late check-out options may be available upon request, perfect for those wanting a post-hike shower.
The features and highlights of the cottages at Arms at the Glenn are designed to provide a cozy and updated retreat. The "SCCA Room" and specific cottage units have undergone recent renovations, featuring fresh paint, updated flooring, and modern decorative touches. The cottages are detached or semi-detached units, offering a higher level of privacy than standard hotel corridors. Guests often highlight the comfort of the bedding, which is essential after a long day spent navigating the 800+ steps of the nearby state park trails. The outdoor areas, including the porch and shared grounds, offer space to relax and soak in the village atmosphere.
- Quiet Cottage Layout: Several units are tucked away in the back of the property, significantly reducing noise from Franklin Street.
- Modernized Interiors: Recently renovated units featuring contemporary decor and refreshed bathrooms.
- Comfortable Bedding: High-quality mattresses and linens designed for a restful night's sleep.
- In-Room Essentials: Most units include a mini-fridge for storing local wine purchases and snacks.
- Proximity to Local Favorites: Just a short stroll to popular spots like Dunkin' or local independent cafes for morning coffee.
- Value Adds: Guests are sometimes provided with complimentary tickets or vouchers for local wine tastings at nearby vineyards.
What makes Arms at the Glenn worth choosing is its unbeatable combination of location and charm. For travelers who find large lakeside resorts too impersonal and state park campgrounds too rustic, these cottages offer a perfect middle ground. Being able to park your car and not touch it for the duration of your stay in Watkins Glen is a luxury that adds immense value to the vacation experience. You can enjoy the village's nightlife and dining scene without worrying about transportation, and you are positioned perfectly to access the natural wonders of the Glen before the mid-day tourist buses arrive.
Furthermore, the property is an ideal choice for racing enthusiasts. Its location on South Franklin Street puts you in the heart of the village that celebrates a deep heritage of grand prix racing, and it is a quick drive to the Watkins Glen International racetrack. Whether you are in town for a high-octane race weekend or a serene tour of the Finger Lakes wineries, Arms at the Glenn provides a clean, quiet, and friendly home base. The "SCCA-themed" elements in some rooms pay homage to the local racing culture, making it a unique stay that feels authentically "Watkins Glen." If you are looking for a straightforward, charming, and exceptionally well-located place to stay, this property stands out as a top contender. Would you like me to help you look up the best local breakfast spots within walking distance of the cottage?
Location
Customer Reviews
"Scca room". Nice cottage in the back away from street noise. Appeared to be newly renovated. Don't know about other rooms."Robert" very attentive and helpful manager. Would use again.**Update - Feb. 2019**Be cautious of this owner. Received a large ($600+) credit card charge for the owner's other B&B 4 months after staying here. Was never there. Do not know if this was a clerical error on her part or otherwise. However credit card company treated the charge as fraud, cancelled the charge, closed the account and issued a new account/card. Regardless - still liked this accommodation and location in "downtown" Watkins Glen.
Decent, we made a last minute reservation, stayed in cottage 2, which is new as of July. The bed was very comfy, the cottage was cute. But no coffee pot or microwave, which was a downer. Dunkin was a short walk away though, and it did have a mini fridge. Short walk to the state park. The owner was very nice, left our keys in the mailbox as we got in late.no breakfast! Although it's suppose to be included. The owner said she'd take $20 off because she usually includes a dunkin gift card...? They did give us tickets for wine tastings, the place was very clean, and they let us check out late so we could shower after our hike.I might stay again, but it was VERY expensive for one night, $220, with no breakfast, coffee pot, microwave, just a window AC, and you never see the owner.
way too expensive for what you get. it's like a B&B but theres no breakfast and the bed is awful .when we got there, there was no desk or check in, and we got our keys and instructions in an envelope and had to find our room on our own. we did get the privet cottage which was spacious enough and the shower was fine. but 'privet' is a bit strong since its right on the street and theres no curtains, just blinds. theres a front porch which is nice but its right on the street so not private.we met the manager right when we were leaving and he was nice and gave us tips about a great waterfall at the state park.
Horrible Experience: I foolishly bought a Groupon for a two night stay with a wine/beer/distillery tour. The Groupon required you to pay first and book after you had paid. I called numerous times without receiving a response. When I finally received a call back (three days later), the dates that I had wanted to stay were booked. I finally settled on dates in July. The location was at the Watkins Glen Bed and Breakfast (called the Arms at the Glen). Just a warning: it is not a bed and breakfast. It is just a bed no breakfast.My boyfriend, in his infinite wisdom, told me to confirm the reservations the night before we left. Boy, am I glad that I did. I did not receive a response to my inquiry until then next day when we were an hour away from the Finger Lakes. I received a phone call from the Inn Keeper telling me that she had made a mistake and double booked our room for our second night. She said not to worry though because she would find us other accommodations and pay for them. At this point, what choice did I have but to say okay.Additionally, the check in time is supposed to be at 4. We arrived at the Arms at the Glen at 5. No key was in site. No one was onsite for us to check in with. I tried contacting the Inn Keeper with no luck. About 20 or 30 minutes later, I received a text saying my key was in the mailbox.Being tossed out of your room becomes quite inconvenient especially when you have a wine tour scheduled to start at 12. You are in limbo, you have to "check out" of your current location, and the check in time at the new place is after your wine tour starts. We wanted to park at the new location because we were going on a wine tour and didn't want to drive. We requested that the tour pick us up at the new location so we wouldn't have to drive after the tour was over. The Inn Keeper did not have the courtesy to respond to my request. Because we didn't want to miss the tour, we waited at the Arms. 5 minutes before the tour started, the driver came and informed us that yes, he would pick us up there, and he was surprised that it wasn't communicated to us.Because of this debacle, we missed out on hiking Watkins Glen before the tour. We were in limbo with no place to shower after hiking but before our tour started. This was one of the main reasons that we came in the first place, and we missed it. Talk about a disappointment.While the tour ended up okay in the end, we were like the red-headed step child. While all of the other individuals at the "B&B" were touring in a Cadillac, we were in a dated Toyota Corolla with non functioning air conditioning (and it was 95 degrees out). Our tour guide had only given the tour one other time (a year ago), and the Inn Keeper had called him at 9:00 PM the night before to see if he could do it. He was clearly at a disadvantage since he was a last minute add on guide.Throughout the entire experience, we could not reach the Inn Keeper. We never even met her. She does not live on the premises, so forget about actually seeing her. If there is a problem, forget about it being resolved in a timely fashion.She is clearly overwhelmed and cannot handle the business that she has. The other individuals that we were on the tour with (also staying at the Arms on the Glen) had a similarly bad experience, and told me on numerous occasions that they were jealous that we were moved.The accommodations that we were moved to were terrible as well--clearly the Inn Keeper didn't care about finding us a nice place to stay. She was just worried about finding us the cheapest place to stay since it was coming out of her pocket. The room was old and musty and the bed was completely uncomfortable. It was quite possibly one of the worst places I have ever stayed, and that is saying a lot.
STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!My wife purchased a Living Social Coupon. This Coupon stated it was good for the "Cottage Room" which is what my wife asked for when she booked. She was told at the time of booking and I quote " Yes, we have availability & we will do everything we can to try to make the Cottage available to you. After several emails trying to confirm the room, she was finally told and I quote " We know you have requested the Cottage & have put it down as your preference & will do everything to try to make it happen, but can NOT guarantee it will be the Cottage" and then the bomb and I quote again " As, we said, there is a very good chance because of the time of year you are coming, but we can NOT guarantee; unless you want to definitely UPGRADE for more money. At this point my wife asked to cancel as we were definitely within the 30 days as specified by the Inn. Guess what the Inn will NOT refund the $283.00 my wife paid. Very BAD business practice. Upon doing some home work found out this place is under new management and are cash strapped, can't even afford a liquor license for a wine tasting event.Do yourself a favor and STAY AWAY!!!!!
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