The TWA Hotel at JFK: A Fun Throwback on Your Way to or From International Travel
Step back into the glamorous age of travel at this hotel in the former TWA terminal at JFK International Airport.
While it’s hard to imagine these days with people rolling into the airport in their PJs, once upon a time, there was a golden age of travel. People dressed up, they smoked (can you imagine on a plane?!), flying was a luxury and getting on a plane was an exciting adventure that you treated almost like going to a formal event.
My mother was a Delta flight attendant in the 1970s during this heyday of travel. She was a beautiful woman, and as a “stewardess,” that certainly fit the bill. They were to dress to the nines and express the glamour of travel in themselves.
I started flying when I was just 4 years old, as my parents had divorced and they needed a quicker way to get me back and forth between Lexington, Kentucky, and Atlanta. Even back then, in the late 70s, flying was an “experience.” I remember my mother sternly reminding me to brush my hair before getting off the plane to see my dad (what a disaster if I arrived a mess ;-)), and I also remember flying in one of those planes that had two levels with a bar upstairs. Can you imagine?!
TWA (Trans World Airlines) was one of those airlines during this glam era. The infamous Howard Hughes led the airline for decades and hired famed architect Eero Saarinen to design its iconic terminal at JFK in 1962, and it IS a gem. Rather than leave the terminal of the eventually shuttered airline to ruins, in 2001, it was turned into a hotel by refurbishing the terminal and adding buildings behind it to house 500+ rooms. Now JFK’s only on-property hotel, you can stay there and step back into the golden age of flying with its incredible mid-century modern theming.
My husband and I had long had this hotel on our list and stayed there last summer on our way back from Paris. When head to Europe, we typically make our way to New York City on points on Southwest Airlines and then fly from New York City to our destination in Europe, as it’s usually fewer points or dollars to fly out of New York City across the pond.
Whether you’re a history nerd, love all things mid-century modern (think Mad Men) or simply need a place to stay on your way to or from an international destination out of New York City, I highly recommend a stay at the TWA Hotel.
The Hotel
This former terminal-turned-hotel is truly a marvel of design. You step into the lobby and feel like you’ve been transported to another time and place. Everywhere is the feel of the “futuristic” vision of the 60s, akin to what you find at the Contemporary at Disney World. And they play music from the 50s, 60s and 70s, which does a great job setting the mood.
INSIDE TIP: Check out one of the The TWA Hotel playlists on Spotify. I played it for weeks after our visit!
The lobby features an old school “split-flap” Departures and Arrivals sign which make the classic “click, click” as the letters and numbers turn to update flight times.
You’ll find a lobby bar, as well, that stands stark against the white concrete with its original deep “chili pepper red” carpet, overlooking an outdoor area at the hotel where you can step into an old TWA plane.
At the bar, named The Sunken Lounge, you can sip fancy retro cocktails that were once served on planes complete with reproductions of the original TWA swizzle sticks, featuring travel destinations. The bar also has some light fare if you’re hungry after your flight like flatbreads, quesadillas, potstickers and sliders.
The Sunken Lounge is not just a fun place to hang out, it’s historic! Folks gathered here to watch The Beatles arrival into the US back in 1965.
The hotel is filled with hidden rooms and interesting sites if you have the time to sleuth them out. Take a peek at the retro beauty salon exhibit, “Sweet ‘n Glow,” straight out of the 1960s.
Wander through exhibits of items from TWA’s time period, including flight attendant uniforms, travel posters, in-flight menus, an original Barbie Dreamhouse and more scattered throughout the hotel. See if you can find Howard Hughes’ and Eero Saarinen’s recreation offices!
And this tunnel leading you from the hotel to the actual JFK Airport next door is just SO cool. It feels like you’re walking into The Jetsons.
There’s even a Pope Room! It is so named because TWA transported Pope Paul VI in 1965 to the United States, the first time a pope had ever visited our country. Turns out the airline also flew Pope John Paul II many times, as well.
INSIDE TIP: Book a Daytripper Stay of a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 12 hours if you aren’t staying overnight and have some time to kill at JFK airport. You can reserve that directly on the hotel website.
The Rooms
There are two wings of the hotel on either side of the terminal, which house the 500+ rooms. Choose from many different options, including kings, double queens, with and without runway views and even multiple suites with the creme de la creme: The Howard Hughes Presidential Suite with Runway View.
We found rooms to be nice and plenty suitable for an overnight stay on our way to/from an overseas destination, but the real fun is outside your room!
The Rooftop Pool
One of the coolest features of the hotel is its Rooftop Infinity Pool with runway views where you can literally watch planes take off, taxi and land.
Make sure you leave time to checkout this amazing area, that though small, is uber cool. Surprisingly, the pool is open year-round (not sure who would brave it in a New York City winter, but it might be worth it!). But here’s the catch: It’s so popular that most of the time you need a reservation from May 2-October 31.
Hotel guests can access it for free during those months until 10:45 a.m. After that, you’ll need a reservation, which lasts an hour and 45 minutes and costs $25 for adults and $10 for kids ages 5-12. Kids younger than 5 are free.
My suggestion is to hop up there before 10:45 to have a look-see and then go on about your day ;-).
It’s easiest to book your pool reservation when you book your room directly with the hotel, but there are other options, including for non-hotel guests, which you can explore on the hotel website.
More Fun at The TWA Hotel
As if that’s not enough, there’s even more to explore at this unique property. Head outside the lobby to explore an original TWA plane, named “Connie,” decked out as it was for elegant flying in the 1960s.
Take a peek at the cockpit, look at how fancy the seats are and imagine what it was like to fly “back in the day.” They even have lounge seats with tables and a bar at the end - yes please! That beats a middle seat by leaps and bounds any day.
In addition to the plane, there’s even more fun to be had at TWA. They have a curling rink, which you can give a go on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. There’s a Fitness Center, which is the world’s biggest hotel gym at 10,000 feet (though there’s nothing terribly retro about it) with a full yoga studio and 14 Peloton bikes. You can purchase a Day Pass or a Class Pass if you just want to drop by once.
If you’re loving the whole throw-back vibe, you can buy some of the TWA goodies, like the swizzle sticks, ornaments, postcards and more in The TWA Shop.
There’s even a Twister Room, where you can play wall-to-wall Twister straight out of the 1960s. That’ll stretch you out after a long flight!
Dining at The TWA Hotel
You’ve got several choices for dining at the hotel, though only one real restaurant. We were absolutely starving after flying in from Paris and devoured our meal at the appropriately-named Paris Cafe by Jean Georges. The restaurant is in the location of the terminal’s original Paris Café and Lisbon Lounge.
You can make reservations to ensure a spot, but they also allow walk-ins if there is availability. We both went for the Cheddar Cheese Burger and fries for some American fare after a week in Paris and can report they were delicious!
There’s also a “food hall” with a handful of options and a spot to get coffee and a light pastry in the mornings.
In Summary
This is one of the most imaginative and interesting hotels I have ever visited. The perfect way to check it out is for one night when you’re flying into or out of JFK, likely on an international flight. What a great way to kick off or cap off your vacation! History lovers: this is NOT to miss. Let me know if you go and what you think!