TWA Hotel at John F Kennedy Airport
The TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York City is a unique and iconic hotel that is a throwback to the way it looked in 1962. Capturing the hearts of travelers, aviation enthusiasts, and design lovers alike, it is located inside the historic TWA Flight Center, which was designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and opened in 1962. The Flight Center was the original terminal for Trans World Airlines (TWA) and was known for its futuristic design, with sweeping curves and a distinctive wing-shaped roof. The Flight Center closed in 2001 when TWA went bankrupt, but it was later restored and transformed into the TWA Hotel, which opened in 2019.
The TWA Hotel offers 512 guest rooms, many of which have views of the airport runways, as well as a variety of dining options, including the Paris Café by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the Sunken Lounge, and the Connie Cocktail Lounge, which is housed inside a vintage Lockheed Constellation airplane. The hotel also has an impressive 10,000 square foot fitness center, a rooftop pool with views of the airport, and 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
TWA Hotel at JFK Airport Terminal 5
The TWA Hotel is accessible from Terminal 5 of JFK Airport. There are signs that direct to TWA Hotel which lead to an elevator to get there.
Stepping out into the other side of the elevator is truly like stepping into a time machine! It felt like I was walking onto the set of a period film with everything looking like it was straight out of the 1960s.
This space used to originally be the TWA flight center, and the look and feel of it has been preserved thought a lot of the elements have been replaced.
The attention to design and detail is amazing, and the hotel has been meticulously restored to its original 1960s glory, with vintage furnishings and decor throughout. The Flight Center’s iconic red carpet and white walls have been preserved, as have its original departure and arrival boards.
There’s a whole section dedicated to Connie, a Lockheed Constellation airplane from 1958 that now houses a very cool bar. The wall explains that TWA owner Howard Hughes – who was played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie The Aviator – buys Lockheed’s entire production of its Constellation (“Connie”) airplanes to box out PanAm Airways! Connie at one time was Air Force One for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
There’s a fabulous how it started, how it’s going type of chart showing how much we have evolved from 1962 –
The space is a treasure trove of period pieces, including cars, vending machines, luggage carriers and even suitcases from the ’60s.
I loved a gallery of posters they had with all the destinations that TWA flew to –
Closing Thoughts on the TWA Hotel
The TWA Hotel at JFK is a really interesting visit for anyone that has a few hours to spend at JFK, for a drink in a plane, or even for an overnight stay during a layover or a staycation. The hotel’s attention to detail and commitment to preserving the Flight Center’s iconic design make it a truly unique and unforgettable experience.
