The TWA Hotel

On a recent multi-leg trip, my partner and I found ourselves in need of a place to stay overnight in or near New York’s JFK Airport.

In searching for a simple place to rest ahead of an early flight, we stumbled upon The TWA Hotel at JFK and THE GAME CHANGED.

The TWA Hotel operates within the structure that was once the TWA (Trans World Airlines) Terminal at JFK Airport (at that time it was called Idlewild Airport).

TWA no longer exists as a working airline (more on that later) but its “Flight Center” was never demolished and is still in place within Terminal 5 at JFK and functioning as a fabulous hotel!

No longer were we in for a dull night in a chain hotel 5 miles away, but for one of the most interesting and unusual hotel stays that I’ve ever experienced. For any history enthusiast, his place is wild– and we didn’t even have to leave the airport grounds.

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1956 was the first year more Americans crossed the Atlantic by plane than ship.

1930: TWA was founded to operate a multi-stop route from New York City to Los Angeles. It was then known as Transcontinental & Western Air.

1945-1972: U.S. air passenger traffic increased from 7 million to 32 million with 50% of all Americans having taken at least one commercial flight in their lifetime.

1950: Transcontinental & Western Air officially changed its name to Trans World Airlines. (Keeping the TWA acronym!)

1962: The TWA (Trans World Airlines) terminal at JFK (then called Idlewild Airport) opened during what was know as the “golden age of flying.”

By 1965, 8 million annual passengers were flying TWA alone.

2001: TWA ceased operations when the company was acquired by American Airlines.

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Designed by Eero Saarinen, the Finnish-American architect who also designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the look of the TWA terminal at JFK Airport is dripping in futuristic 1960’s charm.

With state-of-the-art features such as enclosed jetways for boarding flights and baggage carousels at check-in, the TWA terminal at Idlewild was an exciting “golden age” experience in itself.

Ending its time as a working terminal in 2001, the building was protected by various organizations from demolition or alteration, becoming an official NYC landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

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It was decided to restore the terminal to its (better than) original state with attention to preserving the original 1960’s vibe and design it became famous for.

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As part of the conversion from terminal to hotel, two tower wings were added containing 512 luxury guestrooms with views of JFK’s runways and the TWA Terminal (or “Flight Center” as it was called).

Adding to the charm, the guest room towers are accessible through the iconic red-carpeted curved hallways and tunnels that once served as jetways.

The chic guestrooms each feature floor-to-ceiling windows with sound-proofed glass and button-operated shades to ensure that the proximity to departing jets isn’t a bother to resting guests.

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The TWA Hotel also features several fun nods to the glamour of the 1960’s and TWA’s history.

Original Italian-made Solari split-flap message boards occasionally clatter (or flap?) noisily with just-for-fun graphic images and flight information from defunct airlines such as Pan Am and TWA as they loom over the sprawling futuristic lobby.

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The Twister room, featuring a floor-to-wall-to-wall version of the game is available for all to enjoy and a photo booth is positioned in an Instagram-photo-covered corner of the lobby for fun photos with friends.

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The New York Historical Society provided assistance for a smattering of vintage clothing, furniture, and travel accessories for an intriguing look back at the fashions of the time as well as TWA’s history.

A wonderful array of air hostess and flight team uniforms spanning from 1945 to 2001 (designed by names such as Balmain, Valentino, and Stan Herman) are on display for up-close viewing.

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This area also casually features the “Pope’s Room” where, 1965, it’s assumed that Pope Paul VI rested before boarding his flight back to Rome.

That year TWA had the honor of flying Pope Paul VI across the Atlantic for the first-ever papal visit to the United States. TWA subsequently transported Pope John Paul II on multiple occasions, renaming planes used for popes to Shepherd I and Shepherd II.

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Dining options such as The Paris Cafe (original) and the Food Hall (previously the flight check-in counter) provide ample opportunity for a nosh on the go or with seated service.

Restaurant and bar offerings are inspired by historic in-flight menus from TWA’s onboard food and drink options. They think of everything…

The Sunken Lounge (original, now including a bar) is a central feature of the main lobby, with ample seating for awaiting flights and sipping cocktails. This is also the spot where hundreds of screaming fans watched as The Beatles deplaned in New York in 1965.

The Sunken Lounge features original 1960’s TWA signature cocktails including swizzle sticks modeled after the original sticks used in flight for ultimate authenticity. The sticks feature TWA travel destinations such as Italy, Africa, and Hong Kong as well as airplane propellors.

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The crowning jewel and Instagram darling of the TWA Hotel is the (heated!) rooftop infinity pool overlooking one of JFK’s runways.

Guests are invited to grab a cocktail from the rooftop bar (converted to a heated après-ski-chalet-style bar for winter) and take a dip in the well-heated pool any time of the year.

Deck chairs and red-striped pool towels are provided, but guests must bring their own thick layer of goosebumped skin to wear ahead of to-the-chin immersion for wintertime dips.

We visited in December and it’s COLD and WINDY up there!

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The TWA Hotel also features a Lockheed Constellation airplane nicknamed “Connie” that has been permanently parked and converted into a bar and lounge.

“Connie” broke the transcontinental speed record in 1946 with a flight from Burbank, California to New York in 1946 and served as Air Force One during the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s.

The airplane’s history and restoration are well documented throughout the hotel and the cocktail lounge onboard is open Wednesdays through Sundays in the evening with classic TWA-themed cocktails and light snacks.

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Naturally, a plethora of movies have used the perfect 1960’s vibes of the TWA hotel for filming. Do you recognize “Connie” and the large lobby windows in the cover art for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? You may also recognize scenes from Catch Me If You Can using the long red-carpeted jetway tunnels (colors altered) as well as the main lobby and baggage drop counters. How fun is that?!

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Of course, a variety of celebrities passed through the TWA Flight Center during its operating years out of character as well.

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Do I think you should stay in the TWA Hotel for your next long weekend in NYC? No.. probably not.

The guestrooms don’t have closets for unpacking and the airport is in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. It’s a good hour’s drive or train ride outside of The City. It’s not a prime spot for a longer NYC-focused visit and is definitely positioned for in-transit travelers.

But- if you have a super long layover at JFK (you can rent rooms by the hour with a 4-hour minimum!) or just want to spend one fun night to start or finish a trip to the NYC area- definitely go for it! The stylish 60’s atmosphere, restaurants, and rooftop pool make for an exciting end or beginning to any trip.

Go check it out!