TWA Hotel JFK: Relive The Golden Age of Aviation

TWA Hotel JFK brings back to life Eero Saarinen’s landmark 1962 TWA Flight Center.

Here is a chance to transport yourself to the golden age of aviation, the 1960s/70s was a time synonymous with the birth of the jet age. It’s an era steeped in the allure of universally acknowledged glamour, until now mostly through the prism of captivating stories and legends passed down through the years.

I passed through New York 3 times since this hotel opened. On this occasion I was determined to finally see the re-creation in all it’s glory.

Getting There

Driving/Taxi

For those arriving by road, follow the signs guiding you to JetBlue Terminal 5, and there, the gateway to the hotel awaits.

Parking ranging from $18 for a brief 30-minute stay to $80 for an entire day.

Paris Café reservation holders, can pay a discounted $20 for two-hours before standard rates apply.

Public Transport

Whether you are coming here straight from a flight into JFK or from the city itself, the JFK AirTrain is the best method of public transportation to get to the hotel.

It is “linked” to JetBlue’s Terminal 5. With the entire site visible from it..

I say linked in quotes here because, as it happens, should you follow the signage and direction’s as you exit Terminal 5 stop of the AirTrain, you will have a less-than-glamorous path into and through what resembles a construction zone..

It was a distinctly unsexy walk to get there, winding through various noisy turns and dusty lanes that are only partially shielded.

An alternative route going down through JetBlue’s baggage claim unveils a red-carpeted flight tube, offering a more refined entrance much like this:

You will however miss the site grounds leading up to the hotel. Which certainly gives you an appreciation and scale of the architecture.

The Hotel Grounds

The historic terminal building retains the same grounds as before..

TWA Hotel Exterior View With Water Fountain

A shallow water fountain perfectly frames the backdrop of curvaceous roofs spreading out above you..

As you draw closer, you can’t help feel a tingle of excitement at the sight of Saarinen’s architectural masterpiece.

Despite the seemingly monochromatic exterior, the grey concrete invokes the height of 60s chic and glamour..

As you walk through you are greeted by a wonderful restorations that set the scene..

As you enter through the doors, you are in no doubt that you are entering the 1960s.

TWA Hotel JFK Interior: A 1960s Time Capsule

Upon entering, the check-in desks exude an exclusive airport check-in ambiance to the left…

On the right side you have large grab-and-go food court..

The exterior’s concrete theme seamlessly transitions inside, accentuated by soft lighting and warmly lit area designation boards.

For some the most exciting boards of all takes centre stage, a restored Solari board with a working split-flap display, complete with acoustics!

The mid century vibes of the building are amplified by the nostalgic hum of Sinatra, Brown, and Franklin echoing through the walls.

Ascend the steps to the main public seating areas, where Chilli Pepper Red carpet dominates.

The Sunken Lounge below is the very location crowds watched the arrival of the Beatles to United States in 1965!

Another Solari board hangs to interrupt the views out with it’s own messages. Here you can sip on retro cocktails overlooking a 1958 Lockhead Constellation

The architecture flows throughout the spaces like a work of art.

Within this space you have several seating zones as well as a handful of souvenir shops..

At the centre of this space you have a model of the TWA terminal with all the aircraft variants TWA flew..

The stairs up lead you to the restaurants as well as some designated lounge spaces. Here you can also walk around just to get a good feel of the space below..

There is a circular space here which looks like might have been intended as a bar area, but this was not in action.

Venturing to the upper levels, the concept of lounges in the swinging 60s unfolds..

Here you have a entirely disserted space with equally sparse furniture

The voluptuous curves continue here, creating more intimate seating areas where possible with plants creating dividers and splashes of greenery in the sea of red

Then there are some strange little spaces inside in the middle with further seating areas..

Several displays of the vintage TWA uniforms animate this space..

A Lockheed Constellation

As part of the restoration project, MCR and MORSE Development unveiled the “Connie” L-1649A, an actual 1958 Lockheed Constellation turned cocktail lounge.

A testament to the hotel’s dedication to preserving aviation history, this vintage gem adds a touch of nostalgia to the overall experience.

This was closed at my arrival time, later to discover it is open from 4pm onwards. You can read more about it here.

The Rooms

With 512 rooms spread across two wings, the hotel presents a somewhat tempting stay

This time I was visiting to catch up with my brother in New York but was still open to possibly booking a night here. However, the exorbitant room rates, starting at $500 on my dates, coupled with limited amenities offered was hard to justify, when I had no accommodation requirements.

Doing a random search 3/4 months ahead even then, you are looking at $450+ on an entry level room with runway views:

There is no way to describe this other than atrocious value:

• The cheapest rooms do not even have runway views – I mean what is the whole point of staying in THIS hotel otherwise?
• The rooms are super basic and cheap, think Premier Inn standards at best
• No room service or amenities are offered
• No coffee or tea making facilities
• Does not include access to the pool upstairs – You still have to pay to use it !

This is a very low cost airline with high fares vibe. And I wasn’t for it.

There is however another option to get a day room for 4 hours blocks. These Daytripper  stays are priced at $159 + taxes and fees.  Yet sadly these are all rooms that do not have any runway view options !

The Pool & Bar

Saving the pièce de résistance for last, the rooftop infinity pool and observation deck overlooking JFK’s Runway 4L/22R is an Avgeek’s paradise.

If you arrive just for the pool, you need to take the elevators up to the top, past the stairs from the lobby..

It has it’s own lobby area where you will be checked through and given locker keys..

The Pool is open from 7am till 11pm.

Advanced reservation is required in Summer/Fall ( June – October ). But is available for walk-in during Winter/Spring ( November – May ) – where pool is heated to 95 degrees !

Each reservation slot is 1 hour 45 minutes and can be made through ResortPass, emailing directly or during your room booking on the site.

It costs $50 + fees for non-hotel guests. For hotel guests the cost is $25.

I initially booked 1 slot, and was planning on either booking a dayroom after or just enjoy a meal in the restaurant. Upon realizing how disappointing those options were I doubled up on my pool slot.

I was there in early October when the weather was still a balmy 27 degrees Celsius and sunny..

Deck chairs are available lining up along the entire length of the pool and another row at the back. Towels are provided also.

Now the surprise here, as lovely as it looked, the pool was much much smaller than I imagined or anticipated..

The pool starts off very shallow and goes deeper in the second half, resembling a beach. In case you ever forgot where you were however, a TWA logo mosaic gleams through from the bottom..

After changing, I had a delightful first hour in the pool watching at least 20 aircrafts taxi and take-off in the runways. Being a JetBlue terminal, you will naturally see many of JetBlue aircrafts.

There were plenty of others to spot however, like a close up of this Emirates A380 taxi out..

After that, I decided to grab a quick bite and drink at the Pool Bar..

As you might expect, the food and drink here is neither cheap nor any good ! But captive market and all that.

The bar still provided fantastic views out to the airport action as well as the pool itself..

After my refreshment break, the second slot kicked in and it got much busier. This was fine at first, until it wasn’t.

Within 10 minutes of going back to my deck chair, 8 little kids literally stormed into the pool and it suddenly felt like I was in a Saturday community pool in London !

I couldn’t actually believe there could be so many kids allowed in. The reservations page explicitly limited bookings to 2 adults and 2 children per slot but if was evident most of these children knew each other…

All the screaming and splashing around completely changed the vibe for me unfortunately.

Luckily after an hour they did seem to tire out so the last 30 minutes, I got to enjoy the pool for in peace again.

3 otherwise blissful hours went fast and it was time to get back. Unfortunately, they not only have no showers nor do they have proper changing rooms!

Overall Thoughts

This is a wonderful restoration project to take you back to the glamour of the golden age of travel. If you find yourself passing through JFK, I highly recommend a visit to experience the charm of this bygone era.

In one aspect, it was everything I expected. It is a meticulous recreation of a complete retro ambiance. The venue exudes the flair and style befitting such a historic site, offering a nostalgic journey with every detail thoughtfully crafted.

The true highlight, for me, was the pool and incredible views for an Avgeek – a novelty that alone justifies the visit and is, in my opinion, worth the paying for.

The cocktails in the lounges are very reasonable. On the flip side, the food court left much to be desired, with offerings that arguably fall short even of microwave chips!

When it comes to reserving a room, personal judgment prevails. The management’s apparent pursuit of maximum returns for minimal service and facilities is evident.

While I acknowledge the associated maintenance costs of such a endeavour, the absence of showers post-pool access strikes me as a hospitality oversight. Such lapses in understanding the basics of guest comfort cast a shadow on an otherwise splendid venture.

I was lucky to have airport lounge options before my flight back, otherwise, who exactly wants to fly on a plane smelling like chlorine? Not to mention how uncomfortably dry your skin would feel after 8 hours on a plane combined with the chlorine affects?