May 31, 2023
Earlier this month my husband and I ended a trip to New York with a stay at the TWA Hotel at JFK. Though visiting there has been on my list since the moment it opened in 2019, I didn’t have to beg him to skip a final night in the city. He’s long tolerated my aviation geekery – sometimes he even enjoys it – and he was intrigued as I was to check it out.
I was beyond excited as our taxi pulled up in front of Eero Saarinen’s sweeping masterpiece, but I also was holding my expectations in check. Some of the reports from popular travel review sites, including a few from fellow #avgeeks, had been surprisingly mixed – one of the more prolific bloggers even said he’d never stay there again. “Could it really be that bad?”, I wondered. The minute I walked through the door, the answer was clear. Absolutely not.
Lobby and lounges
The stunning beauty of the hotel’s interior hits you immediately. Before checking in, I just stopped and gawked at the flowing staircases, bright red carpets and expansive windows overlooking the Lockheed Constellation parked outside.
The curvaceous walls and peaked roof certainly evoke a sensation of flight, and I loved the long curving hallways that take you to the hotel elevator banks. How exciting it must have been to walk down them when the terminal opened in 1962 and board a Boeing 707 for Paris at the dawn of the jet age.
The gorgeous Sunken Lounge dominates the area just up the main staircase. We never stopped there for a drink (I was eager to get to the pool), but it felt like it would be a lovely place to do so. Elsewhere In the lobby are a great exhibit showcasing the history of TWA flight attendant uniforms, a couple of vintage cars, a recreation of Howard Hughes’s office with a display on Saarinen and how he came to design the terminal. Vintage travel posters adorn a long wall near the exit to the Constellation and the shop has several cool mementos to buy. I came away with a t-shirt.
Even if you don’t stay at the hotel, check out the lobby during your next trip to JFK. The hotel is directly connected to JetBlue’s Terminal 5 or you can there walk from the Terminal 5 AirTrain station.
Check-in
Some reviewers had complained about the automated check-in process, but it didn't bother me at all (you can talk to a real person if you like). The process was easy and quick with keys dispensed from a slot. There’s no bell service (another complaint in reviews), but I didn’t care about that either. I’m happy to do such things on my own.
That said, we did have to go back to get new keys after the first set we received stopped working a couple of hours into our stay. That was annoying, but I’m not convinced it’s a consequence of not checking in with a human.
The 'food Hall'
Yeah, this was disappointing. We arrived at the hotel completely famished after a 2-hour taxi ride from Midtown (traffic on the Van Wyck Expressway is the absolute worst). The choices (just crepes, bagels, hot dogs, paninis and ice cream) are slim. Not every counter was open, and I wouldn’t call it service with a smile. We opted for paninis – they were just OK, but I was so hungry I didn’t care.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing else at the hotel for casual dining beyond snacks at The Sunken Lounge and the Pool Bar. And though Terminal 5 is close by, the only option outside security is Dunkin’ Donuts.
The TWA Hotel is incredible
The room
We booked a Deluxe King room with a runway view on the eighth floor of the Hughes Tower (all hotel rooms are in modern buildings adjacent to the historic structure). As some reviews have said, there isn’t a ton of closet space or room to store luggage. But again, I didn’t mind, especially for a one-night stay where I didn’t unpack.
On the whole, I thought the room was comfortable. I loved the period touches like the rotary dial phone and the TWA-themed amenity kit in the spacious bathroom. The bed was a tad firm, but there was also a large couch for planespotting.
Of course, the highlight of the room is the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the apron between Terminals 4 and 5. We enjoyed an incredible view of aircraft taxiing to and from gates and the departures on Runway 22R (a portion of the distant Runway 22L was visible, as well). Naturally, JetBlue Airbuses and Embraers dominated the traffic at Terminal 5 while Terminal 4 delivered a wonderful variety of aircraft and airlines including Emirates A380s, Air India 777s and Kenya Airways and Aeromexico 787s.
The pool
To get the full planespotting experience you need to head to the rooftop pool in the Hughes Wing (it was basically on top of our room). There you’ll hear the full blast of the jets below (something you don’t get in the quiet rooms) while also getting a view of the Runway 22R approach, the historic hotel building below and the distant Manhattan skyline.
Though it wasn’t the warmest day, the pool is wonderfully heated to an almost hot tub-like temperature. At $17 each, the bar cocktails aren’t cheap (as some have pointed out), but that’s about what you’ll play at a lot of bars in the city. And in any case, there’s no experience quite like floating in the pool with a drink while watching aircraft from around the world arrive at this busy airport. There are lounge chairs and tables if you don’t want to take a dip;
During the high season, you need to book time to use the pool. But as we were there in early May, we could have stayed all afternoon (I pretty much did.)
A drink with Connie
Before dinner we had a drink in the restored 1958 Lockheed Constellation that houses a cocktail bar. The aircraft itself is gorgeous, and it looks even more majestic sitting next to the hotel. Inside are benches, original passenger seats and a small bar. You also can peek into the vintage cockpit. It’s certainly a unique place to drink, but it’s not a relaxing place to spend too long. The cabin’s decor feels a bit spartan and for $17 I’d expect more than a drink in a plastic cup.
Dinner at Paris Café
We ended our evening with dinner at the hotel’s main restaurant. The menu isn’t terribly extensive and the quality of the food doesn’t quite match the price (the average cost for a main course is $35). Still, we enjoyed ourselves with a couple of local friends, and our server was lovely. Think of it as one of the restaurants where you go for the experience more than the food.
Yes, I’d go back
Maybe I was just awed by the planespotting opportunities and that rooftop pool, but I loved our stay at the TWA Hotel. Sure, there are some things that could be improved, but for me they didn’t detract from a hotel that really is like no other. (Or maybe I need to be more of a discerning traveler?) Perhaps a nearby Hyatt or Hilton delivers a better value, but I’ve found my home at JFK.