More than just the only hotel inside JFK’s airport boundaries, the TWA Hotel leans unapologetically into mid-century aviation glamour. Here’s why this retro icon deserves serious consideration, not just as a stopover, but as a stay in its own right.
First impressions: the bit they commit to
There’s a Solari board, a split-flap departures display in the lobby of the Trans World Airlines (TWA) Hotel that still clatters the way airports did before everything went digital. Sometimes, it announces cocktail specials beside the comings and goings of flights next door. The total commitment to the bit tells you everything about what the property is doing.
L-R: The original-style Solari departures board, and the iconic sunken living room at the TWA Hotel.
First impressions count. ‘I thought it was super fun that they leaned into the retro vibe, and based the whole persona of the hotel around that,’ says Air New Zealand’s Sarah Bourchier, who looks after the North American market. ‘It was kitschy and memorable.’
She also ticks the rooftop pool (19 metres long with direct views of the active runways, and heated year-round) and the “food hall” options in the lobby, open 24-hours for convenient nibbles.
TWA Hotel’s infinity pool, heated year-round, sits on the horizon of a thrilling scene, JFK’s Runway 4 Left/22 Right.
Nostalgia with receipts
Eero Saarinen’s iconic 1962 TWA Flight Centre at JFK, now home to the TWA Hotel.
The TWA Hotel opened in 2019 inside Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen’s 1962 Flight Centre at JFK. Skytrax, the Michelin Guide of aviation, ranked it North America’s best airport hotel in 2024 and 2025. It’s the sole accommodation within JFK’s actual boundaries, and it’s doing something the industry doesn’t always pull off cleanly (see the failed Pan Am brand revivals) – selling nostalgia as a genuine experience. History as entertainment is having its moment.
The offering is built around TWA at its peak, a glamour-era carrier that billionaire aviator Howard Hughes turned into the airline of Hollywood from 1939 onward. His goal? A terminal to make passengers feel the excitement of departure before even checking a monogrammed brass-cornered bag.
L-R: Knoll Tulip tables nod to the Jet Age design ethos, and guestrooms line the hotel’s curved corridors.
‘It’s so quiet, though,’ Stefanie Spies from Germany’s travel advisory Karawane Reisen observes, surprisedly. ‘You can see it all, the planes, the airport, but it’s quiet in here.’ Well, except for the clink of martini glasses.
Runway-view guestrooms at the TWA Hotel overlook JFK’s active tarmac.
Where immersion really lands
L-R: Vintage TWA uniforms on display at the TWA Hotel, and vintage TWA luggage.
In the gift shop, I overhear a couple raving over the 100% cashmere TWA branded jumpers, the diagonal capital letters in red, bold italics ‘These are such a vibe,’ one quips, ‘definitely getting the blue one.’ The hotel has its own proprietary font – Flight Centre Gothic – that only adds to the immersion into Jet Age Futurism. Marilyn Monroe wouldn’t be out of place here, and in fact flew TWA regularly.
The 512 guestrooms sit across two annexes – the Saarinen Wing and the Hughes Wing, and range from two presidential suites to two and three-bedroom quarters to standard kings. When booking, travellers should indicate if they’d like a runway view, a historic TWA view of the ‘iconic columnless shell’, and if they require an accessible room, of which there are an impressive 28.
Inside the offerings, every detail earns its keep. Think Womb chairs in TWA red; rotary phones and (real) back copies of LIFE magazine – mine’s from 1956. Guests can peruse a 1:400-scale model of TWA’s 1970s operations centre, and even Howard Hughes’ desk made the cut. Put your feet up, and pretend you’re a gazillionaire.
L-R: The iconic red-carpeted flight tube corridor, and 1960s-inspired interiors.
And then, because this place understands its audience, a Twister Room (full-sized, with enormous wall-mounted spinner… heavily used post-martini) and the bubble-gum-pink period beauty parlour, complete with beehive dryers and wigs perfect for the free photo booth. None of it’s accidental; it’s a property that identifies exactly who wants to be here.
‘It’s cool TWA leaned into the retro feel of the era at its prime,” says Rhonda Carges of New York’s Travel Alliance Partnership. ‘The history combines with modern amenities. I like that the timeline’s available to understand the hotel’s story, and the upscale experiences with the restaurants, lounges, pool, and fitness centre.”
Connie has stories
The crown jewel is Connie, a 1958 Lockheed L-1649A Starliner parked on the tarmac, transported from an Arizona airfield and converted into an oh-so-chic cocktail lounge for 75 guests, she’s everything you imagine. Connie’s post-TWA flying life apparently involved Alaskan supply runs and some narcotics logistics, which only adds to the swagger. American Express’s Departures Magazine named her one of the best hotel bars in the world.
Access to the hotel is via the AirTrain to JetBlue’s Terminal 5, then a short walk. No transfers, no 4am shuttles. For travellers with early international departures, a connection between flights, or simply for those craving something off-script, this is a clean recommendation. In a broader context, JFK is midway through an AUD $30 billion transformation, with phase one of the new Terminal One opening in June 2026. The TWA Hotel sits at the centre of that, landmarked, as the airport grows around it.
Day rates from 6am to 8pm open it up as a cruisy layover option – an interesting sell and a sensible solution to a long connection. Overnight rates start from around AUD $388, depending on the season.
Curious? Learn more here: www.twahotel.com, www.iloveny.com
Writer Ivy Carruth travelled as a guest of I LOVE NY and the TWA Hotel.
