TWA Hotel at JFK

During a long layover at JFK upon return from London I had the opportunity to spend some time at the TWA Hotel. The hotel opened a few months before as a long awaited transformation of the iconic Eero Saarinen designed TWA Flight Center.  The architecture and attention to detail is nothing short of amazing. You definitely felt like you were transported back to the 1960s as soon as you stepped off the elevator from Terminal 5.

While rooms are available for a partial day rate and passes for the rooftop pool are for sale I instead passed the time hanging out in the hotel’s public food and lounge areas. The Sunken Lounge offered some high priced cocktails (it is New York City) while the restored Lockheed Super Constellation “Connie” offered a truly unique cocktail lounge experience. There was no air conditioning and little air circulation though so I wouldn’t recommend spending a whole lot of time inside on a hot July day.

I’ve heard mixed reviews about the rooms at the TWA hotel but the public spaces are truly one-of-a-kind and definitely worth the stop if you have extended time to spend at JFK.