The former TWA terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, abandoned from 2001 until 2019, has been transformed into a luxury award-winning hotel after a $265 million (approximately £200 million) renovation. The TWA Hotel opened in 2019 and features a rooftop infinity pool that overlooks an active runway at New York's JFK International Airport.
History and Design
The terminal was originally designed by architect Eero Saarinen and opened in 1962. It shut down in 2001 and remained abandoned for 18 years before reopening as a hotel. The Landmarks Preservation Commission described the original terminal as "one of the great masterpieces of expressionistic modern design." The hotel operates in the TWA Flight Center and consists of two buildings at either end of the old terminal, with 512 rooms available.
Designers aimed to restore the terminal to its original 1962 appearance. The original terminal now serves as the lobby for the four-star hotel. The hotel also boasts a 24-hour 10,000-square-foot gym, which claims to be the world's largest hotel gym, along with multiple restaurants.
Awards and Recognition
Earlier this year, the TWA Hotel was ranked among the top five best airport hotels in the world at the Skytrax World Airport Awards. Time magazine placed it on its list of "The World's Greatest Places of 2019."
One standout feature is a 1958 Lockheed Constellation plane that has been converted into a cocktail lounge. The hotel also houses an aviation history museum.
Visitor Experience
British travel YouTuber Hannah Ricketts visited the hotel and shared her experience with her 489,000 subscribers. She said she wanted to experience what the glory days of air travel were like in the 1950s and 60s. Upon reaching the lobby, she described it as one of the "coolest entrances" she had ever seen. Glancing at a historic Coca-Cola machine, she said it felt like stepping back in time and commented that it was much nicer than she imagined.
Ricketts paid around $400 (approximately £300) for a room with a deluxe runway view, including taxes, while standard rooms are set at around $200. Looking out at her view, she said: "This looks so much better in person. I feel like the camera isn't going to do it justice." She said it felt like being on the set of Mad Men and described the building as "utterly stunning" with many details making it feel like the 1960s. "I've never been anywhere like this in my life," she added. "And it's obviously pristine where it's been refurbed. It's almost surreal. Wow."
The travel vlogger said the swimming pool was "insane" but noted that it cost $25 (approximately £19) to use it, even as a guest. She then enjoyed a Mile-High Margarita on the converted plane cocktail lounge. She told her audience: "Maybe you're a Brit watching this and you're going to come back from JFK, back to the UK, back to reality, back to work. If you want to plan this, it's a really positive end to a trip."
Her only criticism was the food, which she rated 5/10, but she said it was an immersive experience she would repeat. Summing up her one-night stay, she said: "This is a four-star hotel, I would say this is literally better than quite a lot of the five-star hotels we've been looking at."
