What if I told you that there’s a hotel in New York where you can get cocktails in a 1950’s era Lockheed Constellation prop plane? And if I told you the hotel lobby is housed in a former Eero Saarinen designed landmark building? Yes, I’m talking about the one and only TWA Hotel at New York’s JFK Airport!

I had the pleasure of staying at the TWA Hotel twice, first in 2022 and again in late 2024. I’m not exaggerating when I say this hotel is timeless considering nothing had changed in the 2 years since my first visit. Not only is this hotel a cool piece of aviation history, but it’s super convenient for JFK arrivals and departures. Is the TWA Hotel for you? Keep reading to find out!

Location

The TWA Hotel is located right next to JFK’s Terminal 5, the JetBlue terminal. It’s so close that the hotel is connected to the terminal via a royal red carpeted hallway and elevator.

There is also an AirTrain stop not a far walk from the hotel entrance, so you could technically stay here if arriving or departing from other terminals. Would I recommend it? Depends. I would mostly recommend it if you’re flying JetBlue because of its close proximity to the JetBlue terminal. In my opinion, it loses its convenience when you’re not flying JetBlue.

Say you have a long layover at JFK and you want to stay by the airport and head into the city for the day – can you do that at TWA Hotel? Yes, definitely. You can hop on the AirTrain from the Terminal 5 stop and take it to either Howard Beach or Jamaica for connections to the subway into Manhattan.

First Impressions

My very first impression of the TWA Hotel back in 2022 fell under wonder and amazement. The building looked straight out of the 60’s and the architecture was stunning. For an airport hotel, I was tickled at such a uniquely themed experience. The iconic TWA red was everywhere from the carpets to the signs, the chairs and the cute little Fiat in the lobby.

We first entered the TWA Hotel from the JetBlue Terminal. We followed the clear signs to the hotel and stumbled upon a mesmerizing long red tube. A couple of pictures later we found ourselves in the lobby of the hotel with an old school split-flap departures board reminding us of the golden era of TWA.

Check-in was completely self-service, and I loved that. There are loads of iPads that easily give prompts for checking in taking significantly less time (if you’re tech savvy, that is) so you can enjoy your room to the fullest.

Second Impressions

The second time we visited the TWA Hotel there was a bit less fanfare but I still appreciated how gorgeous and timeless the hotel was. Instead of arriving from the JetBlue Terminal and walking through the red tube, we came from Wildflower Farms and dropped off our rental car at Terminal C first. We then hauled our bags onto the AirTrain to Terminal 5 and then walked a few minutes to the TWA entrance.

The hotel really hadn’t changed in the two years since my last visit. The self check-in service was the same, the food hall was the same, and everything looked as if it was frozen in time. Even our room was largely the same. I can’t fault a hotel that provides a consistent experience!

Style

I’m not an architect by any means, but I googled what Eero Saarinen was known for, and his style was described as “neo-futuristic.” The TWA Flight Center, now the TWA Hotel, is a huge concrete building with curved arches and angled windows. It was truly a marvel for its time.

The interior design remains faithful to the original style and almost feels like an aviation museum. Plush red lounge chairs, minimalistic tables, and Saarinen’s famous “Tulip Chairs” can be found in the common spaces of the lobby. In the rooms, Saarinen’s “Womb Chair” is in the corner with a rotary phone nearby.

Rooms

There are two wings of the TWA Hotel: the Saarinen Wing and the Hughes Wing. Which wing you’re assigned is largely dependent on the room category you book. If you book a runway view room, you’ll likely be placed in the Hughes Wing, while TWA views will likely be in the Saarinen Wing. We booked the entry-level category both times, and the first time we stayed in the Saarinen Wing (building views) and second time in the Hughes Wing (lobby views).

There are 512 rooms and suites at the TWA Hotel with two Presidential Suites each named after the famed architect who designed the property, Eero Saarinen, and the former owner of TWA Airlines, Howard Hughes. While the rooms look cool, they are pretty small and basic. There’s a bed, a lamp, a chair, a phone, a headboard doubling as a table, and a plain jane bathroom. Let’s remember that this is an airport hotel, after all.

I stayed in a Standard King room both times, and I thought they were perfectly fine for an airport hotel. I liked the wood paneling with brass accents, old school rotary phone, and bar glasses. I mean, what airport hotel would go above and beyond their design like that? Bathroom amenities were sparse with a generic TWA branded bar of soap and shampoo, conditioner, soap.

Amenities

Basic rooms aside, the hotel actually has quite a few unique amenities for an airport hotel. The most iconic is probably the heated rooftop pool overlooking JFK’s runway 4L/22R. Aviation lovers rejoice! There’s even binoculars you can use to spot all the little details on the planes taking off.

The first time we visited the TWA, we used the downstairs gym which was huge. It was way bigger than I expected for an airport hotel, and machines of every variety could be found along with a room dedicated to Pelotons. You will definitely get a good workout in here!

On the unique side, there is a room dedicated to Twister. Yes, you read that right. An entire room dedicated to the game of Twister. During our visit there was also a photo-op area of a 60’s bubblegum-pink salon. In the winters, the TWA does an apres ski vibe “Runway Chalet” complete with a firepit at the rooftop pool bar. In the summers, I’ve seen them advertise a roller rink and games on the tarmac next to Connie.

Restaurants

There are a few dining options at the TWA Hotel: The Paris Cafe by Chef Jean-Georges, the Food Hall, and then some light bites at The Sunken Lounge, Rooftop Pool Bar, and Connie Cocktail Lounge. I tried to Uber and Doordash to TWA, but the location wasn’t offered on either app so I suppose drivers can’t access the hotel area easily.

We dined at The Paris Cafe on our first visit and while the food was good, it was super expensive. It’s worth it if you want a higher quality airport hotel meal, but for a short stay I’d be fine with pizza. The Food Hall is where said pizza would be procured. There are a handful of stalls offering hot dogs, pizzas, crepes, and basic food court options. It’s not the best quality food, but it’ll fill you up.

We also had cocktails at the Rooftop Pool Bar, and boy was that a splurge. $18 for a margarita, and it was even smaller than normal! I’m guessing you’re paying a mark up to enjoy sipping your cocktail and enjoying the views of planes taking off.

Cocktails in an Airplane

One of the most unique features of the TWA Hotel is the ability to enjoy crafted cocktails inside a retired 1958 Lockheed Constellation named “Connie”. Connie has had quite an adventure in life which you can read up on before visiting her in person. The airplane interior has been remodeled into a lounge with the cockpit open for visitors to see. Aviation fanatics will love this experience!

Who Would I Send to TWA?

I would definitely send anyone with a love of architecture, aviation, and the 50s/60s to the TWA Hotel. This is not a luxury hotel, however, despite how it may look. Anyone who plans to stay at the TWA Hotel should know it’s an airport hotel so service and amenities aren’t as plentiful as a non-airport hotel.

If anyone is landing at Terminal 5 and has a long layover or is flying out of Terminal 5, I’d recommend the TWA hotel. Its close proximity to Terminal 5 is a no-brainer! The hotel is definitely family friendly and I’m sure kids will love running up and down the long red tunnels. I’d also send fitness fanatics to the TWA because of their ridiculously huge gym space.

I wouldn’t send clients to TWA who were flying out of a terminal far from Terminal 5 unless they were willing to schlep their bags on the AirTrain.

Final Thoughts

With nonstop flights on JetBlue from JFK to Curacao and vice versa, the TWA Hotel has become a staple choice for us if we need to overnight. Not only is the hotel unique and fun, but it’s conveniently located to the JetBlue Terminal. I like it for that reason alone! Is it the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in? Not by a long shot, but it’s a decent airport hotel option and the only on-site airport hotel at JFK. I can see myself staying there again in the future!

Have you ever been to the TWA Hotel? Let me know in the comments below?