Flying is normally half of a bigger journey, however there are some events the place aviation IS the primary vacation spot. Assume airshows, aviation museums, plane factories, and the like. Included in that class are the choose few accommodations on the market which can be main AvGeek sights in their very own proper. We’ve written about a couple of of them, like LAX’s H Resort and the Excel Resort at Tokyo Haneda. However perhaps the largest identify within the recreation is the TWA Resort at New York JFK Worldwide Airport.
We wrote in regards to the TWA Resort in a pair of tales again in 2019 — one in regards to the resort itself, and one in regards to the TWA Silver Wings reunion held there. We had a blast throughout that go to however didn’t truly spend an evening on the resort. Making a return for an overnighter was on our to-do checklist, and not too long ago we obtained an opportunity.
Be part of us as we placed on our HotelReporter hats and discover every little thing that this one-of-a-kind terminal-turned-hotel has to supply. We’ll stroll you thru the highlights, together with Eero Saarinen’s architectural masterpiece, displays on TWA’s golden age, a rooftop pool with a runway view, and a bar onboard an actual Lockheed Constellation.
Learn on, after which resolve if this place earns a spot in your private to-do checklist.
The TWA Resort is the one main resort throughout the airport’s core, giving it a big comfort benefit.
The resort’s coronary heart — in each idea and design — is Eero Saarinen’s iconic TWA Terminal that opened in 1962. There’s a mannequin of all the terminal within the foyer.
The gate areas have been changed by JetBlue’s newer Terminal 5, however the iconic headhouse was protected by landmark standing. It stood deserted for a few years till the resort took it over. The visitor rooms are in two extra fashionable constructions subsequent to the unique terminal.
The resort’s check-in counter is strictly the place you’d anticipate it to be: the place the terminal check-in counters stood.
A number of steps past the check-in space you enter the hovering coronary heart of the terminal constructing. This space homes some seating, retailers, and a small bar. The “sunken lounge” seems to be out on what was once the primary ramp. That space is now occupied by the JetBlue terminal. You’ll discover one aircraft nonetheless standing exterior the primary window — we’ll get to her later.
The resort does an unbelievable job celebrating its historic heritage. The foyer comprises an genuine Solari split-flap show.
All through the central constructing there are displays with TWA memorabilia.
There’s loads of stuff celebrating the tradition and design of the ’60s, like a old-school hair salon and even a Tornado room.
Wandering round a distant a part of the resort we discovered an exhibit devoted to decor of the Sixties.
On the finish of one of many walkways to the resort room blocks, there’s an in-depth exhibit about Eero Saarinen and the design course of for the terminal.
There are even a few of Saarinen’s design drawings on show across the resort.
In a separate space there’s an exhibit about aviation magnate Howard Hughes.
In case you keep right here, save sufficient time to wander across the constructing and luxuriate in all of the displays. The historic content material alone would make for a packed afternoon for any aviation historical past fanatic.
A Room With a View
We had been excited to see our runway-view room, so we headed down one of many red-carpeted passageways that used to attach the headhouse with the gate areas.
We walked in to our room and went straight to the home windows.
Within the foreground you get to benefit from the large number of long-haul carriers that function out of JFK’s Terminal 4.
Runways 4/22 are seen within the background, so there are many probabilities to catch takeoffs and landings.
Relating to the room itself, size-wise it was on the smaller dimension however ample. The facilities cowl the fundamentals although not a lot past that. We liked the interval decor, together with some classic TWA posters and reproductions of magazines from the 60s.
We spent some time taking in additional views of the ramp. Try some highlights in our video beneath, and don’t neglect to point out our YouTube channel some love when you get pleasure from movies like this one!
Subsequent we headed one ground as much as the roof to get pleasure from one of many resort’s star sights.
Infinity Pool Planespotting
What may very well be higher than planespotting from a comfortable resort mattress? How about having fun with close-up ramp and runway views from a pool?
The resort’s rooftop infinity poor affords superb views out onto the ramp. As you’d anticipate, time up here’s a scorching commodity, and so the resort requires paid reservations throughout peak instances. If you need one of many poolside loungers you must line up a bit earlier than your reservation begin time.
There’s a bar up right here with a full kitchen, in case you get hungry whilst you’re swimming and/or planespotting.
Even the extra informal non-AvGeek guests had been vocal in appreciating the views of JFK’s bustling ramp and runway exercise.
From the pool you may see the ramp round Terminal 4 and likewise JetBlue’s Terminal 5.
Our two hours up on the roof flew by. From the roof we noticed the subsequent cease on our TWA tour: Connie, an genuine L-1649A Lockheed Constellation.
Cocktails with Connie
One among our favourite elements of the TWA Resort’s story is the way it moved heaven and earth to get Connie to its premises. The passageway that takes you out from the foyer to Connie outlines her story.
The resort’s web site has a whole web page on Connie’s historical past, her restoration, and her journey to New York, which included a visit via Occasions Sq.. Getting her restored and moved to the resort was clearly a labor of affection.
Onboard Connie there’s a enjoyable number of seating, together with a bit with old-school airline seats.
As a nod of respect to Connie’s historical past, her cockpit was left as-is. You possibly can look in, however for the sake of preservation you may’t enter.
What drink did we’ve got onboard Connie? A paper aircraft, after all! They’ve an entire checklist of aviation-themed coctails together with some snacks.
Wrapping Up the Day
We wrapped up our day with dinner on the Paris Cafe, the resort’s restaurant that’s a part of the Jean-Georges household.
Our server really useful the crispy salmon sushi as a fan favourite. You’re paying airport meals costs right here, however no less than the standard is far more on par with an actual restaurant than an airside terminal cafe.
After such an extended day we thought we’d go to sleep instantly. However the winds shifted in order that the runway proper in entrance of our room (22R) began getting used for takeoffs, so we did a bit extra planespotting earlier than calling it a day.
Is the TWA Resort Price Your Time?
We wouldn’t name this story a typical resort evaluation, since grading accommodations for something aside from the AvGeek enchantment is exterior our space of experience. There are some polarized ideas about this place on the broader web, to make certain.
Our major purpose was to guage the TWA Resort as a vacation spot for aviation fanatics. In that regard, it will get rave opinions from us. The views alone are superb sufficient to justify a keep and captivate you for hours on finish.
The resort clearly sees honoring TWA’s legacy and the terminal constructing’s wealthy historical past as its mission. It’s actually half resort, half museum. As the perfect proof of its dedication to TWA’s legacy, simply have a look at its herculean effort to accumulate Connie and make her a part of the customer expertise.
We spent a full day and night time right here and had been entertained the entire time.
A number of fast FYI’s for any of you contemplating a keep. Meals choices are pretty restricted — there’s the primary restaurant and a small counter-serve spot within the foyer, however the meals corridor misplaced most of its distributors.
It’s possible you’ll be fearful about airplane noise messing together with your sleep, however the rooms’ soundproofing is EXCELLENT. And the resort is canine pleasant, although with a big pet price.
On the subject of charges, there’s no denying that it’s an costly resort. Reserving prematurely, a fundamental room is within the higher $300s per night time and a runway-view room is nearer to $500. There are additionally upcharges, together with for time on the rooftop pool. We are able to see why this place could also be out of some potential guests’ value vary. And plenty of on-line opinions remark that for the value, the rooms are pretty small and easily furnished.
That’s a good critique, however there are some things to keep in mind. New York Metropolis is an costly metropolis basically, and the costs at this resort are akin to what you’d spend at different central touristy elements of the town. Additionally, working any enterprise on airport grounds is further costly. Most significantly, think about that you just’re not simply paying for a room when you keep right here. You’re paying largely for the placement, the views, the historical past, and the funding the resort made in Connie, the pool, and restoring a long-abandoned terminal. When framed as an all-encompassing AvGeek expertise as an alternative of simply as a resort room, the worth proposition feels higher.
As for easy methods to plan a go to right here:
The resort is a straightforward add-on to any journey to New York Metropolis, particularly tacked on to the start or finish of a visit when you’re flying via JFK.
My spouse and I did this keep as a standalone journey from our house in Brooklyn and liked it. Tri-state space AvGeeks might make it a little bit weekend journey identical to we did.
Even when not spending the night time, aviation historical past buffs passing via JFK might swing by to discover the terminal constructing and seize a drink in Connie. Non-guests can e-book time on the rooftop pool, although it’s pricier that approach than it’s for resort company.
For the reason that pool is a significant attraction, you would possibly assume summer time is the perfect time to go to. However within the winter the resort super-heats the pool to 95 levels, so you may nonetheless benefit from the area when its chilly out.
As for what the resort’s future holds in retailer, the closing considered our 2019 story nonetheless holds true: “As nice a time as I had on the TWA Resort, the trail forward of it isn’t a straightforward one. It straddles roles as a resort in a aggressive market and a vacationer attraction focused at AvGeeks, an incredible however admittedly area of interest clientele. Will it do nicely sufficient in both area to function sustainably? I liked my go to a lot that I would like the reply to be sure. However it relies on sufficient folks — AvGeeks and others — feeling that the expertise is definitely worth the go to.“
Effectively, the place remains to be standing virtually 5 years after we wrote that first story. And now that we’ve spent the night time, we will say that for aviation historical past buffs and planespotting fanatics the TWA Resort is certainly price your consideration.
If any of you could have stayed right here and have ideas, we’d love to listen to them within the feedback part beneath!
Notice: we booked this keep at a reduced media room price, and the resort switched us to a Runway View room and offered some rooftop pool time for the needs of this story. Opinions listed here are our personal.
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