Upon returning from our recent trip to Spain we had a bit of a conundrum. We had committed to an engagement the evening we landed back in NYC and had very limited time to rest up before the big event and get ourselves party ready, One consideration was to check into a hotel in the city and spend the night, but this was not an option due to commitments we had on Sunday. When trying to figure out our logistics with regards to arriving at JFK at 1 pm, and having to be at the party at 6:30pm, I had what turned out to be a brilliant idea. I called the TWA Hotel to see whether you could rent a room for just a few hours.
As it turns out, you can! Since we were due to land at Terminal 4 at 1:00 and had luggage to wait for, I figured that renting the room from 2:00- 6:00 was wise. I did this all online, and was offered the option of any four hour block of time. As it turned out, we landed early and Global Entry ensured we were through customs in a flash, Miraculously our bags popped out just 15 minutes later, so we were on our way to Terminal 5 at 1:15 pm. I was concerned that we might have to wait, but our room was ready!
In order to get to the TWA hotel, we boarded the airport train which took us one stop to Terminal 5, and then walked a short distance to the entry of the hotel, which in it’s prior life was the iconic TWA Terminal designed by Eero Saarinen in 1962. The facility closed in 2001 and sat idle until it was reborn as the TWA Hotel in 2019. The terminal itself was designated a landmark in 1994 and added to the Historic Register in 2005. Luckily, the architect who led the transformation was mindful to keep many of the fabulous details intact.
After a very quick check in we were given our keys and sent off in search of our room. The hotel is BIG- there are over 500 rooms split between two wings. To reach ours we were sent down a very space-age passageway; straight out of the Jetsons. Because the hotel opened just before Covid, everything appears pristine and new. We couldn’t help but stop to take in as many details as we could en route to our room.
I really had no expectations at all regarding our accommodations, but hoped it would be clean; which I am happy to report it was (spotlessly). It was hard to capture the gist of the room because the sun was so bright when we arrived. Below you will see two views of the same space, one focusing on the view, and one on the interior. The bathroom was utilitarian, but again- CLEAN.
Our plan was to close the black out shades and get some shut eye before we headed to our event, and we succeeded. We set our alarms for 5:30, giving us enough time to shower and put on our party clothes. I can’t stress how easy and convenient this was. Aside from the novelty and cool-ness factor of the hotel, if you find yourself with a similar situation, or a very early departure from JFK it makes tremendous sense to get a room. The rate for our stay was $150, and it proved to be a life saver.
The details in the hotel are super fun, if you are from my era (born in the 60s) everything will be nostalgic, if you are younger it may be slightly curious, but still fabulous. There is a TWA jet parked in the back that serves as one of the hotel bars, as well as a fitness center, pool, and pickleball court! There are several options for food ranging between a food hall and Jean George’s Paris Café.
When we arrived on a Saturday afternoon the hotel seemed fairly quiet, but as we were leaving at 6 it was buzzing. There seemed to be a private party booked, and there were many people enjoying a cocktail and roaming around. The TWA Hotel is a great place to visit even if you don’t have a flight to catch. I would most definitely recommend you check it out.