The TWA Hotel at New York’s JFK Airport is a luxury plane-themed hotel that was once a disused airport terminal – transformed into a stunning hotel after a $265million (£200m) renovation
People lounge beside the rooftop pool at the TWA Hotel(Image: The Washington Post via Getty Images)
A former airport terminal that sat abandoned for years has been transformed into a stunning aviation-themed luxury hotel — following a jaw-dropping $265million (approximately £200m) restoration to revive it to its former glory.
The TWA Hotel flung open its doors in 2019, boasting a rooftop infinity pool with breathtaking views over an active runway at New York’s JFK International Airport. Originally serving as a TWA flight terminal, the iconic building was designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen before it closed its doors in 2001, only to be reborn 18 years later.
The hotel, which occupies the TWA Flight Center, now comprises two buildings at each end of the former terminal, offering 512 rooms for guests to choose from.
Designers painstakingly worked to recreate its appearance when it first opened back in 1962, hailed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission as “one of the great masterpieces of expressionistic modern design”.
Earlier this year, it was recognised as one of the top five best airport hotels on the planet at the prestigious Skytrax World Airport Awards.
The original terminal now serves as the lobby for the four-star hotel, which also features a round-the-clock 10,000 square feet gym — claiming the title of the world’s largest hotel gym — alongside a selection of restaurants.
One of the most striking highlights is a 1958 Lockheed Constellation aircraft that has been cleverly converted into a cocktail lounge, with an aviation history museum also housed within the hotel.
Time magazine previously featured it on their coveted list of “The World’s Greatest Places of 2019”, and one recent visitor was British travel YouTuber Hannah Ricketts.
She explained that she was keen to visit the hotel to get a taste of what the golden era of air travel felt like during the 1950s and 60s.
Upon reaching the lobby, she told her 489,000 subscribers that it was one of the “coolest entrances” she had ever seen.
Spotting a vintage Coca Cola machine, she remarked that it felt like stepping back in time, before adding that the place was far more impressive than she had anticipated.
She went on to reveal that she paid around $400 (approx £300) for a room with a deluxe runway view. Hannah confirmed this included taxes, with standard rooms starting at roughly $200.
Gazing out from her room, she exclaimed: “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, describing the building as “utterly stunning”, packed with period details that truly transported you back to 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 described the swimming pool as “insane”, though pointed out that it cost $25 (approx £19) to use, even as a guest.
She then savoured a Mile-High Margarita aboard the converted cocktail lounge plane, telling 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 sole gripe was with the food, which she rated a 5/10, though she described the overall experience as immersive and one she would happily 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.”