Flying is normally half of a bigger journey, however there are some events the place aviation IS the principle vacation spot. Suppose airshows, aviation museums, plane factories, and the like. Included in that class are the choose few resorts on the market which might be main AvGeek sights in their very own proper. We’ve written about a number of of them, like LAX’s H Lodge and the Excel Lodge at Tokyo Haneda. However possibly the largest identify within the sport is the TWA Lodge at New York JFK Worldwide Airport.
We wrote concerning the TWA Lodge in a pair of tales again in 2019 — one concerning the lodge itself, and one concerning the TWA Silver Wings reunion held there. We had a blast throughout that go to however didn’t truly spend an evening on the lodge. Making a return for an overnighter was on our to-do listing, and not too long ago we acquired an opportunity.
Be a 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, reveals 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 listing.
The TWA Lodge is the one main lodge inside the airport’s core, giving it a major comfort benefit.
The lodge’s coronary heart — in each idea and design — is Eero Saarinen’s iconic TWA Terminal that opened in 1962. There’s a mannequin of the complete 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 lodge took it over. The visitor rooms are in two extra trendy buildings subsequent to the unique terminal.
The lodge’s check-in counter is precisely the place you’d anticipate it to be: the place the terminal check-in counters stood.
Just a few 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 principle ramp. That space is now occupied by the JetBlue terminal. You’ll discover one aircraft nonetheless standing exterior the principle window — we’ll get to her later.
The lodge does an unbelievable job celebrating its historic heritage. The foyer incorporates an genuine Solari split-flap show.
All through the central constructing there are reveals 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 lodge we discovered an exhibit devoted to decor of the Sixties.
On the finish of one of many walkways to the lodge 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 lodge.
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 revel in all of the reveals. The historic content material alone would make for a packed afternoon for any aviation historical past fanatic.
A Room With a View
We have 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 big 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 possibilities to catch takeoffs and landings.
Concerning 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 beloved 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. Take a look at some highlights in our video under, and don’t overlook to indicate our YouTube channel some love when you take pleasure in movies like this one!
Subsequent we headed one ground as much as the roof to take pleasure in one of many lodge’s star points of interest.
Infinity Pool Planespotting
What could possibly be higher than planespotting from a snug lodge mattress? How about having fun with close-up ramp and runway views from a pool?
The lodge’s rooftop infinity poor affords wonderful views out onto the ramp. As you’d anticipate, time up here’s a sizzling commodity, and so the lodge requires paid reservations throughout peak occasions. If you would like 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 have been vocal in appreciating the views of JFK’s bustling ramp and runway exercise.
From the pool you’ll be able to 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 following cease on our TWA tour: Connie, an genuine L-1649A Lockheed Constellation.
Cocktails with Connie
One among our favourite components of the TWA Lodge’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 lodge’s web site has a complete web page on Connie’s historical past, her restoration, and her journey to New York, which included a visit by means of Instances Sq.. Getting her restored and moved to the lodge was clearly a labor of affection.
Onboard Connie there’s a enjoyable number of seating, together with a piece with old-school airline seats.
As a nod of respect to Connie’s historical past, her cockpit was left as-is. You’ll be able to look in, however for the sake of preservation you’ll be able to’t enter.
What drink did we’ve got onboard Connie? A paper aircraft, in fact! They’ve an entire listing of aviation-themed coctails together with some snacks.
Wrapping Up the Day
We wrapped up our day with dinner on the Paris Cafe, the lodge’s restaurant that’s a part of the Jean-Georges household.
Our server beneficial the crispy salmon sushi as a fan favourite. You’re paying airport meals costs right here, however not less than the standard is way more on par with an actual restaurant than an airside terminal cafe.
After such a protracted day we thought we’d go to sleep immediately. 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 Lodge Price Your Time?
We wouldn’t name this story a regular lodge overview, since grading resorts for something apart from the AvGeek attraction is exterior our space of experience. There are some polarized ideas about this place on the broader web, to make certain.
Our primary objective was to evaluate the TWA Lodge as a vacation spot for aviation fans. In that regard, it will get rave opinions from us. The views alone are wonderful sufficient to justify a keep and captivate you for hours on finish.
The lodge clearly sees honoring TWA’s legacy and the terminal constructing’s wealthy historical past as its mission. It’s really half lodge, half museum. As one of the best proof of its dedication to TWA’s legacy, simply have a look at its herculean effort to amass Connie and make her a part of the customer expertise.
We spent a full day and evening right here and have been entertained the entire time.
Just a few fast FYI’s for any of you contemplating a keep. Meals choices are pretty restricted — there’s the principle restaurant and a small counter-serve spot within the foyer, however the meals corridor misplaced most of its distributors.
You might be frightened about airplane noise messing along with your sleep, however the rooms’ soundproofing is EXCELLENT. And the lodge is canine pleasant, although with a major pet price.
On the subject of charges, there’s no denying that it’s an costly lodge. Reserving upfront, a fundamental room is within the higher $300s per evening 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 lots of on-line opinions remark that for the worth, 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 lodge are similar to what you’d spend at different central touristy components of town. Additionally, working any enterprise on airport grounds is additional 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 lodge 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 lodge room, the worth proposition feels higher.
As for tips on how to plan a go to right here:
- The lodge is a simple add-on to any journey to New York Metropolis, particularly tacked on to the start or finish of a visit when you’re flying by means of JFK.
- My spouse and I did this keep as a standalone journey from our dwelling in Brooklyn and beloved it. Tri-state space AvGeeks may make it just a little weekend journey similar to we did.
- Even when not spending the evening, aviation historical past buffs passing by means of JFK may swing by to discover the terminal constructing and seize a drink in Connie. Non-guests can guide time on the rooftop pool, although it’s pricier that method than it’s for lodge friends.
- For the reason that pool is a significant attraction, you would possibly assume summer season is one of the best time to go to. However within the winter the lodge super-heats the pool to 95 levels, so you’ll be able to nonetheless benefit from the area when its chilly out.
As for what the lodge’s future holds in retailer, the closing considered our 2019 story nonetheless holds true:
“As nice a time as I had on the TWA Lodge, the trail forward of it isn’t a simple one. It straddles roles as a lodge in a aggressive market and a vacationer attraction focused at AvGeeks, a tremendous however admittedly area of interest clientele. Will it do nicely sufficient in both area to function sustainably? I beloved my go to a lot that I need the reply to be sure. But it surely will depend on sufficient individuals — 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 evening, we will say that for aviation historical past buffs and planespotting fans the TWA Lodge is unquestionably value your consideration.
If any of you might have stayed right here and have ideas, we’d love to listen to them within the feedback part under!
Notice: we booked this keep at a reduced media room price, and the lodge 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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