You Made My Day TWA

I was stoked to check into the new TWA Hotel at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on my arrival from #RDUAirport on June 8. After admiring the beautifully restored 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible parked outside the hotel entrance, I noticed the doorman. He was wearing TWA mechanics' coveralls. What a nice touch! But that was just the beginning.

The original Saarinen Flight Center is reflected on the exterior "curtain wall" of the TWA Hotel's Hughes Wing.

MCR and Morse Development reimagined the space as a first class hotel. They spent more than $65 million just to bring the historic portion of the structure up to current safety and construction codes. This figure doesn’t include the cost of restoration work or any totals for the building, the hotel or new public spaces. Two beautiful and gracefully curved buildings on either side of the original Flight Center serve to house the two wings of hotel rooms. They were designed to reflect, compliment and defer to the original iconic structure. I was staying in the Hughes Wing, named after Howard Hughes, the legendary record-setting pilot and former President of the airline. The other wing is called the Saarinen Wing, honoring the famous architect Eero Saarinen who designed the original structure. Together, they contain 512 ultra-quiet guest rooms, as well as 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space that can host up to1,600 people. Each wing was built with a glass “curtain wall” by Fabbrica that is 7 panes and 4.5 inches thick. This means while you can enjoy the views of nearby runways, you won't hear a hint of jet noise, as all outside sounds are effectively muffled.

As soon as the doorman welcomed me, I was transported back in time. Everything looked nearly exactly as I remembered except the ticket counters were gone. In their place was the new check-in area, labeled “Arrivals.” Check out was on the other side of the lobby beneath a sign reading “Departures.” The self-registration process was confusing as the digital screens were not very intuitive. Luckily, staff was readily available to assist me.

A view down the 7th floor hallway of the Hughes Wing.

I was assigned to Room #763. When the elevator doors parted on the lobby level, I smiled when I saw the TWA twin globe logo in gold on the floor of the car. The hallway carpets were “TWA red” and when I opened my door, I was struck by the authenticity of the midcentury modern room. Each of them features a red Saarinen Womb armchair and a 1960s rotary phone along with TWA pencils and writing tablets. I even discovered an original Life Magazine dated May 2, 1960. What a blast to check out the ads (and prices) along with news stories about President Eisenhower! Even the bottom of the in-room safe displayed the TWA logo. The bathrooms are a class act as well. Each one has terrazzo-tiled floors and vintage Hollywood vanities with bubble lights above the mirrors. I really liked the TWA amenity kit and drinking glasses strategically placed next to the sink. Even the bathmat and bar soap bear the world-famous logo.

A visit to the Pool Bar is an Av-geek's dream come true.

After being satisfied that I’d examined every nook and cranny of my room, I headed up to the Pool Bar. What a view! It overlooks #JFKairport’s Runway 4 Left/22 Right. You can watch the runway action while sipping a cocktail or taking a dip in the infinity-edge pool, complete with TWA “double red” stripes running along its step down. During my visit, I was privileged to see three #A380s in one spot; one from #Emirates, one from #EthiadAirways and one from #SingaporeAir. I could have stayed there all day but there was so much more to explore!

On to the Gift Shop. Of course, it contained all the TWA-logo items I never knew I needed, including umbrellas, sweatshirts, t-shirts and the like. I would have been tempted to purchase a deck of cards for $10 but actually own a deck given to me by a flight attendant on one of my international journeys back in the day. While perusing the books, I started a conversation with a fellow who turned out to be a Captain for #AmericanAir on their B777s to South America. We began discussing the "Connie” and I explained I was unable to get an advance reservation. He told me to head out there right away. He'd just returned and indicated to me there was plenty of space available.

You can travel around the world looking at these posters.

As I was making my way to that cocktail lounge, I noticed a hallway with 20 nicely framed, vintage TWA destination posters. I was taken from Hollywood, Egypt and Spain to India, Rome and Switzerland. Clearly, the “World” in Trans World Airlines was no joke at one time. What a wonderful legacy for the carrier!

The "Connie" in its authentic TWA livery.

The “Connie” is a beautifully restored Lockheed Constellation L-1649A aircraft from the 1950’s. The plane has been retrofitted into a swanky cocktail lounge outside the hotel. Approaching the aircraft was very special, as it looked majestic bearing the TWA livery right out on “the tarmac” all by itself. Walking up the 14 steps, I noticed the risers contained the old advertising slogan “Up, Up and Away With TWA.”

Check out this server and her cool TWA sneakers!

It’s beautiful inside too. There are 4 large banquettes upholstered, in red of course, along with 16 vintage airplane seats (with ashtrays) in a retro pink and orange plaid fabric. You can take a look inside the cockpit and the aft section of the plane contains the bar area, where servers in1960s-era flight attendant uniforms will take your order. Ask for one of the signature cocktails and you’ll get a pair of logo wings, a TWA swizzle stick and some logo coasters. Children are also welcome to visit, and can enjoy a Shirley Temple if mom and dad choose to sit, relax and indulge. The hotel does encourage reservations be made online, but as I discovered, they do hold some seats for walk-ins outside of the prime time cocktail hours.

I hope I’ve whetted your appetite to learn even more about this incredible place. I’m happy to tell you all about the rest of my visit here in a future “Out of Town” post.

Until next time…safe travels