The TWA Hotel Turns an Abandoned Airport Terminal Into a Midcentury Dream

Dwell ^ | February 13, 2019 | Jen Woo

[C19fan]

Meet JFK's first on-airport hotel—complete with midcentury modern guest rooms, a 10,000-square-foot rooftop deck with pool, and a Jean-Georges restaurant.

An abandoned airport terminal at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport has been reborn as the TWA Hotel, a stylish stay channeling the jet age. While the once-groundbreaking Trans World Airlines ceased operations in 2001, and the terminal closed in October of that year, the luxe hotel pays homage to the original architecture of the 1962 building designed by architect Eero Saarinen.

[ebshumidors]

Nowadays airlines have to compete with carriers that don’t have to pay their bills (bankrupt) for the Greyhound passenger. Tough business model.

[ebshumidors]

She’s still there.

[Blue Jays]

"...and smoked..."

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As a lifelong health nut...I am entirely OK with smoke-filled cabin air remaining in the past as a distant memory. :-)

[Blue Jays]

"...arrive at terminal 20 minutes before departure..."

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Muslim terrorists really ruined that nice bit about air travel, too. That really was a pleasant aspect back in the day.
My typical plan for domestic flights is to arrive ninety minutes (or even two hours) prior to minimize opportunity for bizarre issues.

[Blue Jays]

"...Tough business model..."

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Agreed. Society scratching and clawing for bargain-basement flight prices does seem rather counterintuitive.
Do we really wish to be zooming along at 500+ mph near the edge of the atmosphere in discount airplanes?

[saminfl]

When I enlisted in the Air Force in 1955 we flew TWA from Phoenix to San Francisco (Basic was at Parks AFB) with a several hour layover in LA. While in LA, the stewardess actually took us home to her apartment on the beach.

[Notthereyet]

I can make calls and get calls.

I am supposed to be able to move a switch and use the buttons for the ‘tree’ thingys when calling someone.

As of this time I am still unable to do that function.

LOL

It’s amazing how much clearer the line sounds to folks over the cell calls. Almost every person I call on my land line on that phone remarks how much clearer it is sounding.

Cannot figure out why it’s so much clearer; it works, though and I’m happy.

[sparklite2]

Best first class I ever flew was on a Braniff that was only one leg of my flight, but did not offer first class service.

So the stewardess seated me alone, then came and sat with me when she wasn’t serving other passengers, and when she provided meal and drink service, she took care of me first.

Hotcha!