Travel back in time at this airport converted into a 60’s hotel

It was like stepping into a time machine.

As the door closed, I saw two buttons in front of me.

Five

Five

Five

Five

Five

Seconds later, my wife and I stepped off the lift at the airport and were indeed transported back to the 60’s (1962 to be exact).

In front of us was a mockup of the office of Howard Hughes, president of Trans World Airlines and playboy.

I couldn’t resist sitting at his mahogany desk, spinning the globe, picking up an old-fashioned phone and demanding “Beat PanAm.”

we arrived at the TWA hotel JFK airportshimmering, winding, mid-century architectural marvel.

As an aviation geek, I told my wife Laura on the first night of the mini-break. New York You’ll spend your time in an airport hotel where you can imagine an eye roll.

Think of an airport hotel. Think miserable, affordable accommodation off the bypass, miserable, crowded buses to terminals, and people drinking lager beer at 4am.

Well, the TWA Hotel couldn’t be further from it – a groovy reminder of the golden age of flying.

From 1962 to 2001, this building with a wing-shaped roof was the TWA terminal, where passengers checked in before walking down a tubular red-carpeted corridor to the departure gate.

Everywhere there are reminders of a time when flying was a fascination. Old check-in desks are now places to check into hotels. A bubble car and an old luggage truck complete the front look.

Old flight attendant uniforms are on display, and there are even some old-fashioned phone booths.

They filmed scenes from the 2002 movie Catch Me If You Can here. Leonardo DiCapriowhen he played an impostor disguised as a pilot.

Designed by Finnish-American Eero Saarinen, the building is a national treasure. Many features, such as ceramic tiles and giant window panels, have been lovingly replaced with original replicas.

Songs by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are expected to echo through public spaces, with John Lennon or Jackie O sweeping the corner, followed by reporters from the Pork Pie Hat.

The atrium has a huge restored departure and arrival board. The ticking of flight details is hypnotic and features the names of old airlines such as TWA, PanAm and BOAC.

We drank aviation-themed cocktails at the bar – and after a flotation device and some very powerful jet fuel, Laura made her way to this airport hotel.

Out on the tarmac was the 1958 Lockheed Constellation nicknamed Connie, with triple tail fins and a dolphin-like fuselage.

We climbed the stairs of the plane and imagined that Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren had traveled to Europe to shoot a movie. . Vodka is my co-pilot this time.

If you’re an airplane fan, the hotel’s rooftop is the place to go. We watched the planes take off and land while relaxing in the year-round heated pool under the early New York sun.

Located in two new wings adjacent to the main building, the 512 bedrooms are full of tributes to the past. A mid-century Mad Men vibe means rotary-dial phones, Saarinen armchairs, and old posters of his TWA. Still, flat-screen TVs and fast Wi-Fi mean modern comforts, too.

So did my travel companion enjoy her stay? She didn’t roll her eyes this time—she gave me a wink.