In New York, a retro hotel was opened in the building of a former airport: is it worth checking into it

I visited the TWA Hotel at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport. When I arrived at the hotel, I felt like I was in a time machine. It was like I was transported back to the 6s, an earlier era of commercial aviation, writes Molly O'Brien in Insider.

The hotel opened in 2019. It used to be the Trans World Flight Center, the airport's operating terminal, opened in 1962.

One of the unique features of this hotel is that visitors who do not want to book a standard room for the night can book a day room for relaxation in the morning and afternoon hours.

I decided to come for the night, it costs $298 dollars here. To get to the hotel, I took the elevator directly from the JetBlue terminal at JFK. I exited the elevator and walked down the dimly lit bright red tunnel towards the white light in the distance. As I walked to the hotel, the music of The Beatles and The Beach Boys was playing from hidden speakers.

The check-in counters here are similar to airline counters where travelers check their luggage. From the moment I entered the lobby, it became clear that the hotel was once an active airport. There were many such reception desks.

Every corner of the hotel has been decorated in a nostalgic style.

The decor used carved cardboard people dressed in clothes from the 60s era. In the pictures they go on a journey. By the way, then travelers had to dress beautifully for the flight. Even the fake luggage looked genuine.

The decor of the hotel made me feel like I was in the 1960s. The posters showed the destinations operated by Trans World Airlines before American Airlines acquired it in the early 2000s. Of course, there was a poster of New York, since the city has always been a center of travel. I had fun just walking around and looking at the art and decor in the public areas of the hotel.

The hotel also had some really neat exhibits with authentic historical artifacts that highlight TWA's legacy and the impact of air travel on the modern world.

One of the funniest elements of the hotel was the Twister style room. Chuck Foley and Neil Rabens invented the Twister in 1966, so the games room fits in with the hotel's retro vibe. Nearly 60 years later, people are still pulling out the polka dot rug and spinning the spinner at parties.

On the subject: Top 3 things to do at JFK to help you get through a long layover or flight delay

The hotel's public spaces are very open and bright.

Guests spend the night in either the Hughes Wing or the Saarinen Wing. Outside the lobby, they can sleep in two separate wings. The wings have a total of 512 rooms, and both offer views of the runways at Kennedy Airport.

My room was on the top floor of the Hughes Wing, named after Howard Hughes, who once ran TWA Airlines. The other, the Saarinen Wing, was named after Eero Saarinen, the famous Finnish-American architect who designed the TWA Flight Center (now the TWA Hotel).

Even the elevators leading to the rooms were decorated in a retro style. The elevator also played a 1960s-style soundtrack. I will say that after staying there for more than a few hours, I could listen to more modern music. On the floor of the elevator was the classic TWA logo. It seemed that not a single detail about TWA's history and heritage was ignored or left out of the hotel's design - not even in the elevators.

As I walked down the hallway to my room, I felt like I was in the world of Mad Men. Even though I thought I was going to Don Draper's office, Jon Hamm was nowhere to be seen.

The decor of my room was retro but the technology inside was modern.

I used my electronic key card to get into my room. Cordless phone chargers were available inside. My room was like a standard hotel accommodation.

The room had a view of the planes but was really well soundproofed. I didn't hear any noise from outside. I liked to watch the arrivals and departures of planes from the comfort of my room.

Kennedy Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States, so there were always a lot of people outside my window. It was exciting to think about all these people and wonder where they were going.

The toiletries in the bathroom were very TWA themed. I can imagine TWA flight attendants carrying little bags like these to stay fresh on long haul flights.

The public areas of the hotel were the perfect place to grab a bite to eat or learn about aviation history.

From the large atrium I saw the outside of the Lockheed Constellation, better known as the "Connie". Hughes brought the aircraft into service in 1939. It broke the existing transcontinental speed record on a flight from California to New York and served as Air Force One into the 1950s. Now there is a cocktail bar inside Connie. I didn't get to see the interior in person because a private event was taking place there.

There were plenty of bars and restaurants to visit, including the Sunken Lounge. The Sunken Lounge is where fans gathered to watch The Beatles arrive in the United States way back in 1965. Today it is a different bar.

The Jean-Georges Paris Café was where the original Paris Café and Lisbon Terminal Lounge used to be. The atmosphere in the Parisian cafe was relaxed when I sat down at the table on Monday. But I can say that it has evolved into a classic, lively place with fun activities in the evenings. Menu items were standard and prices were in line with what I would expect from fine dining at an airport hotel. In addition, the drinks menu was full of 1960s style cocktails.

I found other interesting dishes in the great hall downstairs. It featured a collection of local specialties from establishments such as Feltman's of Coney Island and Mister Softee. There were also contemporary restaurants such as the Intelligentsia Coffee bar. I bought a very expensive latte from Intelligentsia. I wish the hotel prices were also in the 1960s.

The last stop before I left was upstairs at the famous TWA rooftop pool.

The infinity pool, observation deck and pool bar are open all year round. Entry rules and timetables are divided into two groups: summer/autumn and winter/spring. I visited it in August, I had to pay $25 to book the pool. However, I found out that non-hotel guests had to pay $50 to book in the summer.

A huge rooftop infinity pool overlooked the airport runways. And he exceeded all my expectations. In winter, the hotel heats the water so that guests can enjoy it all year round. I was not allowed to take any luggage into the pool with me. Guests are only allowed to bring personal items in clear plastic bags when entering the pool area and observation deck. I couldn't even take my laptop bag to do some work.

However, I understood the hotel's desire for people to enjoy their time on the pool deck. Sip a signature cocktail and watch planes take off and land instead of working.

The observation deck definitely had the best view in the entire hotel.

From here, I could see the Gulf airstrip. This runway is of historical importance and served as a backup landing strip for NASA's Space Shuttle.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to the TWA Hotel. I appreciated that the TWA Hotel was more than just a place to sleep. It was a historically accurate, immersive cultural experience with many on-site activities to enjoy. It was amazing to see how far aviation technology has come since 1962. And I look forward to seeing their progress over the next few decades.