As soon as I exit New York’s JFK Airport, I see the curvaceous, swooping concrete-and-glass entrance of the TWA Hotel and almost swoon. Whether you’re a mid-century modern design guru or a dilettante, there’s no denying you’re in the presence of an architectural icon.

Designed by Eero Saarinen, a starchitect of his day, the former TWA flight center is as much a work of art as a hotel. Originally opened as the TWA Terminal in 1962 to celebrate the glamour of the burgeoning Jet Age, it has been lovingly reborn as a hotel where you can check in and, for a little while at least, check out of the 21^st century.

And that’s half the fun.

Street cred: It’s all about location

Its location can’t be beat. I arrived via the AirTrain and approached from outside, but the hotel is also connected directly to JFK’s Terminal 5 via one of Saarinen’s famous flight tubes.

Walk through its red-carpeted tunnel and you half expect a TWA pilot to stroll past.

Who hangs here: Is this hotel for you?

This hotel is for everyone and anyone who appreciates good design, and/or the convenience of an airport hotel. There were plenty of overnight guests during my stay, of course, but also curious travelers wandering in from the flight tubes just to have a look, oohing and ahhing all the way.

The straight goods: What’s in the room?

When the property was transformed into a hotel, two additional wings were built to house the 512 rooms, leaving Saarinen’s original flight center to shine as the hotel’s public space.

Rooms are simple and true to the era and design concept. You won’t find anything frou-frou here.

Teakwood and floor-to-ceiling windows rule the space, while a king bed, sleek desk and TWA-red chair complement the aesthetic. Snaps to the hotel for furnishing the rooms with mid-century modern Knoll pieces designed by Saarinen himself.

The added details are just fun: a rotary phone, vintage Life magazine and even a cup of freshly sharpened pencils ready for inspiration to strike. I stayed in room 721, which overlooks the landmark flight center and makes it easy to be transported to the early 1960s.

The bathroom keeps things crisp and contemporary without spoiling the mood, with white terrazzo tile, black accents, a walk-in shower and TWA-branded toiletries.

Good eats: Cocktails and cuisine

The Paris Café, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is the hotel’s main restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. In another nod to TWA’s past, the culinary team researched menus once served aboard Trans World Airlines when developing the concept.

The sesame-crusted salmon with spinach was very tasty, as was the pizza, although the seasonal menu changes. Pizza, pasta, burgers, larger entrées and a variety of salads and sides mean you’ll find plenty to suit your mood.

The adjoining Lisbon Lounge takes care of your cocktail needs, but the hotel has two other watering holes to check out as well.

Connie Cocktail Lounge is certainly Instagram-worthy: a 1958 Lockheed Constellation aircraft parked just outside the hotel has been transformed into a groovy cocktail bar.

My favorite, though, is the Sunken Lounge, which serves the sixties straight up with its swizzle-stick cocktails, vivid red décor and a serious sense of history. This is where flocks of Beatles fans once gathered to await the arrival of the Fab Four during their inaugural trip to the U.S.

You can also order food to stay or go—particularly handy when your boarding time is getting uncomfortably close.

I was equally delighted to find Joe Coffee and a 24-hour multi-stall food hall in the lobby. A triple espresso and breakfast treats to go made my painfully early departure slightly less painful. 

Bragging rights: What else has it got?

The TWA Hotel is like a 1960s theme park for grown-ups, with lots to whet your appetite other than food and drink.

The flight center is filled with museum-quality artifacts—2,367 of them scattered throughout the hotel—including TWA crew uniforms, in-flight amenities and travel posters, most donated by former TWA employees and their families.

Near check-in, gleaming vintage cars practically beg to be driven or, more likely, photographed and coveted. Elsewhere, you’ll find recreations of Saarinen’s and Howard Hughes’ offices, the very pink Sweet’N Glow Salon interactive exhibit and a Twister room guaranteed to remind you of muscles you forgot you had.

If that’s not enough, there’s a rooftop pool overlooking the tarmac and the world’s largest hotel gym, just in case everyone staying at the hotel decides to work out at precisely the same time.

A few of our favorite things: What stood out?

What I loved most was how completely the TWA Hotel commits to the bit.

There’s very little to jolt you back into the 21st century. From the architecture and furniture to the rotary phones, vintage cars, flight tubes and swizzle sticks, the entire place feels like escapism for adults.

For one night, I wasn’t simply sleeping at JFK.

I was sleeping in 1962.

Parting shot: If we could change one thing

Being this pretty comes at a price.

Eating and drinking onsite can quickly send your tab into first-class territory. A glass of wine, for example, can land around the US$30 mark once tax and tip are added.

Crazy, man.

But the hotel itself?

Crazy cool.

Rates in November start at US$247 including facility fee. The hotel also offers day rates.

Photos courtesy of TWA Hotel unless otherwise indicated.