As we were moving from the USA to Germany, everything was its own big step: list the house, sell the things inside, narrow down the bags. A very ominous one for me was getting everyone in the air. Traveling with an eight-year-old and two dogs internationally, I am so glad we decided to break up the trip over and move at the pace of the group. There was so many unglamorous and hard moments of those few days, but two nights at the TWA Hotel was such a great moment to breathe, rest and celebrate. If you’re thinking about stopping at the TWA Hotel with kids, I think everyone in the family will remember it for a long time!
TWA Hotel at JFK Airport
With its amazing history, impeccable level of detail and vintage charm, TWA Hotel at JFK Airport has been on my list for a long time. As we routed our trip through New York to break up the air time from Dallas to Europe, TWA Hotel not only was the most fun but made the most sense to our group logistically.
Flying into JFK at 10:00 p.m. with dogs, a child and bags in tow, it was such a relief to be at any hotel for the night that’s just a quick walk from baggage claim. The fact that you’re walking up to TWA Hotel feels like stepping into a different dimension in time makes the whole thing even better.
Music pumping through the air as you walk up, hotel staff in crisp uniforms and smiles at any time of day, the beauty and simplicity in everything – it all takes your senses in a totally different direction after a long day of travel. If you’re throwing all of your trust into the universe, you want to land here for the first night of the journey. It felt like everything was happening for us.
Is the TWA Hotel Worth It?
With arriving late, we decided to make it a two night stay. We never left the property and never ran out of things to see and do.
We’re all relatively getting back to air travel and that experience alone is changing so much these days, it was so fun to get back into the original spirit of travel and learn more about the history of TWA. The archives are gorgeous and displays are gorgeous and are worth a day trip themselves.
TWA Hotel with Kids
A cozy place to stay (the rooms are small but the beds are luxurious), plenty to see and do and no need to get hotel transfers and haul bags out of the airport now makes stopping through JFK for a night at the TWA Hotel our favorite commute.
The food at the Paris Cafe was always exceptional, with lots of choices at the breakfast buffet to get everyone ready for a fresh start. It was definitely easy to get everyone to sit at the table for meal time with the exciting runway views.
The free photo booth offered a lot of entertainment, as did the un-photographed but often discussed visit to TWA’s fabled rooftop runway swimming pool.
There’s a little history or something to enjoy around every corner.
TWA Hotel with Dogs
As far as the dogs were concerned, they seemed to have plenty of areas to stretch their legs and be comfortable. They were welcome in the general lounge areas of the hotel and tried their best to rest under the table as we ate, despite the food always smelling so good! The runway around Connie the jet was one of the coolest places we’ve ever gone for a little walk all together.
So much to see everywhere you look, stairs to climb and corners to duck into – it’s really a dream for keeping kids and dogs moving on a day off between flights.
TWA Hotel is the travel pit stop that’s seriously its own vacation and so much fun. In a time of so much change, it was a real treat to spend two nights in 1962. We’ll be back as often as we can!
