Hotel Review: TWA Airport at JFK Airport (New York, NY)

Dan and I recently completed our third stay at one of my very favorite hotels – the TWA Hotel at JFK airport! Yes, this is the former TWA terminal at JFK that reopened as a hotel in 2019. You’ve almost certainly heard about the TWA Hotel, but these are my thoughts over three separate stays spanning three years. In sum, I absolutely love, love, love this hotel, but that’s due to my love of aviation and all things flying and travel, as well as the 1960s. The hotel itself, while fantastic for “av-geeks”, is, without question, overpriced and has never lived up to the standards I expect for the price. My recommendation is to go once if you love aviation, TWA or the 1960s but otherwise, I would skip an overnight reservation. The actual hotel portion of the TWA hotel only “ok” in terms of a luxury property (which its priced as). All of that being said, a day visit to the common area of the TWA Hotel is free and certainly worth the time if you have a long layover at JFK or are in the area and curious!

The TWA hotel!

The gorgeous Sunken Lounge at TWA.

A map of the public area of the TWA Hotel.

TWA Hotel Location.

The TWA Hotel is actually located inside the former TWA Terminal at JFK.  The TWA Hotel is directly connected to JFK’s Terminal 5 (the home of Jet Blue!) via an elevator, which is very convenient. Those arriving or departing from other terminals can use JFK’s free AirTrain to travel between terminals. The AirTrain station is located across the street from the TWA Hotel in the parking area on the second floor. There are plenty of signs and large elevators for luggage. The AirTrain is easy to use and goes to all JFK terminals.  As its free, no tickets or anything of the like are required.

The TWA Hotel! This view is from the entrance to the AirTrain across the street.

Continue reading

Airport Lounge Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, JFK (New York) Terminal 4

Dan and I have found ourselves in JFK’s Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse a few times over the last year. The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse quickly became our favorite stop at JFK (when we can get in), so here is a post on the lounge at JFK (in follow up to my posts on the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses at Newark (New Jersey) and Johannesburg (South Africa)).  Located in JFK’s Terminal 4, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is found in the A Gate area, near Gates A4 and A5, on the second floor of the terminal. The entrance is manned with a little checkin desk, and staff really does not like to admit those seeking entry on a card (Capital One, AmEx Platinum, Priority Pass, etc. – the access cards varies frequently). We have found they are much more likely to get in if you are nice to them!  We’ve also asked when it may be open to card holders and if we can come back at that time with success. Once granted access, we simply presented my Capital One X Venture card and our boarding passes and we were in!

Walking into the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK.

Continue reading

Bonus Lounge Review: American Express Centurion Suite, US Open Tennis Tournament (New York)!

Monday night I finally got to experience the American Express Centurion Suite at the US Open tennis tournament in Queens, New York! It was so much fun and great for American Express Centurion or Platinum card holders. This article shares my experience at the American Express Centurion Suite!

THE LOCATION AND OPEN HOURS

The American Express Centurion Suite at the US Open is located on the second floor of the Louis Armstrong stadium, directly above the Wilson store. You do not need to enter the Louis Armstrong stadium to access the lounge, nor do you need tickets to the Louis Armstrong stadium to access the Centurion Suite, making it convenient for those with tickets to the larger Arthur Ashe stadium. The Centurion Suite is open from 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM August 29 – September 7, with the last reservation being around 7:30 PM. Note – if you have evening tickets to the US Open, you cannot access the grounds, and thus the Centurion Suite, until 6:00 PM (meaning you are limited on what reservation you can make).

There she is – the American Express Centurion Suite!

Continue reading

Bonus Lounge Review: The Chase Lounge US Open Tennis Tournament (New York)!

After visiting the American Express Centurion Suite at the US Open tennis tournament in Queens, New York on Monday night, I learned that there is also a Chase lounge, called The Chase Lounge, that I could visit. Loving a good lounge experience, I gave it a go and while not as luxe as the Centurion Suite, it was a nice experience and a welcome break from the heat and crowds.

THE LOCATION AND OPEN HOURS

The Chase Lounge at the US Open is located on the second floor of the Chase Center, close to the grounds’ entrance on the right just after you walk in. To access the Chase Lounge, you simply need a ticket to the US Open grounds. Since the Chase Lounge is not in a stadium, there is no live viewing of the matches from the Chase Lounge, but many screens play the matches at all times. The Chase Lounge is open August 29 – September 7, with the Chase Lounge closing promptly at 8:30 PM.

The Chase Lounge!

Continue reading

An Afternoon In Juncos, Puerto Rico At Bacoa Finca + Fogón

For Dan’s birthday trip to Puerto Rico, his one wish was to head to Juncos, Puerto Rico for lunch at Bacoa Finca + Fogón! While it was almost an hour away from our hotel and I had never heard of the restaurant, we booked a car and made reservations weeks in advance for a Sunday morning lunch! And good thing I made the reservation, because Bacoa Finca + Fogón is really popular.

Dan and his sister at Bacoa!

Continue reading