Last week my family and I stayed at the relatively new TWA hotel at JFK terminal 5, right by Jet Blue. This was originally the TWA terminal designed by the mid-century modern master Eero Saarinen, with gorgeous dynamic curved forms and an information desk that seemingly grows from the floor organically. One of my boys was relating our stay at the hotel with their friend’s grandmother who gushed about what a transcendent experience it was to walk through the terminal back in the early sixties, especially at night with it’s dramatic lighting. There are many aspects to this reboot of the terminal into a happening hotel but one of the nicest elements is how true to the original vision the new designers have been while bringing in new elements of fun and whimsy.
Right when you walk in it’s easy to stash your car close by with the valet and you’re greeted at the door by a wonderful Intelligentsia coffee bar with a very cool old tiny red and white BMW with a front opening door you can sit in for pictures. There’s a cute area where we played giant Twister and you can tour the vintage Lockheed Constellation TWA airplane, as well as enjoy some snacks and a cocktail while you sit and wonder at how folks used to be able to really stretch out on huge cushy airplane seats as well as go and enjoy a lounge area. There’s some great dining at the Paris Cafe by Jean-Georges with an incredible sweeping view as well.
But the highlight of our trip was enjoying the rooftop infinity pool overlooking planes landing and taking off. My middle son is obsessed with planes as he’d like to be a pilot, and it was a bit of serendipity that we met a very kind pilot who talked my son through all of the options for getting his pilot’s license and what life is like as a pilot. He was so kind to us and it was just a pleasure to relax and enjoy the amazing music of the sixties as well as grab snacks from the rooftop shack there. I also found all of the folks who work at TWA to be very cheerful and kind.
On a more practical customer experience note, if you’re flying Jet Blue, you can easily walk right to the terminal from TWA as they’re connected. There are also less expensive options for food at the food court with yet another really cute vintage car and a vintage TWA baggage carrier which totally sets the scene there. They have also thought of accessibility with Braille signage throughout the hotel and a fully accessible website that’s also very beautiful to take in with stellar branding to boot, proving that you can pair a wonderful branding experience while also thinking inclusively of all people and their needs.
What’s the Customer Experience lesson here? Creativity and joy go hand in hand with crafting a stellar Customer Experience. We can take TWA as an inspiration for our work in other fields, as we design retail spaces and spaces in the healthcare realm. For a healthcare center in NYC, I led a team in rebranding the center as well as designing the experience inclusive of the physical space as well as how the patients are greeted and all of the behind-the-scenes tools to make this experience wonderful (that the customer would never see). Want to hear more? I’d love to chat pop me an email!