The aviation-obsessed rooftop pool at the TWA Hotel is officially relaunching its summer season this week, bringing back one of the city’s weirdest (and, honestly, coolest) warm-weather hangouts. Set atop the retro-futuristic hotel at JFK Airport, the rooftop space is embracing a nostalgic Endless Summer theme this year, inspired by the iconic 1966 surf documentary of the same name.
The centerpiece is the hotel’s heated infinity pool, which overlooks the runways at JFK. From the water, you can watch jets from Delta, Lufthansa and American and countless other airlines, both domestic and international, take off and land while you pretend you’re starring in a glamorous 1960s travel ad.
The pool itself stays open year-round and is temperature-controlled, which means you won’t shiver through your rooftop cocktail moment if the weather suddenly decides to behave like April again. According to the hotel, the water is also purified every 30 minutes, which is significantly faster than the standard public-pool recirculation schedule.
As for drinks, the rooftop bar is once again serving aviation-themed cocktails that fully commit to the bit. There’s the Jet Fuel, made with cucumber mint vodka, Aperol, lemon juice and muddled watermelon; the espresso-heavy Red Eye; and the always-solid Paper Plane, which feels especially appropriate given the setting. Food-wise, expect light bites and poolside snacks rather than a full sit-down restaurant situation.
One of the best parts? You don’t actually need to stay overnight at the hotel to get in. Non-guests can book day passes through ResortPass, making this a surprisingly fun option for locals, airport layover survivors or anyone looking to spend an afternoon somewhere that feels unlike regular New York.
The hotel itself occupies the restored 1962 TWA Flight Center, designed by legendary architect Eero Saarinen, which reopened as a hotel in 2019 after a massive restoration project. Today, the property includes 512 guestrooms, runway-view restaurants and bars, event spaces and even a vintage Lockheed Constellation airplane converted into a cocktail lounge.
Honestly, there are more conventional rooftop pools in New York. But there are very few where your tan comes with live taxiing footage.
