Postcards: TWA Hotel
A layover worth noting.
Welcome to Postcards, the photography side of Sunday Scaries. After upgrading my film camera in 2023, film has overtaken my iPhone as my camera of choice. Here you’ll find photos from travels, home, and anywhere in between. To see more, check out the Postcards section of this Substack.
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From my experience, sleeping at an airport hotel normally means that something went catastrophically wrong. In this case, that was true. A 13-hour delay to our Delta flight caused us to get sidetracked, and our only true back-up plan was a hotel that I was completely unfamiliar with.
When others learned of our delay (and subsequent back-up plan), the general sentiment was, “At least you get to stay at the TWA Hotel.” This confused me more than anything, as I grew up thinking airport hotels were something you erased from your memory after checkout.
In 2019, the MCR/Morse Hotels group took the terminal and transformed it into a time machine that feels more Mad Men than anything. With classic cars outside, vintage music playing throughout the lobby, and numerous touches that would make people my parents’ age swoon, I immediately began to understand that this place was quite different. And while I’m not rushing back any time soon, the seven hours we spent there were surprisingly worth it.
I didn't stay here but I stayed in the hotel during a 5 hour layover. It was very cool (a little overpriced) but the concept as a whole is very cool.
I’ve stayed at the TWA Hotel a few times on layovers from London during lockdown, the kind of place that makes you want to dust off your typewriter and pitch a column to the Gazette. A perfect mix of mid-century cool and modern luxe, it turns every layover into a moment worth writing about.