Tl;dr – it’s quite pricey ($250/night), the rooms are small but comfortable, and the food, though pricey and somewhat skimpy in quantity, is good. The 60s music is omnipresent and a bit too loud. There’s a gift shop.

The Saarinen Flight Center is breathtaking. It was worth saving. And the restoration was done well. As you walk through it, there are all sorts of little details that make you smile or think. Original drawings, a mockup of Saarinen’s office, some neat old cars. They did a nice job, and they do seem to be working hard to keep the place up. I also appreciated the trust shown by not putting everything behind plexiglass, which seems to help make a more intimate connection between the guest and the artifacts (though they are glued down).

The rooms are on the cozy side, but comfortable, the showers are hot and the beds are soft. Think “dorm room”. The soundproofing is excellent, as far as external noiss goes, but room to room could have used a bit more insulation.

The rooftop pool, on a sunny, breezy, 65 degree March day, was comfortaby warm, as long as you didn’t expose too much flesh. We stayed in for an hour, watching the takeoffs and landings over the infinity edge. Thick terrycloth robes are availble at the front desk.

And the flip message boards are mesmerising.

I couldn’t agree more about the rooms. By the way, there is a ramp for luggage between the street level and upper lobby, it’s just well hidden – go to the left of the check-in desk, all the way against the wall (there’s one on the other side next to the food court).

Speaking of check-in, you can do self check-in via the iPads (no need to wait for a staff member). It’s less romantic, but much faster.

However, I disagree with your assessment of the Constellation display as inappropriate. To me, it’s perfect! I flew into New York on a Super Constellation from Los Angeles on a 12-hour redeye that stopped once in Kansas City. I chose it rather than a 707 flight because there was, at that time, a significant surcharge for jet fares and I was on a tight budget. I didn’t sleep well because of the noise, and I wasn’t looking forward to my return flight.

My return reservation, though, was changed to a one-stop 707 at no extra charge. It turned out that the inbound flight was one of the last transcontinental prop aircraft flights on TWA. That flight was much more pleasant.

However, I still get nostalgic when I think of the triple tail on that Connie…

The building is gorgeous and that photo at the top of the stairway is modernist architecture at its finest. Thank goodness it has been preserved in all of its mid-20th Century stark glory and not cheapened with advertising stands or later subdivisions and the like (looking at you London Stanstead).

One personal quibble – is it really ‘the most architecturally significant airport terminal ever built’? Prettiest? It’s definitely one of the best; but surely Berlin Tempelhof is more significant because it pretty much invented the modern airport from acres of glass through to separate levels for arrivals and departures. It’s also, in its own way – a very handsome building, and thank goodness it too has been preserved. Something I don’t think anyone will be considering for Heathrow Terminal 4!

Five months after Saarinen’s Dulles terminal opened, I somehow persuaded my mother to take me out to it. Up until that point she had not shown any interest in airport terminals.

I was fourteen, plane crazy (I’d get my PPL four years later) and in awe of Saarinen’s building. The beautiful swooping simplicity of it. My mother was similarly impressed.

The only thing I didn’t like were the mobile lounges which struck me as clunky. Writing this, I went to Wikipedia to make sure I didn’t embarrass myself with the wrong term for the vehicles. I was surprised to see the number of airports that use them.

The TWA terminal at JFK. I’ve only seen it from the rear. A rear view is rarely flattering for anything. I remember sitting on a taxiway, eager to get airborne for a flight lesson, bouncing around in the exhaust of a Gulfstream. Looking at her underside, engines and landing gear, I remember thinking how ugly this graceful plane appeared.

So it was with me for the TWA Flight Center. I’ve only seen it from the rear. Far from giving a sense of flight, it looked more like a frog about to jump. But that was my limited view. I’m grateful to you for providing the grand view. Thanks! cb