JP Hospitality brings back the golden age of air travel with the launch of PAN AM HOTEL with a mid-century design, futuristic flair, and 24/7 service.
Reviving the Spirit of Jet Age Glamour
Airport hotels are rarely the highlight of a trip. They’re convenient, sure, but seldom memorable. JP Hospitality plans to change that with PAN AM HOTEL, a “premium-lifestyle” brand that looks back to aviation’s golden age and ahead to the future of seamless travel.
Unveiled at Expo Real in Munich, PAN AM HOTEL positions itself as more than a bed near the runway, it’s a “portal to your onward journey.” Think mid-century modern meets retrofuturism, complete with 24-hour service, smart wellness concepts, and a focus on experience over necessity.
The first properties are slated to open in Europe in 2028, with a global rollout already in development. Today, two are committed (Berlin, Vienna) though three appear confirmed on its map. It’s possible that the two Vienna listings are the same building with different levels or brands.
JP Hospitality released the following images of the properties:
The Concept: Not A Stopover, A Destination
According to the brand’s website, PAN AM HOTEL is built around four core promises that define the brand’s DNA:
- Golden Era Reimagined. Each property takes cues from Pan Am’s iconic design language—cantilevered roofs, sculptural centerpieces, and vintage-inspired signage—reinterpreted through a modern lens.
- Seamless Journeys. Guests can expect efficient, frictionless experiences: flexible check-in times, 24/7 F&B powered by robotic service, and day-use “Sleeperette” pods inspired by Pan Am’s original sleeper seats.
- Tailored Comfort. Every guest type—from business travelers to stranded passengers—gets a bespoke level of ease and comfort, complete with ergonomic rooms and wellness amenities.
- Portal to Your Onward Journey. PAN AM is designed as a continuation of the travel experience, a transitional space that connects flight and rest in a way that feels intentional rather than incidental.
It’s important to note that the property truly sees itself as the first lifestyle brand for both airports specifically, and business travel. It has forecasted that 50% of demand will come from business travelers and the other half from leisure. Lifestyle brands like Andaz, W, and Edition focus on leisure settings though some operate in core business districts.
There’s not been a modern purely airport hotel chain outside of YoTel, which focuses on pod-style rooms and short stays usually inside of the airport terminal.
Design: A Love Letter to the Mid-Century Airport
The brand draws deeply from aviation heritage. The entrance canopy, reminiscent of the 1960s Pan Am terminal, offers a “sheltered welcome.” Inside, guests are greeted by an art centerpiece echoing Richard Lippold’s “Flight” sculpture—perhaps a kinetic or light installation inspired by weather, motion, or air itself.
The interiors balance circular geometry and juxtaposed materials reflective of the style of PAN AM’s JFK terminal with smooth concrete next to warm woods, soft lighting offset by metallic finishes. A “graphic color garden” brings natural calm to a space that might otherwise feel sterile. The result is what the developer, JP Hospitality, calls “lifestyle-comfort for a real experience.”
Retrofuturism plays a major role in the design of the properties. The philosophy merges yesterday’s dreams of tomorrow (but as seen from a 1960s lens) sleek, optimistic, technology-enhanced spaces that still feel human. From open plan lobbies to tech-integrated relaxation pods, the aim is a bridge between nostalgia and next-gen travel.
The TWA hotel at JFK Terminal 5 has executed this concept well, but has yet to expand. It makes sense that the TWA property has limited rollout and also that PAN AM has more natural fits. It has suggested properties in key PAN AM locations like Rio, London, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Lisbon among others.
The Guest Experience
PAN AM HOTEL is expressly for airport layovers but the brand says it isn’t only for overnight travelers. The concept stretches across multiple use cases: short-stay business guests, airline crews, leisure travelers, and even meeting and conference (MICE) guests who need efficient comfort within steps of the terminal. Reflective of its twin approach to both business and leisure and with a full understanding of what airline crews need and the reality of airport layovers it has constructed a very interesting experience.
Guests can expect:
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Sleeperette pods for short stays or long layovers, designed with lighting, scent, and privacy in mind. Perfect for late arrivals and morning departures but without the hassle of getting to a shuttle, a hotel, and back before your flight.
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Wellness and gym facilities available at all hours. Again, focused on the uncommon hour aspect.
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Gaming rooms and relaxation zones for a new kind of airport downtime.
- Robotic F&B service offering meals and drinks around the clock.
The Tipsy Robot in Las Vegas offers beverage service though the moment the robot turns around an iPad and asks me to “answer a few short questions” for a tip will be the last time I order there.
For Investors: More Than A Lifestyle Play
JP Hospitality’s presentation emphasizes strong economics alongside sleek design. Airport hotels typically post 80%+ occupancy rates, yet guest satisfaction averages just 3.5 stars. The company sees an opportunity to deliver better experiences while maintaining high yields.
Projected returns from the developer’s investment presentation suggest double the RevPAR and GOP per key compared to traditional midscale or eco airport hotels. With transparent construction costs and a scalable operational model, PAN AM HOTEL positions itself as a high-return, design-forward investment for a booming market segment, though we will see if execution matches the promise. Airport hotels face stronger challenges than off-site hotels that stem from different tax structures, higher costs, and is highly dependent on traffic. A shift in layover/transfer demand (like Pittsburgh encountered when it was de-hubbed by US Airways) can make filling rooms even harder.
Pipeline
The first PAN AM HOTEL(s) are set to debut in 2028, beginning with European airports and expanding globally from there. A “first take-off” year of 2025 will see signings and brand partnerships announced, with a pipeline that stretches into the next decade. According to the developer, it expects to have 16 in operation by 2033 with a total of 28 in the pipeline. Before the decade is out, it expects to have eight in operation with 16 in the pipeline.
Conclusion
Airport hotels have long been an exercise in compromise, functional but uninspired. PAN AM HOTELs aim to flip that script by combining the nostalgia of the jet age with the efficiency and design sensibilities of modern travel.
By embracing retrofuturism, wellness, and tailored service, this new concept has a chance to redefine what an airport stay feels like. It’s an ambitious bet: that travelers no longer want a stopover, but a space that keeps the journey alive (and nostalgia.) If executed as envisioned, PAN AM HOTEL could become the long-missed connection between travel’s past glamour and its high-tech future.
What do you think?
Is this no different than the TWA hotel at JFK? Lots of hoopla in the first year or so, then diminish luster as the years pass by.
Have stayed at the TWA and it was looking ragged around the edges. There were people sleeping on the bench along the back wall of the food hall. There’s a surcharge if you want to use the pool on the top deck.
What’s convenient is you can get a room for a short duration should you be making connections along with the traditional over night stay. Also, it’s convenient to the AirTrain that connects with the JFK terminals. However, I found the rates to be very, very pricey.
Enjoy the Pan Am vibes, but look for them to fold into Marriott or Hilton mediocrity as time passes.
Robotic f & b service? Are we there yet?
I’m a huge huge Pan Am buff. To this day I’ve flown more miles on Pan Am than any other airline. I love the idea of Pan Am hotels but am worried about execution. There’s enormous potential but the devil’s in the details. Time will tell.
Here’s a “concept”- a clean, dark quiet room for me to sleep in, and a shuttle to the terminal that runs on time. I don’t need futurism or whatever else.
Same here – dark and quiet room, quick and reliable access to the airport.
PanAm is cute and if you’re going to try it, near an airport is logical. But maybe would be better as a space within a larger hotel than a large hotel itself.
Read the reviews of the TWA hotel and you will quickly see that this brand has no future. It may attract some curious eyes, but won’t ever change the game of layover hotels. The marginal benefit of this level of design and service, over say a Hyatt Regency, will be meaningless to a road warrior. Maybe it will become an influencer hangout? Have fun honoring the requests for free stays.
Yes, and the brand has almost zero value for anyone under 50, other than avgeeks. It went out of business 35 years ago.
Many here may not understand that Millennials and Gen Z are, in fact, the primary target audience for this as they age and travel more. Why? They are very much intrigued and fascinated with nostalgia and a throwback to “old timey.” Nostalgia does not have to be something you grew up with, it can also be something that you romanticize as a by-gone era. This concept fits perfectly into that emotion.
Lifestyle brands like W or Edition tend more to Gen X who are far different in their taste for modern, minimal, and sleek. Millennials and Gen Z are vastly different in loving maximalism and retro. An example is the hotbed hotel in San Diego, The Lafayette, which is a rococo and chintz palace of retro over the top glory. M’s and Gen Z are eating it up.
Nostalgia is my field so it is something we have been intently studying and witnessing over the past 10 years.
With that, I do hope that this is better run than the TWA Hotel which I was crazy disappointed in. A gimmick is only as good as the follow through and service.
What do YOU think, Kyle?
You’ve read the brochure, copied it, pasted it, a word or two from you would be a nice touch.
Did you read it?
“this new concept has a chance to redefine what an airport stay feels like”
As we have all been saying to our spouse before falling asleep- “I wish someone could redefine what airport stays feel like”
Is this news? Where is this hotel?
Trying to revive “the spirit of Jet Age glamour” is certainly something to be congratulated… More power and best of good luck to JP Hospitality!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün