Window shopping #39
A new lounge at JFK, beauty staples I never switch up, and a New York hotel designed to seduce
This is Window Shopping, a weekly mini-letter from Window Seat—your stylish scroll through what’s new and noteworthy in the world of travel. Each issue blends timely headlines, personal favorites, and design-forward hotels to keep your wanderlust well-fed.
The first JetBlue lounge, dubbed “BlueHouse” opens next week at JFK’s Terminal 5. The two-story, 9,000-square-foot lounge is designed to feel like an NYC apartment crossed with a modern Art Deco set, complete with little winks to JetBlue’s history throughout. Access will be free for Mosaic 4 members, JetBlue Premier Card holders, and transatlantic Mint customers (each allowed one guest; additional guests $39). For now, the food program is a light grab-and-go setup, with a full kitchen debuting later in 2025 as part of a second-phase expansion. Even with the limited menu, this is a meaningful upgrade for JetBlue flyers who have never had a dedicated space to decompress before takeoff. Plus, a second BlueHouse is already planned for Boston Logan in 2026.
The Mark’s new Assouline edition marks the 20th anniversary of the hotel’s re-imagination and doubles as a love letter to its design legacy. Written by Derek Blasberg and filled with a curated cast of cultural heavyweights, the book captures two decades of bold interiors, iconic moments, and the people who helped shape the hotel’s mythos. It’s a beautifully produced piece of hotel lore and conveniently timed for the holiday season—pick it up for the hotel lover in your life.
I just restocked a few beauty staples during the Sephora sale, and the standouts are the products I use so often they might as well be part of my personality: my favorite lip plumper gloss that makes my lips look instantly plump and the eyelash curler that never fails me. I also finally upgraded my makeup brushes (a decision I should have made years ago) and (still) have yet to switch up my forever eyeshadow, the one that somehow looks good for every single occasion. If you’re editing your cart, start here.
Faena New York — New York, New York
I recently toured the newly opened Faena New York, and it might be one of the most sensual hotel spaces the city has seen in years. The 120-room property layers theatrical design with deep symbolism: La Boca, the signature dining room, uses wood sourced from private jet tables; its chandeliers are dramatic fixtures called The Storms; and a black panther motif anchors the New York identity (Miami claims the cheetah). Even the Living Room lounge carries its own mythology, anchored by an original Keith Haring that stands in as the city’s answer to Faena Miami’s iconic mammoth. As you make your way through the hotel, the seduction reveals itself as deliberate; Faena New York pulls you in with intention, room by room.
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Tori Simokov is a Travel Writer and Graphic Designer/Strategist based in New York. To get in touch, email tori@v1projects.com. Want more? Check out Instagram, TikTok, or shop her curated favorites.