Ever spent a red-eye flight staring at the ceiling, counting down minutes until landing? The team behind Malaysia's 1975 Avenue & Hotel in Johor Bahru had a genuinely wild solution: convert two retired jumbo jets into the most comfortable rooms you could possibly sleep in at altitude. Except you're not moving.
The hotel sits two decommissioned Boeing 747s on its grounds, parked permanently next to pools and a 20-room conventional building. One is a former Pan Am bird, the other flew passengers for Japan Airlines. They've renamed them Bove and Bey, and what they've done inside is nothing short of architectural creativity.
Inside These Metal Palaces
Each plane has been gutted and reimagined as nine luxury suites inspired by different corners of the globe. Think Malaysia sitting next to Japan, Indonesia beside the UK, Italy sharing cabin space with Switzerland. The designers weren't holding back. The original JAL aircraft once crammed 533 passengers into its frame. Now it offers nine rooms that feel decadent by any measure.
The room categories read like a deconstructed airline menu: Premium, Business, Captain, and Signature. Mercifully, economy doesn't exist. Premium Suites sprawl across two levels with king-size beds, freestanding bathtubs, rain showers, and separate living areas. It's the kind of space that makes economy class feel like a cruel joke. The preserved cockpit is also accessible to guests, so you can sit in the captain's seat and pretend you know what all those switches do.
Check-in happens via jet bridge connected to the main building. You board like you're about to cross an ocean, but instead you're stepping into your suite. The psychology of that alone justifies the price.
Dining and Wellness on the Ground
Unlike actual flights, the dining actually impresses. Hanareya @ 1975 serves legitimate Japanese cuisine, from pristine sashimi to wagyu beef that melts on your tongue, finished with truffle shavings if you're feeling decadent. The hotel also operates a spa with treatments and therapies that address the actual damage long-haul flights inflict on your body.
The grounds include a rooftop pool, a sunken jacuzzi, a man-made beach pool, a gym, and steam room. Kids get their own playground with a water park, which means families can actually pull off a stay here without losing their minds. Everything the jets offer sits in that sweet spot between novelty and genuine comfort.
History of These Metal Birds
The JAL 747 SR-146B entered service in 1980 and flew passengers until 1998. It bounced between owners, eventually landing in storage at Senai Airport before this second life began. The Pan Am aircraft is older still, delivered in 1970. It also briefly flew for American Airlines and later served as a cargo hauler for Tower Air and Logistics Air before finding its way to Malaysia.
This isn't the first time retired aircraft have landed second careers. The aviation industry has become surprisingly creative about repurposing these massive machines. In the UK, a retired British Airways 747 traded its wings for a bar and events venue after being retired during the pandemic. A Brussels venue carved out an Airbus A319 for meetings and dinners in the European Quarter.
Getting There and What It Costs
The hotel sits about 20 minutes from Senai International Airport, close enough that guests can watch actual flights come and go from a position of supreme comfort. Singapore is also easily reached for day trips or longer explorations. Rates run from around 1,706 RM (roughly $360) to 2,786 RM ($590) per suite, depending on the room category and season. It's not budget territory, but for an experience that genuinely exists nowhere else, the price makes sense.
The planes have occupied the property for several years now, with renovation plans dating back to 2022. What started as a creative concept has transformed into a functioning, bookable luxury property that somehow makes sense in person even if it sounds absurd when you first hear about it. That's the real magic here.
