Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition - December 2017

TRIED AND TESTED HONG KONG AIRPORT LOUNGES

BACKGROUNDUnveiled in September,

the 740 sqm Centurion lounge is the first

of its kind in Asia. It is located near Gate

61 in Terminal 1. The bright, open reception

stands behind sliding glass doors and in

front of a “living wall” of foliage. Platinum

Card and Centurion members get free

access for themselves and up to two

guests. One-day passes for additional

guests cost US$50.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?To reach the main

lounge, guests walk down an open corridor

with views over the concourse. On the

way is a casual meeting room, with a long

table, TV and computer bar, as well as a

private phone room. The main area features

restaurant seating, a staffed bar and a

buffet of local and international dishes.

The breakfast menu, operating until 11am,

features dishes such as French toast with

maple syrup and assorted dim sum.

Lunch and dinner options include

gnocchi with tomato sauce or pan-fried

sole fillet with caper cream sauce. The bar

serves signature cocktails inspired by the

region and a curated wine selection.

There is one unisex shower cubicle with

L’Occitane amenities.

A private area is exclusively available

for Centurion Members and their guests.

This includes more seating options and

service support to help with any travel,

reservation or card queries. This section

also features an à la carte menu designed

by Lau Yiu Fai of Michelin-starred Yan Toh

Heen restaurant at the Intercontinental

Hong Kong.

Cantonese dishes include spring rolls with

kimchi and pork; prawns with black truffles

and baked egg tartlets with bird’s nest.

VERDICTThe menu was a highlight,

while the open design and colour scheme

create a stylish place to relax. The lounge

is a great perk for Amex platinum and

Centurion members.Tamsin Cocks

American Express

Centurion lounge

Hong Kong

Airlines Club

Bauhinia

The private Centurion area

features an à la carte menu

created by chef Lau Yiu Fai

of Michelin-starred Yan Toh

Heen restaurant

There’s plenty of seating to

accommodate up to 120,

and large windows providing

views onto the apron

BACKGROUNDHong Kong Airlines

opened its Club Bauhinia lounge in June

2014, replacing its previous offering with a

larger 506 sqm facility. Located near Gate

23 of Terminal 1, the Club Bauhinia lounge is

about a five-minute walk from immigration.

The lounge is open to Hong Kong

rice noodles with wonton. There’s also a

beverage corner offering juice, water,

beer and wine. An attentive member of

staff kindly brought me a cup of honey

ginger tea.

Five Apple Mac computers are located

next to the dining area and four other

Windows computers are placed elsewhere

in the lounge. A magazine and newspaper

rack is located next to the computer station.

While the lounge doesn’t have boarding

announcements, it does have a monitor

hanging in a central position that clearly

displays the flight schedules. I also enjoyed

the quiet zone, where I took a comfortable

half-hour nap after my meal.

VERDICTA really pleasant lounge offering

a Hong Kong-themed experience. It’s a

good opportunity to try traditional local

delicacies before leaving the city, and if

you want to have a bit of a rest before your

flight, the quiet zone is recommended.

Valerian Ho

Airlines business class passengers and

Fortune Wings Club Platinum, Gold and

Silver members travelling on Hong Kong

Airlines. Platinum members can invite

two companions on the same flight, while

Gold members are permitted to invite one

companion on the same flight. Premium

passengers travelling on a number of

other airlines can also use the facilities.

In September, Hong Kong Airlines opened

its newest lounge Club Autus in the

Midfield Concourse.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?The lounge is

spacious and uses warm, earthy colours.

It was not busy during my visit (6.30pm

ahead of a 9.20pm departure). The lounge

is decorated with charming Hong Kong

references, including day and night

photography of Victoria Harbour and

traditional-style weighing scales. There’s

plenty of seating to accommodate up to

120, and large windows providing views

onto the apron. Wifi is free, fast and easy

to access.

Food choices are quite broad. The

highlight was made-to-order local food

options, including acha chaan teng-style

(café) breakfast set (eggs served with

noodle soup), as well as egg puffs and

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DECEMBER 2017 businesstraveller.com