TRIED AND TESTED HONG KONG AIRPORT LOUNGES
Plaza Premium lounge (West Hall)
The Pier, First by
Cathay Pacific
The sockets are hidden in
the drawer of the seat’s side
table–veryelegantThe lounge is broken into
four main sections with a
variety of seatingBACKGROUNDPlaza Premium’s West
Hall lounge is the operator’s newest facility
at HKIA (though the East Hall lounge also
recently reopened following a facelift, and a
new “Plaza Premium First” lounge is due to
open soon). It is located on level 7 close to
gate 40 in Terminal 1.
Access is available on a pay-per-entry
basis to all travellers, regardless of airline or
class fare. A two-hour pass costs HK$580
(US$74), five hours costs HK$780 (US$100)
and ten hours costs HK$900 (US$115). As a
Priority Pass member, I was able to use one
of my ten free visits. Select credit cards also
allow complimentary access to the lounge,
including American Express Elite Cards and
select HSBC credit cards issued in Macau.
Since the closure of its Clubhouse lounge
in February, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold
members and Upper Class passengers
can also use the Plaza Premium West Hall
lounge free of charge.WHAT’S IT LIKE?The lounge is broken
into four main sections with a variety of
seating. Each of these spaces is modern
and pleasantly designed, with plenty of
seating and power sockets. However, the
lounge layout makes it easy to miss things:
there’s an entire section at the back, with
its own F&B and seating, which I almost
missed completely.
The F&B options were very good, and
despite the heavy passenger traffic the
staff were efficient in ensuring supplykept up pace. Dishes at the main buffet
ranged from Chinese (siu mai, dim sum and
mixed vegetables) to Western (pasta with
mushroom and sun-dried tomatoes). The
“marketplace” area also has three stalls
offering bread with peppers and grilled
cheese, noodles, and healthy options such
as salads. Drink options include coffee and
tea, a drinks fridge and – most importantly- a self-serve Carlsberg beer tap.
VERDICTThis is a vibrant lounge with a
number of different areas to suit a variety
of needs – providing you can find yourself
a space, as the lounge does get very busy.
The F&B options were good and the design
was aesthetically pleasing, making entry
well worth the one-time cost.Craig BrightBACKGROUNDThe Pier is in fact two
lounges, First and Business, with separate
entrances. They reopened in 2015 following
an extensive refurbishment and are located
at Gate 63 in the northwest concourse of
HKIA. It’s a long walk from security, though
you can get part of the way using the train.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?The lady at reception
could not have been more helpful once I’d
told her it was my first time in the lounge
(there was no hiding it, I’d tried walking
into the luggage storage area after handing
over my invitation card). Reasoning that any
spa treatments would be quickly booked
up, I first headed for the spa counter. Sure
enough I was told they were full but was
given a pager in case a place became free.
I then walked left towards the bar. The
latest album by Gregory Porter was playing,
and the barman directed my attention to
a drinks menu which, among other things,
had three choices of Champagne – Veuve
Cliquot, Baron de Rothschild or Moët &
Chandon Rosé. On the new design, Cathay
says: “Warm, tactile and timeless materials
such as green onyx, limestone, and
bronze are used, suggesting the spirit of
contemporary Asia. Acoustics are softened
where possible, and a considered approach
has been adopted in the lighting.” All of
which I’d agree with. In the restaurant I
ordered a small salad, which was delicious,
and then returned to the bar where I founda comfortable place to sit with power
sockets – you can’t see them (the sockets,
that is), they become visible when you
pull out the drawer in the side table – very
elegant. I noticed that although flights
weren’t all called, if there was any disruption
(delayed flights, changed gates) then these
were announced, which seems sensible. I
was even impressed by the washrooms.VERDICTSuperb. I never got a spa
treatment, so I can’t comment on that, and
I didn’t see the sleep rooms/day beds, but
then my main concern was staying awake
for my flight. The service, food and drinks,
furnishings, lighting, artwork... all of it
works well and it felt very exclusive. A really
great lounge.To m O t l e y81businesstraveller.com FULL REVIEWS AND MANY MORE ON BUSINESSTRAVELLER.COM DECEMBER 2017