Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong

Neil Scrivener reviews the Plaza Premium First Lounge, in Hong Kong’s International Airport (HKG).

Introduction

This is my review of the a ‘new’ concept from Plaza Premium Lounge, called Plaza Premium Lounge First.

Seemingly there are only 3 of these, one in Hong Kong, one in Kuala Lumpur and one in Jakarta – with a fourth planned for Macau.

I have to say from the outset this is an exceptional lounge, with some great good and drinks on offer – and a really classy design.

Visited

July 2024 at 22:30

Opening Hours

The lounge is open daily from 06:30 to 01:00.

Entry Conditions

In my case I was flying Business Class with Qatar Airways, and this seemingly is the lounge that Qatar Airways parter with. Although there are many other lounges in Hong Kong – such as The Wing, Qantas Lounge, and the Pier!

As an American Express Platinum member, I do get Plaza Premium Lounge access, but I don’t believe this provides entry.

It is also possible to pay between HKG$960 and HKG$1,300 (about £95 to £130) to access the lounge.

How to Get There

Hong Kong’s airport can be a bit of mess to navigate – it’s very long and has lots of gates vey far from eachother.

Once you’re out of Security take a left heading towards Gate 1, and you’ll find the entrance on the left hand side.

Layout

Immediately on entry I was whisked away to a private dining room at the back of the lounge. Whether everyone gets this treatment, or if its just for certain airlines I am not sure – but it was a very nice dining room!

If you don’t fancy or don’t have access to the private dining room, there is a large dining area near a self-service food area.

Around the corner from the self-service food area you’ll find a lovely bar area with sofa seating.

If there was one area I couldn’t find, it was any ‘business zone’ or anywhere to print. But my visit was 22:15, and I was on an over-nighter to Doha – so I was all worked out!

Food and Drink

Drinks

Most of the drinks in the lounge are from the bar. The bar is well-stocked with fair-quality beers, wines, sprits, soft drinks – and of course cocktails! I even spotted some empty slushy machines!

Food

Around the bar area was a sort of deli/bakery with a bunch of cakes, cheeses, and other things.

In the self-serve dining area, there is a good range of self-service options – this included Mexican food (yay!), a series of curries and Asian food – and of course the salad a salad bar. Everything was very well presented, and looked really good!

Dining in the private dining room, there was a fair but not extensive menu. I decided to save myself for the Pier Lounge later on – so popped in and popped back out again. I’ve no doubts that the food would have been well presented and excellent.

Wifi

I found the Wifi in the lounge to be very fast and reliable, which was great.

Showers

This lounge does have showers. Sadly, I was in a bit of a rush, as I wanted to visit the Pier, and they are located at Gate 63/65……and I was at Gate 1……and there is no train in Hong Kong’s airport.

I’ve no doubt given the layout of the rest of the lounge, the showers would have been nothing short of excellent.

The Buggy!

An unusual one – but probably most welcomed, given that the flight departed from Gate 33, and the lounge is at Gate 1!

When arriving at the lounge I was told that there is a buggy service to the gate, and it would be announced in the lounge. Ultimately, I didn’t need it – but this is really useful, especially as the gates are a bloody long walk!

Conclusion

Plaza Premium lounges are generally pretty good. The First aspect was a whole new experience for me, and really set the bar high.

A lovely layout, great food, great drinks, excellent service – it ticked all the boxes!

I’ll be happy to go this lounge or any Plaza Premium First Lounge – and hopefully some of the new Plaza Premium First Lounges as the appear!