MEL: Melbourne Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Which makes you wonder why the Melbourne Singapore Airlines First Class Lounge is really no great shakes. Indeed, in some ways, it is relatively poorer than the Business Class lounge next door. The only advantage seems to be waiter service in the restaurant, and that's all of three tables! It is after customs and security at the end of the international pier, via the escalator to the ground floor, where the Singapore Airlines First lounge at Melbourne Airport offers a small, compact, first class experience. The First Class lounge is appropriately enough on the left of reception, and seats 25. Turn left, along the corridor, and you can see it. All of it. Ahead is the three-table restaurant with fresh flowers on the tables., to the right is the buffet, overhead are the gold Rolex clocks and up the end are a dozen or so seats.
Alas there is no view of the runway, but there is a small window at the far end of the main room. This looks through the concourse, but in deference to most First passengers preferring privacy, the curtains are always kept closed. The main part of the lounge has standard Singapore seats, with high wingback armchairs in three rows of two, looking for all the world like, you guessed it, the First Class cabin you are about to get into. There are also strange L shaped tables, with a design so you can slot your bag into the table and then plug in your laptops in the socket on the work top. The bathrooms are up a small side corridor, which have separate doors in the centre of the lounge. The showers are accessed via the business class lounge at the end of this corridor. Also at the entrance is a small business centre with a couple of very slow PCs.
FoodFood is pretty good in the Singapore Airlines First Class lounge Melbourne. You can either sit at the tables, where there is a printed menu of hot options, or you can graze from the buffet. Oddly, the Business Class section has a better buffet.Food comes in the distinct waves, with breakfast from 7.30 until the lounge firmly closes at 10, then lunch from 1pm, with quite a few options. Finally, for the late evening flight at 9pm it's more snacks to soak up the alcohol. At breakfast time there is French toast, eggs and bacon, cereals, yoghurt, fruit salad and banana bread. At Lunchtime, and there are more extensive offerings, with four separate hot dishes listed on the menu, including everything from Chicken Satay to beef goulash, pasta and creamed mushrooms, and plenty of veggies. There is a range of Tapas in the fridge, with lovely small plates with ham and olives, plus sandwiches, and two types of Pot Noodles.
Don't miss the cheese board, which is really a board with some good French cheeses, with plenty of biscuits (crackers) on a tray. Ice Cream is in the fridge. BarThe bar is much better than on the Business side, with a range of good French champagne. Wine is in the beer fridge, and you need to open the small flap to manoeuvre it out. There are three good white wines in the fridge.There are bottles of VB, Crown, Tiger, Hahn, Carton Draft and even Boags in the fridge. The spirit collection is worthy of note, with a vast array including Blue Label, Gordons' Gin, Campari, Smirnoff, VSOP, and Baileys on the worktop.
BathroomsIn Lounge.There are 2 top quality showers in the Business section, and towels are handed out by reception. Business FacilitiesBusiness facilities are pretty poor.There is a small business centre by reception, with 2 computers. Newspapers (The Age, AFR, SMH & The Australian) are placed in the small magazine rack in the lounge, along with magazines like Wallpaper, and the Australian Aviation review, Forbes, and Asia Money.
AccessFirst Class ticket holders only, or Singapore Airlines Solitaire PPS members. No exceptions are ever made to this rule. |
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