Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class Hong Kong Lounge

The Cathay Pacific First Class Wing lounge is a fine top notch lounge, and well worth a visit.

Designed by Foster + Partners it clearly has the same elements as Cathay Pacific's other lounges, but manages to be just a tad above it.

There is a good at seat dining room, a small bar and Champagne room, and great spa like bathrooms, with a real bath!

The lounge is wonderfully open air and overlooking the terminal below, but at the same time manages to be quite private.

Hong Kong Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class lounge review

The Wing Cathay Pacific First Class lounge Hong Kong is one of the world's best airport lounges, bar none. It is really very good indeed. It is also often very busy too, and at these times - often late at night - quality is lost as the lounge descends into a heaving mass of passengers.

However the Cathay Pacific First Class Wing lounge, is actually just a sub-section of the main Wing Lounge, located on half of the top floor of the main Wing. The main entrance from Security (at the left/southern hand end of the concourse) is a sharp left, while you are still on the upper level (level 7) of Hong Kong airport's southern concourse. However, you can descend with the masses to level six, and then walk along to opposite Gate 3, and through the business section, however if you do this, you'll have your boarding card checked twice.

Through the main entrance however, and you'll avoid the hoy-paloy. Plus you'll enter straight into the Champagne Bar, which is directly beyond the door, and is part of the First Class lounge experience, where you'll get a glass of bubbly as soon as you enter, before walking into the main part of the lounge.

Incidentally, the Champagne Bar is the small round leather bar table, with as you'd expect bottles of Moet in a bucket.

Then, in the central part of the Wing Cathay Pacific First Class lounge Hong Kong is one large open space, seating 167, compared to the old lounge capacity of 100: it just seems more open and welcoming. At one end are leather sofas around the champers bar, then banks of grey sofas, and at the other end a few of the Cathay Pacific Solus workstation chairs. These ones are special though - they are designed only for the First Class lounge with a glossy black shell and burgundy leather interior. The Special Edition Solus if you like.

At the far end of the lounge is The Haven Bar, run by the same people that run the restaurant. With classic white marble, and five wobbly bar stools, it looks impressive when the lounge is empty in the day, but a bit chaotic - and frankly, very alcoholic - late at night.

'Inland' from the bar, as it were, is The Haven, the main restaurant in the Wing First Class Lounge. Run by Hong Kong's iconic Peninsula Hotel, it has an a la carte menu. Thankfully the old rockery at the back of the lounge has gone, to be replaced with many more seats - there are now over eighty, which thankfully reduces the need to share tables at peak times.

Other perks in the First lounge include the 'Library Corridor' near the stairs, It's not great, and a come down from the old Library area, but it's not bad: there are a couple of Solus chairs here so you can grab a newspaper and curl up trying to ignore all the people coming and going.

The only hassle comes after 10pm and heading to midnight, when the lounge gets very busy indeed: at these times it may be worth a walk to The Cathay Pacific Bridge Lounge, which is generally deserted at these times.

Food

Food in the Cathay Pacific First Class Wing lounge is, as you would expect, very good indeed. The main restaurant is The Haven, which is run by Hong Kong's iconic Peninsula Hotel. You can't reserve a table, but in general the wait isn't too bad. It's often worthwhile to head here first, particularly when on a transit stop, to make sure you can eat.

In the Haven there is a reinvented a la carte menu complemented by recommended wine pairings. The problem with this is it takes ages to get the accompanying wine: sometimes upwards of 30 minutes, by which time you've finished your food. Great fun can be seen from seeing the wine water coming in, and find that yet again, the customers have left, before their wine arrives. To avoid this, order your wine at the bar in person before you sit: it's just the same.

There is also a traditional buffet on the far wall too, if you are in a hurry.

There are six hot dishes with rice and curry, a selection of cold options plus a large salad bar, a carving station, and an impressive dessert selection. At breakfast times there are yogurt and fruit, a pile of pastries, cold cuts of meat and cheese, plus the inevitable cereal. You can also order Eggs Benedict from the waiters.

Or, if you like noodles, you can walk next door to the classic Cathay noodle bar.

Bar

There are three drinking options in the Wing Cathay Pacific First Class lounge Hong Kong.

First up is the Champagne Bar, which is right by the door, and has Moet on tap.

You can also pour yourself wine - or have it brought to your table - in the Haven.

And finally, there is the Short Bar in the Cathay Pacific First Class Wing lounge. This is perhaps not the best: late at night the bar tenders are very busy, and it can take some time to get a drink. Really quite a long time - 15 minutes for a quick beer, in the most premium of lounges. However, it takes even longer if you ask one of the roaming lounge staff.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms in The Wing Cathay Pacific First Class lounge Hong Kong are a feature in themselves: if you can get one, that is. There are five Cabanas, which are large bathrooms with a bath, a large shower with rainforest showerhead, and a sofa which doubles as a day bed.

The Cabanas also have an ironing service. Just hang your suit and trousers in the doubled-doored cupboard, press the buzzer and 20 minutes later they are returned after a quick iron.

If you can't get a Cabana, there are also twelve shower suites in the Hong Kong Wing Lounge, lined with large sandstone tiles, access off a dark black granite corridor. Biotherm cosmetic products are left in the cubicles.

Failing that, the main bathrooms look pretty good too.

Business Facilities

There is a very good supply of newspapers and magazines in the 'Library Alcove'. There are generally copies of all the main UK papers, and some Australian ones.

There is of course very good free wifi in the lounge. However for computers you have to head downstairs to the Business Section, where there is a vast business centre with lots of working desks with phones and laptop network sockets, around strange twins of brown armchairs, and a desk with one chair: just spot and see how many businessmen seat their wives at the chair, while they work at the desk (and of course a few the other way around!).

There is of course free Wireless internet access, and lots of PCs if you need one. There is a fax and photocopier in one corner, if you really need it.

Access

Cathay Pacific or any oneworld First Class onward flight. oneworld Emerald frequent flyer status.

If the The Wing Cathay Pacific First Class lounge is too busy, you can easily walk next door to the The Wing Business Class lounge - the door is at the far end, beside the bar. Indeed, on some occasions late at night, you won't even have your boarding card checked.

Video: Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class

Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class video - Click to play

Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class video - Click to play

Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class video - Click to play

Also view: Video 4