Photos: Inside Plaza Premium's new flagship Hong Kong lounge
By David Flynn, November 13 2013
Hong Kong airport gains another amazing lounge this week with the opening of the new Plaza Premium Lounge.
Open 24 hours a day, the lounge is located near Gate 40 along the airport's West Concourse, where the automated 'people mover' train from the main hall arrives and where the concourse splits into two wings.
(In fact, the Plaza Premium Lounge sits almost directly above Cathay Pacific's newly-opened The Bridge lounge, which Plaza Premium manages on behalf of Cathay Pacific.)
Plaza Premium says its new flagship lounge represents "the ultimate airport retreat"and is based on a "a whole new lounge, design and food concept" which other Plaza Premium lounges will adopt.
The paid-access lounge is aimed at travellers who either lack the frequent flyer status to access their own airline’s lounge at Hong Kong International Airport or are flying with an airline which doesn’t have a lounge. The Plaza Premium lounge is divided into several zones, each of which fulfils a different purpose – relaxing, dining or working – and is designed accordingly. While the lounge and bar areas feature soft lighting, hushed tones and subtle textures to create a mood of quiet calm, the dining spaces engage guests with their open kitchens, bold colours and tempting food displays. Catering to single travellers, couples and large parties, guests can choose to take a seat at one of the booths, share a communal table or appreciate the panoramic view of the runway from one of the bar stools. While the neutral palette conveys warmth, the designers have taken full advantage of the full-length windows, inviting an abundance of natural light into the space. The lounge also introduces a new dining concept for Plaza Premium with the launch of The Market Place. This comprises a range of food and beverage stalls such as a tea station serving Chinese milk tea, a salad bar offering a range of healthy food options, and a Noodle Bar dishing out Hong Kong-style fish ball noodles, steamed rice rolls and dim sum. Meanwhile, The Hub bar isn't just for sitting back and sipping a wine or beer. Guests can also snack on hot and cold tapas – including croquettes, daily soups and mezze platters – or order from the a la carte menu, which features dishes such as slow-cooked rack of lamb roasted with Himalayan salt and rosemary with a side serving of thin-cut roast potatoes. Wine connoisseurs can indulge in a range of wines from around the world via a newly introduced self-serve wine dispenser. Ensuring that guests can sample a broad variety, the menu will be regularly updated, each time the focus changing to a specific country or region. Designer furniture and lighting contribute to the lounge's sense of exclusivity and bespoke comfort, Plaza Premium says. Perhaps taking a lead from Cathay Pacific's Solus chairs, the lounge's honeycomb-styled pods provide individual booth-like spaces. In addition to free high-speed WiFi plus tablet and smartphone recharge stations, the lounge offers two shower suites stocked with organic Jasmin Aromatique products from Australia, and a free 15 minute seated massage service. To access the Plaza Premium lounge at Hong Kong airport lounge for 2 hours will cost HK$400 (A$54), with a longer 5 hour layover at HK$580 (A$79). Use of the shower costs HK$180 (A$24), or you can stump HK$600 (A$81) for the ‘private resting area package’ which includes a shower, food and non-alcoholic drinks during a three-hour stay. Hong Kong certainly seems to be where all the lounge action is right now, with Cathay Pacific recently opening The Bridge lounge while Qantas readies the new Qantas Hong Kong Lounge to open in March 2014. Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Cathay Pacific - Asia Miles
25 Apr 2013
Total posts 542
Expensive...
Cathay Pacific - Asia Miles
25 Apr 2013
Total posts 542
Expensive...but great!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2012
Total posts 2199
It has to be, to keep out the hoi polloi, who frankly have more than enough to keep them entertained, what with the food court and all the retail.
Still, if airlines that fly to HKG which don't have their own lounge or access to a partner's lounge are willing to do a deal, they might get premium passengers entering on the house by virtue of status or cabin on such airlines.
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
Hi David, so do you think it's worth the fees?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Certainly looks impressive. Where has the space for this and the Bridge come from? Converted from someone elses lounge or retail space?
Cathay Pacific - Asia Miles
25 Apr 2013
Total posts 542
I think they just dig out a few holes in the airport's structure.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Aug 2013
Total posts 11
Is this lounge a Priority Pass lounge and allow free acess to members?
05 Oct 2013
Total posts 2
If this is a "a whole new lounge, design and food concept" then it's a disappointing future for airline lounges.
As a QC member, I was given a pass to this lounge last night for some reason - perhaps the temporary closure of the First lounge for renovations had something to do with it?
The Plaza Premium lounge was packed and chaotic. Food was very limited and not of a very high standard. Very obvious attempts to deliver on a minimal budget. Quite a few of the bain-marie dishes were empty and weren't being replaced in a hurry. Even what was replaced was far worse than what's on offered at the Qantas Business lounge (which is a step below the international lounges in Australia already). Dessert selection was paltry (one of the three items was a tiny cube of mostly jelly) - and wasn't self-serve. Service on the whole was dismissive, abrupt and bordering on unprofessional.
Definitely wouldn't be worth paying HK$400 for entry, although there were queues at the entry when I was leaving. Very disappointing for a lounge that's onlly just opened.
08 Apr 2011
Total posts 24
Expensive - and not that great. It would be good if most of the lounge is open, but it's not.
Absolutely packed most of the time, because about three quarters of the lounge is generally roped off, and closed. There are some more photos here and a good description. Half of the photos in the article are actually from the other Plaza Lounge, which has been open for a number of years. In reality the best part of the lounge is the new Hub bar - not photographed above - which has an amazing view over the whole of the Gate 40 area, and has a fab wine dispensing machine.
However it is better than spending your time in the general airport: oddly for Hong Kong there isn't a decent bar at the airport, and so I don't mind spending 54AUD to get in here.
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