Cathay Pacific has reopened Level 7 of its signature lounge at Hong Kong International Airport – The Wing – today, with enhanced food and beverage facilities as well as new design elements.
The lounge still essentially feels like the original Wing – a deliberate move to assure travellers that instead of "replacing our 'old friend'" the renovation simply reinvents the space, according to Alex McGowan, Cathay Pacific general manager of products.
The reopening of this section of the lounge follows that of Level 6 last year (see story here), which now consists of a striking back-lit frosted glass wall behind the reception desk, and a contrasting wood wall on the other side, where the staircase up to Level 7 is located. This new design of Level 6 makes the entrance more embracing and open, and not closed off like before.
After making their way up to Level 7, guests are greeted by another reception desk. This floor of The Wing has been completely reconfigured, which would immediately be noticed by anyone familiar with this long-standing lounge. For one, more of ceiling has been taken out to allow for a more airy ambiance. Furthermore, natural elements are placed across the facility, from bamboo displays to more wood-based furniture, complementing the abundant natural light. There are no workstations or shower facilities on Level 7 – those have been moved down to Level 6 – making this space purely for relaxation.
To the right of the reception is what is known as the "atrium lounge," which is simply an extended seating area with a mix of arm chairs, bar stools and Cathay's specially designed Solus chairs, unveiled in 2010 in the carrier's newest lounge - The Cabin (see story here). To the left is the main lounge, which forks off into two areas: the self-service lounge and the long bar lounge to complement the signature Long Bar. Again, there's a mix of seating options including more Solus chairs for individual travellers and couches for groups and families.
The Noodle Bar, which was once tucked into a small area under a ceiling, has now been expanded to seat 172 people, up from the previous 80. The ceiling is gone, and the space is punctuated with bamboo centrepieces. With the extra space, the Noodle Bar can now offer a variety of seating options, such as the high bar stools circling bamboo art pieces or the more private cabana-like cabins. Previously, the Noodle Bar only had long, communal canteen-style tables. There are also more options on the menu, such as traditional dim sum and Chinese buns, or bao.
Opposite the Noodle Bar is the Wing's newest offering: the Coffee Loft, which is a cafe serving breakfast items in the morning, followed by afternoon tea and cocktails in the evening. The Coffee Loft has regular tables with 26 seats, and two large yet cosy sofa areas.
The renovation was designed by London-based architects from Foster + Partners, who were also behind The Cabin. Although many design elements are similar to The Cabin, such as the use of granite, white marble and wood-colour theme, in many ways The Wing deviates from the more "funky" style of The Cabin in order to maintain its original feel. For example, many colours seen at The Cabin such as the deep maroon Solus chairs and the pulsating, colourful LED-light wall in the IT Zone are not found here. Instead, The Wing has tan brown Solus chairs and more neutral yellow lights illuminating the walls.
The Wing has always been Cathay's gem of a lounge and the recent facelift works to polish it up. The most popular elements of the original Wing have been retained – the full view of the runway across the lounge, the Noodle Bar and the Long Bar – while the new Coffee Loft and enhanced design features give the experience new excitement.
There are a total of 24 Solus chairs on level 7 and nine on Level 6. Every seat in the lounge comes with its own power socket for passengers to plug in their gadgets and enjoy the free wifi available throughout the facility.
As with all of Cathay’s lounges, The Wing is open for first and business class passengers as well as Marco Polo members of silver-tier and above, and oneworld members of sapphire-tier and above. The lounge is open from 0530 until the last departure.
The final phase of the lounge renovation, due to start within the next few months, will focus on the first class area and while work is being carried out, the “atrium lounge” section will be reserved for first class passengers' exclusive use. Though the completion date for phase three of the renovation has not been confirmed, the carrier is aiming for the fourth quarter of 2012.
At the unveiling event of the renovated lounge, Ivan Chu, chief operating officer of Cathay Pacific, stated that this year was “a big year for Cathay Pacific products,” referring not only to the refreshed Wing but also to the forthcoming premium economy and new long-haul economy seats announced late last year (see story here). Stay tuned for an exclusive review of the new seats, which will appear online and in the April issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific.
For more information, visit www.cathaypacific.com
Alisha Haridasani
