Background
Cathay Pacific’s The Pier Business Class Lounge is one of six lounges the airline operates at Hong Kong International Airport. In 2016, Business Traveller reviewed The Pier First Class Lounge, calling it “superb”.
Since The Pier Business Class Lounge has recently introduced a yoga and meditation space, which I reviewed separately here, I thought it was a good time to do a full review of the entire facility.
Where is it?
Once you clear security and immigration, you need to go down to the main level of the concourse, L6, then walk all the way to the other side of the terminal using the people movers.
When you see Cathay Pacific’s The Bridge Lounge, turn right and go straight. You will eventually come to The Pier Business Class Lounge on your left.
Who can access?
First and business class passengers flying on either Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, or another Oneworld carrier. These passengers can also bring one guest.
Regardless of cabin class flown, Marco Polo Club silver members on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon flights can access the lounge without any guests. Gold members flying with Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon or another Oneworld carrier can access the lounge and bring one guest. Diamond members travelling on Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon and Oneworld carriers can access the lounge and bring two guests.
Cargo Clan Elite members on Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon or another Oneworld carrier can access the lounge and bring one guest.
Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members on Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon or another Oneworld airline can access the lounge and bring one guest.
Fiji Airways Tabua Plus cardholders can also access this lounge and bring one guest if they are flying from Hong Kong to Nadi, Fiji; Hong Kong to Bangkok; or Hong Kong to Singapore.
What's it like?
Huge, with a diverse range of seating options, including those with nice views of the tarmac…
Upon entering, I went hunting for newspapers and magazines and found a great selection…
I then went to the Noodle Bar and ordered a vegetable tom yum, which was delicious. At the buffet to the left of the Noodle Bar, I got some vegetable dumplings, but the turnip cakes were all gone bar one sad and shrivelled one. Fortunately, they were replenished pretty soon thereafter.
I also found some vibrantly coloured juices and decided to try the “Beet the Blues”, which consisted of beetroot, carrot, red apple and mint. I had indulged in a strong whisky cocktail in a Central speakeasy the night before, and this delightful concoction helped take the edge off my whisky head.
The rest of the food and beverage selection is really quite impressive…
There is also a manned bar with a good selection of drinks…
Tea enthusiasts can also find a section called Teahouse, where they can be served a variety of loose-leaf teas and small snacks…
The shower area is clean, well maintained and the staff member there was polite…
If you need to get some work done, the whole lounge has free wifi access and there are several Macs you can use in case you don’t have your own computer with you…
There is also a sleeping area, but it was almost completely full when I arrived, so it was difficult to take photographs without intruding on people’s privacy. Here are some shots of the entrance…
Verdict
A wonderful lounge that makes you wish you had turned up for your flight earlier. There is pretty much everything you could want here in terms of food and beverage, comfort and amenities. The new yoga and meditation space also adds something special. If I had to think of something for Cathay to improve on, it would be expanding the sleeping area to ensure that it does not get too crowded. Besides that, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and wish I could use this lounge every time I fly out of Hong Kong.
