Lounge review: Qantas Hong Kong Lounge

Designed by SUMU Design and Caon Studio, the Qantas Hong Kong Lounge has been open since 2014. I was travelling on a flight with Oneworld carrier Japan Airlines, whose passengers get access to this lounge, so I decided to stop by to check out this lounge.

Near Gate 5 after the Departures (North) immigration and security clearance area, Departures Level 7, Terminal 1.

Qantas, Emirates and Oneworld member airline first and business class passengers; Gold tier Qantas frequent flyer members and above; Sapphire tier Oneworld members and above; Emirates Skyward Gold tier members and above; and Qantas Club members.

Long, brightly lit with natural light, and equipped with plenty of seating.

There was a queue of five people ahead of me to check in to the lounge, so I was worried the lounge would be busy – but the five were checked in swiftly and the lounge was actually rather quiet, with about half of the lounge actually cordoned off.

Before entering, you are greeted by this plaque on the wall introducing the lounge. Note the Oneworld logo in the top right-hand corner; as mentioned, I was flying with Oneworld member JAL in business class and therefore could get in to this lounge.

Probably the most striking aspect of this lounge is the huge variety of seating on offer. Indeed, one section of the lounge was cordoned off, I suppose because it was too early in the day (I arrived around 8.30am) and the lounge was not busy. But even the space that was available was way more than enough to accommodate me and my fellow guests that morning.

There are dining table seats like this (shown in the photo below) in pairs, overlooking the concourse.

You can also choose to sit at the bar.

For something softer and more casual, sofa seating is plentiful (note that this is a shot from the cordoned off section)…

…whether it be out in the open as in the above and below photos…

…or tucked away in cosy nooks where you can enjoy more privacy, as in the photo below.

Interestingly, there is also a big round communal table, though I didn’t see anyone using it for communal purposes that morning.

As you can see from the below photo, the lounge has an open air, spacious feel.

Many of the seats also have attractive views of the tarmac.

The English-language newspaper selection is all Australian: Financial Review, The Daily Telegraph, The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald. All the other newspapers are either in Japanese or Chinese. It would be nice to have a more international selection of newspapers for passengers who are not from Australia. I was surprised that I couldn’t even find a copy of the local English daily newspaper South China Morning Post here.

The magazine rack has a wide range of publications, many of them with a travel or luxury focus. In terms of more hard news titles, though, it is somewhat lacking. All I could find was Bloomberg Businessweek and Forbes Asia. A few copies of The Economist wouldn’t have gone amiss here.

This lounge is notable for offering a fascinating fusion of Australian and Japanese culture, which is particularly notable in the breakfast offering. Classic fry up items like English pork sausages and hash browns sit alongside Japanese chicken curry and miso soup. There is also a Toshiba rice cooker with a colourful pot of nine different rice toppings – including seaweed, two types of pickled ginger, radish, pickled cucumber, seaweed, spring onion – to choose from.

Here is what my breakfast ended up looking like – quite the fusion.

There is an impressive selection from the breakfast buffet, which was neatly presented on a rectangular counter at the back of the lounge.

Some of the dishes on offer included (as per the menus displayed at the buffet):

Salads

• Selection of seasonal fruits
• Assorted yoghurt
• Spicy chicken coleslaw
• Cauliflower, pomegranate and chickpea salad with pistachio

Salads/Cereals

• Sweet corn and broccoli salad with almond flakes
• Mixed salad with ranch dressing or red wine vinaigrette
• Assorted cereals

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs
• English pork sausage
• Hash brown
• Fried fish cake
• Vegetarian spring roll
• Siao Mai
• Japanese chicken curry
• Miso soup

The best place to get a hot drink is to order it at the bar. This is where I got an excellent latte complete with latte art.

The beverage menu at the bar is really impressive. Here is a rundown:

Coffee

Espresso, Long Black, Flat White, Cappuccino, Cafe Latte, Mocha, Hot Chocolate

Tea

English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Peppermint, Berry Sensation, Jasmine, Sencha

Beer

Sapporo, TsingTao, Little Creatures Pale Ale

Cold Beverages

Oolong Tea, Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Soda Water, Tonic Water, Fruit Punch, Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Tomato Juice, Pineapple Juice, Cranberry Juice, Still Water, Sparkling Water, Yakult

Iced Beverages

Iced Black Coffee, Iced Milk Coffee, Iced Chocolate, Iced Tea (Lemon), Iced Tea (Hong Kong Style)

White Wine

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay

Red Wine

Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon

Sparkling Wine

As you can see from the photo below, you can also order a bowl of braised beef brisket egg noodle soup here.

If, for whatever reason, you prefer to make your own hot drinks, there is a coffee machine available that can make long black, cappuccino, latte, espresso and flat white, as well as dispense hot milk for cocoa.

There is also a selection of tea bags here: English Breakfast Elegant Earl Grey, Gentle Minty Green Tea, Fragrant Jasmine Tea, Pure Chamomile Flowers, Berry Sensation, and Sencha Green Extra Special.

If you just want a plain old drink of water, there is an easy-to-use tap that dispenses both still and sparkling water.

Juices are also available, though you can order a wider selection of juices at the bar.

You can also grab cans of soft drinks from the refrigerator if you’re too time-pressed to order at the bar.

There is also a toaster where you can make white or multigrain toast. To spread on the toast, you have strawberry jam, apricot jam, orange marmalade jam…

…and here comes the Australian touch again – Vegemite…

Cereals on offer were perhaps skewed a little in the childish direction: Koko Krunch and Honey Stars. I imagine these are intended for the satisfaction of younger guests. Quaker Instant Oatmeal was available for a less sugary option. There was only full cream milk and skimmed milk available (no semi-skimmed), so you have to go all or nothing on the fat. Soy milk is available on request.

One of the food and beverage offerings I really enjoyed was the presence of fresh Japanese miso soup, with separate scallions and tofu you could add to it.

In addition, there was a rice cooker with a beautiful selection of pickles on the side with which you could top your rice.

While I did not use the shower facilities in this lounge, given that I had only showered a couple of hours ago at home, I did go to check them out.

There are 12 shower rooms, including one that has disabled facilities and baby changing facilities. Only one was occupied when I visited on a Thursday morning. They all seemed clean and well-equipped. There was no attendant there, but you could ring a bell and someone would presumably come to assist you.

Bathroom amenties here are by Aspar Aurora Spa Rituals, including a Grapefruit & Seaweed Revitalising Body Cleanser, Geranium & Quandong Revitalising Shampoo, and Macadamia & Quandong Replenishing Conditioner. There are also toothbrushes and Colgate toothpaste available.

A spacious, well-equipped lounge with a wide variety of seating offering great views. The food and beverage selection (at least for breakfast, which I experienced) was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the interesting fusion of Western and Japanese cuisines. With all the natural light flooding in, it’s a very nice place to spend a couple of hours in the morning before a flight.

If I could change one thing, it would be to expand the selection of newspapers and magazines available in the lounge. It would also have been nice to not have had part of the lounge cordoned off. I wish I could have explored all the areas of the lounge, and having all seats available at all times would allow guests more privacy.

• Opening hours: 07:30 to 23:59 daily
• Location: Level 7, above Gate 5