The Lounge Cathay Pacific has some of the best Business Class lounges in Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), namely – The Pier, The Wing and The Deck. During my recent flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, I finally had the chance to check out all three lounges. This review will solely be for The Pier Business Lounge, which is also the largest of the three lounges I check out.  

A word of caution is that HKIA is a huge airport and you will need to allocate enough time to walk between gates and lounges, where it involves much walking. The location of The Pier is near Gate 65 of HKIA Terminal One on level six. 

Access For a full list of boarding passes which meet the requirements to access The Pier Business Lounge, check out Cathay Pacific website.  For myself, I had a Business Class ticket from Cathay Pacific for my flight from Hong Kong to Singapore.

The Food I was in awe the moment I entered The Pier, just by the sheer size of it as the lounge is almost as long as the eyes could see.  

The first part of the lounge is the deli-style Food Hall where the interior and design lean towards the polished canteen vibes. This is the busiest part of the lounge as everyone walks past here to other parts of the lounge. 

Expect to find grubs such as pizza, lasagna and an ice-cream counter here at the Food Hall, where the options are mainly western food. There is also cheese board, coffee station, salad and a bakery section for various types of bread. 

The next part of the lounge is one of the most popular spots which houses the bar where you could order cocktails, wines and champagne from the bartender.

Other than the bar counter seats, there are also plenty of different seating configurations depending if you are planning to relax, work or dine. 

What I like is the soothing aesthetics and choice of wooden tones throughout the lounge which makes it very cosy.

The quieter section is the area right beside the window where you could simply plane watch. This section is typically quieter with comfortable and spacious lounge chains where you could really stretch your legs in comfort for a quick recharge. That said, the tables are low and not that ideal for eating. 

Moving on to the deeper section of The Pier Business Lounge is the main dining section where you could expect a buffet line, as well as the signature Noodle Bar. As compared to the Noodle Bar in the Cathay Pacific Business Lounge in Changi Airport Terminal 4, this noodle bar at The Pier is a really long one for the lack of a better description. 

The seating layout here is more suited for dining in a classic Hong Kong teahouse (‘Cha Caan Teng’) fashion where you have elegant banquette seating. 

Expect to spot classic Cantonese dishes to choose from like Wanton Noodles, Char Siew & Roast Pork Belly Rice and Dan Dan Mian. Simply order via the staff and you would be handed a buzzer for your order. The Char Siew and Siew Mai are decent, though not exceptionally good for me.

My favourite dish is definitely the Dan Dan Mian, a delicious Szechuan-style noodles where the broth is really flavourful with a tinge of numbness flavour. The hack is to also request to add wanton dumplings into the Dan Dan Noodle which soaks up the essence of the broth.   

Other than the noodle bar, there is also a small buffet line for other cooked dishes and beverages.

Have you seen a teahouse in an airport lounge before? Unique to The Pier is their first Teahouse designated section where you can choose from seasonal and artisanal tea varieties by Jing Tea, including green, black, and white tea flavours, as well as a special menu with herbal, honey, and spice infusions. 

Simply place your tea order with the staff and they will make a fresh pot of tea for you, and you can then pair it along with some of the tea snacks which include pineapple tarts, egg tarts and walnut cookies. It is my first artisanal tea experience in a lounge, and this is really such an awesome touch. 

As for the space of the teahouse, this is a much quieter section of the lounge which makes it ideal to sip some tea and catch up on work. Note that there are no window panes or natural light here.

The Facilities There are ample shower facilities towards the end of the lounge where you might need to collect a buzzer from the staff expect to wait in line during peak hours. The waiting area looks like a spa reception honestly.

I managed to get a quick shower where the shower cubicle takes on a more masculine dark tone, with ample space to place your bags. The shower zone is a spacious rainforest style complete with Bamford toiletries. 

At the farthest end of the lounge is a quiet zone where there are a couple of “sleeping beds”. The downside is the beds are not that many, and it is not designed in a private cubicle layout so you might get disturbance if you are intending to sleep for long.   

Rants It would be great if there are sleeping pods where travellers with an overnight transit could take a good rest. 

Overall Experience I really enjoyed my experience at The Pier Business Lounge, easily one of the best airport lounges I have been to so far. I like the aesthetics of the lounge design, the distinct sections and the varying seating layouts to suit different types of travellers. You also get a good variety of food from Asian to Western. This is definitely one lounge to check out if you are in HKIA. 

Cathay Pacific — The Pier, Business Lounge
Gate W65, Hong Kong International Airport, Terminal 1, 6 Sky Plaza Rd, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday: 05:30 until last departure

Ranted by The Ranter