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I had read a lot about Cathay Pacific’s lounge known as The Pier, First Class on FlyerTalk and other blogs for years. While passing through Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) yesterday, I finally had the chance to check it out. I was granted entry (along with a guest) thanks to my oneworld® Emerald status that came with earning American Airlines Executive Platinum® status. Thankfully, the lounge lived up to the hype and I had a good time dining and relaxing before heading to the Philippines.
Access
Access is granted to passengers flying in First Class on Cathay Pacific or another oneworld® airline (each allow one guest as well), Diamond members of its loyalty program (plus, two guests), oneworld® Emerald members (plus, one guest), and those holding lounge passes. An agent was at the bottom of the escalator with a handheld scanner to check credentials.
There is also a desk that was staffed when we left to assist with check-in.
The Pier, First Class lounge is broken up into six sections known as The Bar, The Pantry, The Retreat, The Dining Room, The Bureau, and another space with shower suites and massage services. A long central hallway leads to each area.
Anthony’s Take: The Pier, First Class was elegant, quiet, and something to experience. We did not have enough time for spa treatments and did not need a shower (those were booked while we were there), but we had an excellent meal in The Dining Room and sat near The Bar for a bit. It’s awesome that oneworld® Emerald status grants access. We were flying Business Class on Cathay Pacific, but without my status would not have been able to experience this lounge. I just wish we had more time to check out some of Cathay Pacific’s other lounges here.
Bar
There was a full bar with wine, liquor, and soft drinks in the area to the right when entering.
Juice, soda, water, and beer were found in the refrigerated cases in The Pantry.
A coffee machine was also found there.
Sparkling water and tea were also on offer.
Port was also set out there.
The other place to get beverages is The Dining Room. We had an Aperol Spritz and a glass of Taittinger Brut Rosé with lunch.
Food
There are two places to get something to eat in this lounge: The Pantry and The Dining Room. The Pantry offers snacks, desserts, and a few other dishes. The Dining Room has a full menu (including a tasting menu designed in partnership with the Rosewood Hong Kong. The Pantry is pictured above. It had several counters and a table set with various foods.
I loved that they offered macarons.
Mascarpone and Sun-Dried Tomato Crostini as well as Quiche Lorraine were the two more substantial offerings in The Pantry.
Bread and a toaster for guest use were also found here
Dessert and fruit
We had enough time to eat, so we went to the far end of the lounge and had lunch in The Dining Room.
Newspapers and magazines are offered to guests upon entry.
It’s one large room with a service bar and lots of tables.
Yesterday’s menus offered a nice selection of Asian and Western dishes.
Some bread was brought over shortly after we were seated.
We started with the Clam Chowder. It was a small portion, but delicious.
For mains, I had the Dan Dan Noodles and my husband had the Veal Saltimbocca with Parma Ham. These were again smaller, but well prepared. You can order as much as you want from the menu.
Seating & Decor
The lounge has a ton of seats in all sorts of configurations. Most of the seating is concentrated around The Bar. We did not see many other guests during our time there. The decor is understated and elegant. Could it use a little more art? Sure, but it feels like you’re somewhere fancy while enjoying the space.
More seating
Amenities
This lounge offered free Wi-Fi, a departures board (pictured above), restrooms, shower suites, massage services, newspapers and magazines, a business center (The Bureau), Daybreak Rooms (for resting and plane spotting), and the food and beverages mentioned above.
The Bureau consisted of multiple small office setups.
Shower suites and massages can be booked here. Treatments include a choice of foot reflexology, a head massage, a neck and shoulder massage, or an eye revitalizer. These are all 15 minutes long.
Newspapers and magazines are near the entrance.
Overall Impression:
What a lovely space to spend time before a flight. It feels like a mixture of a high-end hotel, a fancy restaurant, and a day spa. I hope to definitely return in the future.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
