This review is part of a series on my travels to Hong Kong and Beijing China in February 2019

See Trip Report Index: A Trip To Nowhere; Sprinkled In With A Bit of Disney

One of my favorite things about flying to Hong Kong are the Cathay Pacific lounges. There’s so many amazing things about this city, but the lounges oh the lounges. After arriving the evening before from San Francisco and spending the night at the Sky City Marriott, I had a 9 am flight to Beijing. With the 16-hour time difference between home and HK I was up and ready to go to the airport by 5 AM. I had a few options, sit in the hotel and stare at the ceiling or take the shuttle back to the airport and visit one of the Cathay Pacific first class lounges before my flight. I’ve been to the lounges plenty of times, but it’s been several years and after reading about the major remodels and opening of a new lounge since my last visit, I knew I was in for a treat.

Cathay has several fantastic lounges in Hong Kong scattered throughout the airport. Two of the lounges are dedicated to first class, and the only way to access them is to be flying in first or being top tier with Cathay or a One World partner which I am with American Airlines. So, for me no matter what class of travel I’m on as long as I’m flying them or a partner, I’m allowed to visit one of these very special lounges. On this day, I went to The Wing, which sits by gate two in terminal one.

For access to this lounge there are two entrances. The first is on the departures level (6) by gate two. This is the entrance to the business class lounge that also offers an elevator or staircase that goes up to the first lounge. So, if you’re a connecting passenger, this is probably the easiest way to get in. But if you’re originating, in HK which I was there’s a first class only entrance on the main level (7) of the airport right past customs and immigration. So, you’ll save yourself about 10 minutes of walking by turning left at the Disney Store and following the hallway towards the “hidden” entrance. Again, this entrance is only for first class and opens at 5:30 AM, whereas the lower level is open sooner.

 

After being greeted and checked in, The Wing is your oyster. There are so many seating and lounging areas that you should have your pick of any experience you’re looking for. But my first stop was the self-service champagne bar. On this day they were serving the vintages that were all amazing, but I can’t tell you anything else except one was Perrier Laurent and one was a 2008 Rose. Sorry folks’ champagne vintages and varietals is not my thing. Nonetheless this was an awesome little perk, and a nice touch.

 

 

 

 

Main seating area and walkway to The Haven and Cabanas

Just past the champagne lounge there’s a large seating area broken into smaller sections that had chairs, loungers, cubies and meeting spaces. I was here for several hours and although at times it did get full there was still plenty of space to sit and relax. There were also plenty of outlets so if you needed to get your power on you should be ok. Fair warning though their outlets were formatted for HK plugs. I didn’t ask the attendants if they had converters, but I suspect they might have some. At the end of the seating area is a full bar with a pretty solid spirits selection. They also have a nice cocktail menu too. I’d say you’d be pretty hard pressed to not find something to whet your whistle with.

The Haven:

Just these two areas alone might be good enough for some, but for Cathay Pacific it’s not. And that’s what separates The Wing from other lounges and what makes a good airline a great airline. Cathay goes above and beyond here and has three more spaces for you to enjoy. The first of which is The Haven. This is their ala carte restaurant that’s open as long as this lounge is with a pretty solid buffet but an even better menu. Once seated you’re treated as if you’re at a fine dining establishment. Oh yeah and the BEST part, it’s all complimentary. Now my main mantra in places like this is act like you’ve been there before, even when you haven’t. I think that just goes a long way. The food was fantastic. With so many options to pick from you really couldn’t go wrong. In my case after already having two lattes I could not eat a lot, so I just had a little dim sum and noodles and boy was I satisfied.

 

Buffet (with hot and cold items) including juices, bread and spreads as well as meat, cheeses, eggs and dim sum

The Cabanas:

The other area that I really loved were The Cabanas. Yes that’s exactly what these were. Yes The Wing has 12 shower suites, but the piece de resistance were the 5 cabanas. These are basically private lounges within the lounge that offers a rain shower, bath tub, sink and vanity, a water closet and a chaise lounge. This space was bigger then my master bedroom at home. If one’s not available when you arrive you’re put on a list and given a pager to be notified when they’re ready. As a courtesy to other guests they ask that your stay is no longer then one and a half hours. Trust me if you have enough time, this MUST be on your to do list. It’s the perfect beginning or transit to ant trip I promise.

 

My Final Thoughts:

Overall The Wing was a fantastic place to spend a few minutes or a few hours. If you have a short or long layover, this is a spot when you can refresh, relax and grab a bite to eat before heading out on your next flight. Service in the lounge was top notch and the food and drink selections are too. I’ll be sure to make a bee line for the lounge on my next trip to Hong Kong.