Part of my big trip to China included a night in Hong Kong. While I didn’t get to see any of the city, I spent the night at the LMC, and then I went to the airport the next day to relax before my flight to Beijing. My stopover was just used as a day to adjust to the timezone before beginning work on Monday.
The Hong Kong International Airport really is one of the nicest airports I have ever been to. Many frequent fliers deem this airport to be their favorite. For me, that would be YVR (Vancouver). However, one of the coolest things about the Hong Kong airport is the amount of lounges that you have your choice of. As a Star Alliance Gold member, I remember seeing at least three lounges on the list that I would be eligible to go to. And while I still have never had the pleasure of flying Singapore Airlines, at least I was excited to check out their lounge!
Positioned across from the gate with one of the Singapore A380s, I found the entrance to be a bit funny: it included the typical large, sliding glass doors that most lounges use, but it was adorned with a cut-out life size stand-up. It looked like the Kobe Bryant life-size stand-up I wanted in high school, except instead of being Kobe, it was a Singapore Airlines employee.
The lounge was pretty empty, which was surprising. I figured that they were probably waiting for a big plane to either land or get close to taking off, but I stayed in the lounge for three hours, and it never seemed to have a rush of people. When you first enter, you walk down a corridor with a wall on your right and individual work areas on the left. There are a few computers there if you want to use one of theirs.
My initial impression was that the place was quite clean, but perhaps a bit dark, and the low-ish ceiling made it seem even more cramped. Furthermore, there are no windows in this lounge… dark, cramped, and no windows – kinda like the Haunted Mansion! That’s not to say this is a small lounge though – it’s quite large. The floor was perfectly clean, and I felt bad for the woman who was mopping it. I have never seen someone work so hard to clean something that was already spotless.
After coming through the hallway, it opens up a bit, and on your left, there’s some seating areas with an area reserved only for suite passengers just on the other side.
I went to inspect the area reserved for the suites, but I couldn’t find anything interesting or special about it, at least from my side of the sign. It looked like just more seating area. My guess is that when certain flights are timed at the same time, the lounge must fill up. And when it fills up, perhaps that area is always open for some of their highest revenue customers.
There’s an area here for alcohol and some snacks.
It seemed like a disappointing spread, considering all the hype I had heard about Singapore Airlines, but I kept exploring. I went further down, and then i saw the lounge open up a bit more. There was more seating and a cafeteria style room at the end. This cafeteria room was actually the largest space in the lounge, and there was second, more complete, spread of food and drinks here. Score!
There really was a large selection of food. You could find pastries, salads, fruit, junk food, and more. I was there during a time that they were transitioning from breakfast food to lunch. I grabbed a plate full of noodles, egg rolls, and some dumplings. Of course I had a diet coke to go with it.
I spent some time working, checking my e-mails, and skyping some family members. The lounge never felt crowded at all, and like I said, I think I must have timed it just right – I have to imagine this lounge becomes more crowded during more peak times. The staff members were very attentive, and they always cleared my plate very soon after I had finished. The best part about the lounge, in my opinion, isn’t the food or the staff. It’s the freezer they have dedicated to ice cream!
I’d be a liar if I said I only had one…
Next time you’re at the Hong Kong airport, I recommend stopping by the SilverKris Lounge for a bit of relaxation. The food is quite good there, but there are no windows to view planes landing, and it’s got a low ceiling and a dark feel to it. Next time I’m at HKG, I think I’ll probably swing by my primary carrier’s lounge and check out the RCC. However, if the HKG RCC has gotten as bad as the SFO RCC, then maybe I’ll passs…
