Plaza Premium First, Hong Kong International Airport

At one end of the lounge, beyond the restaurant, is the Infinity Room, which is a sort of VIP area

BACKGROUND

Plaza Premium is probably the best-known lounge operator in the world, with over 150 lounges and plans for expansion. The Hong Kongheadquartered company is opening its first US lounge later this year (or at the beginning of 2019) in Denver, and also one in Helsinki. Plaza Premium has added a new brand, Plaza Premium First, with one lounge each so far in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. The company says it aims for “an elevated lounge experience for elite travellers.”

WHERE IS IT?

By Gate 1 at Hong Kong International Airport. The entrance is close to the main entrance for the Plaza Premium lounge, but it is deliberately a different experience. The burgundy colour-scheme of the standard lounge is replaced by green touches, and there is also a more personal welcome. An ambassador guides you into the lounge, pointing out all its features.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

Hold on a second. Before you go all the way in, bear in mind that the price of admission includes a massage, and since these get booked up it’s a good idea to get your name down early. Even then it will probably be a couple of hours before you get a treatment. You are given one of those circular paging lights which notifies you when it’s time to go to the treatment room.

On the way in, you walk past the bar and are offered two choices of chilled nonalcoholic drinks made with tea. The bar also has various premium brand partnerships with the likes of Lavazza coffee, TWG tea and Glenfiddich whisky.

I had earlier walked past the entrance to the “standard” Premium Plaza Lounge and the queue to get in had been snaking out of the door. This is partly because the lounge by gate 1 is the first one people get to after passing through security, but it’s also because you can get in by presenting various lounge access cards (or just pay). In contrast, this lounge wasn’t busy, even though this was a Friday night.

The bar has a counter with desserts such as small cakes and macaroons. I ignored this and went through to explore with my guide, who showed me that there are several areas to sit, and also some lounging chairs if you really want to relax, though I always worry about falling fast asleep and missing my flight in those.

We then went through to the restaurant where the various dining options were explained, which include à la carte, buffet, hot and cold. Since I was hungry, I started off with the buffet with salads. There’s also a Mexican wrap option that is prepared for you once you choose your fillings, which include a sort of fake beef or pulled pork. I tried the pork and it was delicious, and also, in the interests of the review, some Iberico ham (since I’d been given a voucher when I first arrived).

I then had the vegetarian burger. This was very tasty, and I’m not sure I would have known it wasn’t meat if it hadn’t been labelled as vegetarian. The drinks menu included some good wines and champagne.

After eating I went through to the sitting area and worked, keeping powered up via one of the plentiful power points. This area is similar to what was here before when this was the “old” standard lounge, but the new chairs, carpets and better lighting have made all the difference; it manages to be both calm and stylish without being dark and depressing. If I had one criticism, it was that the music is on a ten-minute loop, and is very repetitive. I put on my headphones to get away from it.

There are extensive drinks options at the bar, but many of these require further purchase and there is a price list for those wanting to explore further.

VERDICT

This is an excellent lounge, and if you have Priority Pass and are spending a few hours at the airport, I would recommend upgrading to this lounge for the supplementary fee (HK$200/US$25 when I was there). If you are flying business class with Finnair or JAL, you will also use this lounge. Tom Otley

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