NoteThis lounge was refurbished in 2022. I’ve reviewed the new lounge here. |
While I planned to spend the bulk of my time in the United Club during my time at Hong Kong Airport, I made sure that I spent a fair bit of time at the Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong, which I would be able to access with the lounge pass that Swiss passes out during check-in. I visited the Plaza Premium East lounge the last time I had one of those passes, and while I didn’t enjoy my stay at all, I’d heard that the West lounge was a fair bit nicer, so was excited to check it out.
The Plaza Premium West lounge is located in the huge lounge complex by gates 40-60, which features the Plaza Premium lounge, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, the United Club, the Thai Airways lounge, and the Emirates lounge. I was heading over from the United Club and made it there at around 10:45 PM, so gave myself half an hour to check it out.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Entrance
I was immediately tempted to turn away after seeing how crowded the food court was. I mean, that’s a hella lot of people.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Exterior
I followed the “airline invitation” lane and gave the lounge agent my lounge invitation, and was promptly invited in.
To the left was a bunch of bar seating facing power ports, though it was crowded, so I took pictures sparingly.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Bar Seating Area
Immediately to the right of the entrance was a food spread. As far as a contract lounge goes this wasn’t too bad – it featured a few hot and cold options, none of which looked too bad.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Spread
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Spread
There was also a coffee machine, which I imagine gets quite a bit of use.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Spread
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Spread
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Spread
I wasn’t sure how to approach taking pictures when I got to the food court area, as it was that crowded. I imagine it would be an appealing place to spend time in if it was empty, as I liked the decor and signs, though it was packed.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Court Area
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Court Spread
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Court Spread
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Food Court Area
There was another area of the lounge further in from the outside area, which was also open to everyone. It featured honeycomb-style pod seating, traditional seating as well as some business cubicles with computers. The pod seating looked comfortable, though it was in full use (except for the one I took a picture of, which clearly was occupied, though there was no one in there at the moment – the woman sitting in the adjacent cubicle quickly and suspiciously glanced over to see what I was taking a picture of, so yeah, not my best picture “performance”).
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Cubicles
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Seating
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Computer Cubicle
Past that was an “invitation only” area, which was substantially less crowded. I asked the lounge manager working there if I had access, and after confirming my flight number, she let me in.
The area featured an “indoor” seating area, with bench seating as well as a communal table. Near the tables was an Indian family that seemed to have a misconnect, as they were discussing options to get back to Mumbai.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Indoor Space
I asked if I could take some pictures, and the lounge agent said that while the policy was that pictures weren’t allowed, I could take pictures of the terminal and the aircraft. I did so, but “accidentally” snapped in parts of the lounge in my picture taking as well. Oops.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice the area was designed. Right past the indoor area was a setup of chairs facing one another, which I sat in for a while. These chairs were comfortable, and the area was also empty (I imagine it would be nice for planespotting in during the day).
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space
There was also bar seating facing both the terminal and the tarmac, which was also deserted. I’d sit there if I had to charge up and needed to work, though there are more comfortable ways to spend your time here, in my opinion.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space Bar Area
There was also a spread in the area. It wasn’t as extensive as what you’d get outside, but it was fine. If I was flying Swiss business class in the future and needed to eat, the United Club and Singapore SilverKris lounges are still the best options.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space Seating
There was also seating around a table that I can’t imagine would be comfortable, though it’s nice to have the option, I guess…
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space
Further in was a space that looked a little like a clubhouse, and this space actually caught my eye while I spent time in a few other lounges in the past. It’s really well designed, features nice seating, and I was sure to spend at least fifteen minutes in this area before I made my way to the gate.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space
The couches were really comfortable to sit in, and as a family I’d have chosen to eat here if I wanted to (though I don’t think you can take food from the food court this far in).
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space Seating
The backdrop consisted of a very nice wall featuring the Hong Kong skyline. The area was so stunning that I was surprised the area was pretty much deserted, given you have a choice of which Plaza Premium lounge you use if your airline contracts them.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space Seating
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space Seating
I spent a while in the “outdoor” area before making my way to the gate at around 11:20 PM for a departure time at 11:30 PM (I’d gotten used to running up and down the terminal walkways, as Hong Kong Airport is, after all, my home airport).
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space Seating
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space Seating
There was a coffee machine and a few spirits on the side, though I didn’t see anyone using any of it.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Outdoor Space Spread
When I first entered the invitation-only area, I was explicitly told not to take pictures of the spread, so I don’t have any pictures of it, unfortunately. I had two of the fruit tarts on display, though, as they looked good.
Plaza Premium West Lounge Hong Kong Airline Invitation Area Dessert Tarts
The WiFi was fast, despite how many people were in the main area. Even if the WiFi shuts down, the lounge is completely open air to the terminal, so connecting to terminal WiFi isn’t much of an issue either.
At 11:15 PM I made my way to the gate – despite having taken pictures of the Swiss 777-300ER business class cabin before, I was eager to get myself pictures of the main cabin, and of economy, so I could add to my ever-growing collection. 🙂
Bottom Line
If I were paying to enter the lounge or were on a credit card, this lounge would be a huge disappointment. The “main” area was just crowded beyond belief, and I’d really rather hang out in the terminal, since there are comfortable chairs, coffee shops and it isn’t nearly as crowded.
However, I’d say that if you had an airline invitation pass, I really wouldn’t mind checking out this lounge for an extended period of time. There’s amazing decor, great seating, free WiFi, and the lounge is consistently empty. I’d say that if your airline is part of OneWorld or Star Alliance, you would get access to The Pier and the United Club, both of which I would prefer to this lounge, but if your SkyTeam airline allows Plaza Premium lounge access, I’d prefer this to the SkyTeam lounge.
