Cathay Pacific's The Bridge, Hong Kong

The Airline: Cathay Pacific.

The Lounge: The Bridge, Hong Kong.

The Location: West concourse on level 5, near gate 25.

Time & Date: Late at night, October 2014.

Three Things We Loved: The size, the showers, the food options.

Overview: 

Cathay Pacific Airways has several lounges at its Hong Kong Airport hub, with The Bridge being its sixth, newest and largest. On my recent return from London to Sydney through Hong Kong I had a long layover of five hours plus between flights, so having a spacious and well equipped lounge in which to wile away such a long time was essential, especially late at night when other areas of the airport tend to go quiet. The lounge is for use by First and Business Class guests as well as certain levels of Cathay Pacific frequent flyers and partner airline guests, and it was relatively close to my departure gate for my flight home to Sydney.

Facilities & Decor:

The Bridge was deigned by the London-based architectural firm, Foster + Partners as a “home away from home” for Cathay Pacific guests, and its decor reflects just that. It’s a space of warm, welcoming colours, timber flooring fused with luxurious carpeting, and black granite and oak slat walls fusing with black tiles and oak timber. There are also floor-to-ceiling windows, through which you can see out on to the tarmac and distant runways from comfortable seating, and which flood the space with sunlight during the day. There are two distinct areas, North and South wings, both of which extend from the vast and elaborate central reception space adorned in Carrara marble. Both have areas in which to relax and read or watch television; it’s the features which differ.

The North Wing has features including The Bakery, which offers freshly baked bread, pizza, sandwiches, pastries, Asian and Western soups, and fresh salads, and it’s home to Cathay Pacific’s iconic Long Bar. The South Wing is home to The Bistro, a self-service area where passengers can enjoy a variety of high-quality Asian and Western hot dishes and cold food selections, including desserts and salads. And at the Coffee Loft, passengers can order freshly brewed coffee and specialty tea, accompanied by freshly baked muffins, pastries and cookies - ideal for an early morning flight. The shower suites are located in The South Wing, where passengers can freshen up before their flgith, and there’s an IT Zone with high speed wi-fi and iMacs.

After a long, overnight flight from London I was definitely in need of a shower, and some food so I headed straight for the South Wing. The Shower suites are warm and spacious and have everything you need for a hot shower, including an impressive range of toiletries from body wash to body lotion. After that it was time to eat and drink, and such was the range of foods on offer it meant I had the option of enjoying dinner pre flight, so I could sleep on the way home to Sydney. I happily tucked into some dumplings, followed by Singapore noodles and salad, washed down with a glass of white wine.

The Verdict:

Even late at night you know you’re at a CX lounge as immaculately presented staff greet you warmly, and welcome you into your airport haven at the airport. With such a long layover it was an ideal place to refresh, relax and reboot, more than living up to its “home away from home” tag.