Location: 

In the Sydney International Terminal on the first floor, past the duty free shops and towards the walkway to gates 8 & 9.

Overview:

The Qantas First Class Lounge is being managed by Sofitel and as such it has the feel of a five star hotel, without any rooms above it. Upon check in at First Class, a representative from the Lounge comes down to meet you, and escorts you through priority immigration and security and within minutes you're left with another staff member at reception who shows you through the Lounge and quickly explains what's on offer.

Comfort & Layout:

The Lounge's design is contemporary with floor to ceiling windows (designed by Marc Newson), and the predominant colours are purple, dark red, blonde wood, and white marble and there are plenty of bright airy spaces without TV's and deep relaxing chairs which are placed to take in the fabulous views across the city. 

Food & Drinks: 

Its a-la-carte restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with views over the runway and the Sydney city skyline, and there's also several casual refreshment areas with light snacks including fruit and good quality sandwiches, coffee machines, tea, and full bars with a decent range of beer, wine and spirits.

For us, as it was a lunchtime flight to San Francisco, we opted to start with a decent cappuccino which was delivered while we were taking in the view, and we had a table booked for breakfast. From cereals to fresh fruit, pancakes and a good selection of egg dishes, the breakfast menu was outstanding and we went for this even though we were also offered the lunch menu. The champagne on offer is a choice between Veuve Cliquot or Bollinger and fortunately we had enough time to enjoy a glass of French bubbly before boarding our flight.

Internet & Newspapers:

There's also daily newspapers and a wide selection of glossy magazines, complimentary broadband including WiFi, television areas with Sky News, and quiet sections for those who want a bit of peace. The Qantas First Class Lounge also has a dedicated spa which offers a variety of complimentary treatments including massage.

Business Centre:

The dedicated business centre has computers for general use and also private work suites if you absolutely have to do some work in peace. There are also data ports for laptop connection, a photocopier, printer, fax and phone. The private suites also have 42 inch plasma screens for data and whiteboard presentations.

Who Can Use It?

Qantas First Class passengers.

The Verdict: 

Along with the restaurant-style brunch, Joanna was offered a 30 minute "express facial" which consisted of a cleanse, scrub and hydrating mask with a shoulder massage - perfect before a long haul flight. 

This is the type of lounge experience that warrants a couple of hours to make the most of the top class facilities - one of the business travellers was visibly annoyed when his flight was called as he'd only been sat down for 15 minutes and hadn't had the chance to get the full experience.

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