The Airline: Cathay Pacific.
The Lounge: The Cabin, Hong Kong.
The Location: On the central concourse near gate 23.
Time & Date: Early morning, October 2014.
Three Things We Loved: The convenience to the departure gate, the Solus booths, the Deli.
Overview:
Cathay Pacific Airways has a number of lounges distributed throughout Hong Kong Airport, one of which is The Cabin, which dates back to 2010. The others include The Wing, which dates back to 1998, The Pier, which opened back in 2001, The Arrival, which opened in 2008, and the newest of which is The Bridge. I'll be reviewing the Bridge soon, but in the meantime I had the pleasure of spending time in The Cabin before a morning flight to London in October, as it was the closest lounge to my departure gate; it is aimed at First and Business Class guests as well as Cathay Pacific frequent flyers.
Facilities & Decor:
The Cabin is a long, skinny lounge with multiple areas which suit the varying needs of Cathay Pacific's guests, and unusual features include some nice views of the departure gates and runways in the distance and high gloss ceilings. One of Cathay's newer lounges, it has a design which is contemporary, refreshing, and dynamic, ultimately ultra modern and offering some quite different seating and dining concepts. For example, a red carpet links the entire space, which is bordered on one side by floor to ceiling windows offering those views, and on the other side by signature white marble and warming wood walls.
The Cabin is divided neatly into zones, making it easy for travellers to pick a spot to suit their needs. For example, there's an IT Zone with 11 PCs, six iMacs and a video conference suite, all of which allow you to stay informed, in touch and be entertained if this is your choice. The entire lounge has high speed Wi-Fi internet throughout, however, so you don't have to miss out on connectivity if you prefer to relax in another area. And, for the first time, guests can also use one of 20 Wi-Fi enabled iPads, pre-loaded with the latest apps including newspapers, magazines and games.
Drinking and dining experiences, on the other hand, include The Deli where guests can choose from a wide range of made-to-order hot sandwiches, Italian antipasti and fresh salads, as well as the customary Asian and Western dishes at the self-serve buffet. The classic Long Bar here also has a healthy twist; besides a comprehensive selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, you can also choose from a range of freshly squeezed juices, blended smoothies and Chinese herbal tea.
One of the features I loved the most, however, was the innovative and unique Cathay Solus Chair. This provides a busy blogger waiting for their flight a space to eat, work, read or simply relax. Like a private pod, each one is hand finished by Poltrona Frau in Italy.
The Verdict:
As soon as you arrive at the reception desk, you know you’re in a CX lounge as immaculately presented staff greet you warmly, and welcome you into your haven at the airport, whether you're in between flights for a long time, or have an hour or so spare before going on board and heading for one of many Cathay destinations. Of all the airline's lounges in Hong Kong, it's arguably the most unusual and most stylish, providing comfort, respite from the bustle at the gate, and everything you could possibly need.
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