Lounge Review: Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport
One of many seating zones inside Cathay Pacific’s The Wing First Class Lounge.
NOTEWORTHY DETAILS
Located in Terminal 1 near gate 63, down lift or escalator.
Open from 530am until 1230am.
Excellent private suites for sleep and rest.
Breathtaking design and beautiful materials used throughout.
Excellent cocktails made at the main bar.
The official Cathay Pacific video showcasing The Pier first class lounge.
Hong Kong is a true global airport, offering direct service to just about any major destination on the planet. Though HKIA was hit very hard by the pandemic, like many airports, the days of seeing rows upon rows of long-term parked aircraft scattered throughout are long gone.
HKIA last year opened its third runway, with a vastly expanded and renovated Terminal 2 built to service the new strip. The global hub has seen passenger numbers return, particularly during 2024 with a 34% increase in numbers to 2023, however as at 2025 the airport has not reached pre-covid levels yet.
With that said, and Hong Kong being Cathay Pacific’s home base, I had the opportunity recently to experience The Pier first class lounge, a facility that seems to constantly appear in the top 10 best first class lounges worldwide.
Please read on for my independent, personal and detailed review of Cathay Pacific’s The Pier first class lounge.
Lounge Access and General Information
The Pier first class lounge at Hong Kong international airport (HKIA) is one of two first class lounges operated by Cathay Pacific at their home hub, the other being The Wing. Cathay Pacific also operate no less than 4 business class lounges at the time of writing,
The Wing, The Pier, The Deck and The Bridge, which are conveniently located throughout Terminal 1 to be nearby your departure gate depending on carrier and route.
Eligibility is quite straight-forward to this lounge, and restricted. You can gain access to this lounge by the following ways:
From Flying
Flying Cathay Pacific operated flights in first class cabin. Note also that if flying multiple sectors in different travel classes on the same ticket, you will be afforded first class lounge access throughout your journey.
Note Oneworld travelers are permitted one guest departing on Cathay or Oneworld airlines.
Through Cathay Membership
Diamond members are permitted access to first lounges departing on Cathay or Oneworld airlines.
Note 2 guests are permitted.
Oneworld alliance access
Oneworld emerald members are permitted when travelling on Cathay or Oneworld airlines.
Note 1 guest is permittted.
Guest Pass access
You may be able to purchase lounge access passes for yourself, or for a travelling companion. You can check this with Cathay directly prior to travel, and access is dependent on capacity at the time.
Lounge Atmosphere and Layout
Once you head down to the lounge from the main concourse of terminal 1 you are greeted with friendly staff who will welcome you into the lounge with minimum fuss (in a good way), allowing you to settle into the lounge seamlessly.
This lounge is beautiful. Stunning slabs of limestone are featured throughout as wall and floor linings, combined with timber panel and screens. Combined with accents of onyx, brass, greenery of plants and some wonderful art installations it provides a very luxurious and calm, yet still understated feel.
Note the limestone lined walls and beautiful timber slab table as you enter.
Though it may not have the scale of Qatar or Emirates lounges in Doha and Dubai respectively, I believe is designed the most beautifully that I have personally been in.
And its not small by any means. The main dining room is spacious, and is where you’ll be served to your table from an extensive menu.
The dining room, also has its own bar. Again, it is beautifully designed with brass features and leather bound chairs.
Coming out from the dining room the main hallway shoots off into different zones. You have the retreat which features a suite of very private day beds with dimmable lighting and views across the tarmac, but electric blinds can block this out should you prefer.
The space is big enough to accommodate two travelers comfortably if you’re looking for some time-out. You can bring drinks into these day beds, however it must not be in glass. Charging ports are also in each suite so you can recharge your devices as well as yourself.
As mentioned these are excellent spaces that I really value, especially if you have a longer stopover or if you’re just feeling tired. The one thing that maybe detracts is the noise you’ll experience from airport operations outside the window, with luggage tractors and other vehicles driving past regularly.
Earplugs would go a long way to blocking this out, but then you may never wake up!. Note also you are limited to 4 hours in these suites. Note that they do not need to be booked.
Moving on, you have shower suites on the way back into the main hallway, which heading away from the dining room has a bureau for work, featuring individudal work desks.
Further along the journey in this lounge you’ll find a small buffet area featuring freshly made food and self-serve drink areas. A vast range of Jing tea is provided, as well as multiple coffee machines. Of course, barista made coffee is available too.
From here you’re getting to the end of the journey as you’re at the opposite end to the dining room. There are large spacious seating areas, as well as a beautiful tended bar, with wonderful staff who very much know their way around a martini!.
That takes us from one end of the lounge to the other. Its such a well thought-out lounge in every way. Quiet, calm, classy, relaxed but also fun. The very personalised service from the manager was outstanding, making special effort to talk to her regulars and new guests alike.
The shower suites were excellent also and as mentioned are located in the same area as the day suites. Fully equipped with all the amenities you could need, the luxury of taking a shower mid-journey is something I’ve really grown to appreciate more.
I cant speak highly enough of this lounge really in terms of design and finishes. A space I could very easily spend many hours in if need be.
Food and Beverage
The dining experience at The Pier first is excellent. I visited the dining room upon entering the lounge and was very impressed with the menu on offer, which includes a small degustation menu from now world famous Mott 32. I think this is something Cathay Pacific does well, collaborating with Hong Kong restaurants such as Louise and Duddell’s onboard.
I did not indulge in the Mott 32 menu as it was very late at night, and instead opted for a few dishes from their own menu. Though next time through I will definitely give it a try.
I must say, though I loved the food and beverage provided, if I had to choose purely on food quality and service between here and the recently reviewed Qantas Singapore first class lounge, I would give Qantas the nod. I can only base this upon my experiences so far, but I feel the Qantas menu choices featured more elements and a broader depth of flavour.
This does not diminish my experience dining at The Pier first, but both food and service was better I felt at Qantas Singapore, while the dining service at The Pier first was very attentive, it was quite rushed. I’m being picky, but I think at this level that is appropriate.
As you can see, the food was presented well and tasted great. The dessert was beautiful. The wine options were I felt mixed, the champagne offerings were excellent, however, for a first class lounge to be serving $11 bottles of chardonnay, I thought it was a bit underwhelming. The scotch whisky offerings are good, without being great. Both areas where Qantas were superior.
Overall, it’s a wonderful experience and no doubt next time I’m fortunate enough to be here, I’ll try a different range of items.
The Bottom Line
I loved the time spent here, after dining in the dining room, being able to relax for an hour or two in the day suites before heading to the bar really made my journey one to remember.
When all is said and done, there’s really nothing to complain about here. It’s simply a privilege and joy to experience.
I very much hope you’ve enjoyed reading my review, and that it helps with your future travel plans!.
