The Pier, First Class is one of the five lounges operated by Cathay Pacific at its home, Hong Kong International Airport. Specifically, it is one of the two top-tier Cathay Pacific lounges in Hong Kong, the other being The Wing, First. While both are First Class lounges, the two feature very distinctive looks, with The Pier being the newer of the two. Designed by the UK-based Studio Ilse, The Pier, First has garnered much attention and recognition for its unprecedented look and feel.

Lounge Access Rules

Passengers with a same-day reservation on Cathay Pacific and oneworld First Class flights are eligible for access. Passengers connecting to a oneworld flight from an international oneworld First Class and flight are also eligible for entry. When accessing by status, passengers holding Cathay Diamond status are eligible for access with two guests. This also extends to Emerald status holders with oneworld carriers, such as JAL Global Club Diamond and Premier, AAdvantage Executive Platinum, or BA Executive Club Gold. Bear in mind that guest access for oneworld Emerald status holders is limited to one companion only. Refer to the Cathay Pacific website for specific details.

Location

The Pier, First is located between Gates 63 and 65 in Terminal 1. If you cleared immigration in Hong Kong, take the automated people mover (APM) to the West Hall (Gates 40 to 80). Once there, head up the escalators and turn right at the fork towards the direction of Gate 70. You’ll find the entrance to The Pier, First wedged between Gate 63 and 65.

The Pier, First

After I proceeded down the escalator into the world of The Pier, I was greeted by a couple of lounge agents who floated around the reception. While the lounge has a proper reception desk, most Cathay lounge agents would stand around the entrance with a hand-held barcode scanner. After confirming my eligibility, my boarding pass was given a re-entry stamp so that I don’t need to be scanned again in case I left and came back.

Once inside, my eyes were met with the lounge’s spectacle of a hall. With the walls fully clad in green onyx, the hall is the intended centrepiece of the lounge. As I walked inside, I was greeted by the hosts going about the lounge to address guest needs. While they were friendly, I felt their presence to be slightly overbearing. After all, they weren’t around until after The Pier, First reopened after the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The Bar

Located at the left-hand end of the hall from the entrance is The Bar, which is perhaps the lounge’s single most prominent feature. The green onyx topped bar seats 11 people at any given time and features a dedicated bartender to mix any drinks, made-to-order.

In addition to the wide selection of made-to-order drinks and cocktails, barista-made coffee is also available all day long at the bar. In addition, a selection of champagnes, wines, juices, and speciality drinks are also on offer. This includes Cathay Pacific’s popular signature drink, the coconut milk and kiwi juice-based Cathay Delight.

Furthermore, The Bar is surrounded by an array of low-seated chairs, arranged to face each other in the style of a historical speakeasy. Given the soft lighting and the cool green onyx walls, I found seating at The Bar to be sophisticated and intimate though without the cosiness you’d find at The Library.

The Library

Adjacent to the bar is The Library, which is the lounge’s primary seating area. This consists of a warmly lit, elongated sitting room styled after an elegant residential living room. Featuring full-sized windows viewing the apron, I found The Library to be an excellent place to relax over some drinks from the bar.

Here, you’ll find an array of low-seated sofa chairs and armchairs cleverly arranged to mimic a plush living room. I’ll admit that I love what Ilse Crawford has done to the space, mixing the warm walnut panels with brass lighting fixtures and velvet and leather chairs to create a very inviting and comfortable waiting space. Furthermore, power outlets are also widely available, cleverly hidden in the drawers of the console tables next to each seat.

Finally, I’ll add that the name of The Library isn’t exactly a misnomer. Specifically, there is a small collection of books, newspapers, and magazines available in a small corridor between the sitting room and the hall. This features a selection of literature in English, Chinese, and Japanese available to read in the lounge.

The Pantry

Wedged between the reception and the entrance to the bar is The Pantry. While virtually all meals are served at The Dining Room, The Pantry serves as a light refreshment spread with an assortment of finger foods and bottled and machine-brewed drinks. Available are an assortment of cakes, pastries, sandwiches, biscuits, cold cuts, cheese, and bread. A selection of bottled juices, beers, and soft drinks, as well as Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino water is also available. Given the range of high-quality light refreshments, The Pantry is particularly useful when you’re merely feeling peckish instead of being in the mood for a full meal.

The Dining Room

Located on the opposite end of the hall to The Bar, The Dining Room is the lounge’s à la carte dining offering, with made-to-order dishes. The Dining Room also features the lounge’s other bar, from where drinks can be crafted with your meal. Akin to a proper restaurant, you’ll be greeted by a host at the entrance, from which you will be guided to your table by a waiter.

The selection of food is presented with an à la carte menu, accompanied by the same selection of drinks otherwise available at The Bar. Like The Haven at The Wing, First, The Dining Room is akin to a proper sit-down restaurant with table service.

The menu at The Dining Room changes seasonally, although some signature dishes are retained year-round. This includes Cathay Pacific’s sought-after Hong Kong-style wonton noodles, which you’d find in most Cathay Pacific lounges. Occasionally, The Dining Room might also feature collaborations with local restaurants or hotels, as was the case during my visit. For reference, the following was the dining and beverage menu over my visit, along with the limited-time menu developed in collaboration with Rosewood Hong Kong.

À la Carte Dining

As I’ve barely had a proper meal up to this point, I ordered a full three-course lunch before my flight back to Jakarta. For this, I ordered from both the Rosewood and seasonal menus. I also got a glass of Drappier Millesimé Exception 2017 and the Paloma Amara cocktail with my meal.

To start, I had the Crema Di Ceci from the Rosewood Hong Kong menu, a chickpea velouté with Spilinga nduja oil. I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of chickpeas and this soup hasn’t led me to think otherwise. I couldn’t appreciate the sandy texture of the velouté, which I didn’t find particularly flavourful. My travel companion’s seasonal lentil and porcini mushroom soup ended up being a nicer, wholesome starter.

Next, I had the Gnoccheti Sardi, which is a cold dish of gnocchi gratin with broccoli and stracciatella cheese. Sadly, this was similarly bland and disappointing. While I understand that Italian cuisine is meant to emphasise the fresh flavours, there was no discernible taste from this dish.

I ended up getting a plate of the Slow Roasted Turkey, which was decent. Furthermore, I’ll note that while the service was friendly, it didn’t seem very polished. For instance, cutlery or plates weren’t set properly and I was served two plates of turkey.

To close the meal, I tried the Soffice Al Mascarpone e Frutti Rosi and the Walnut Tart with Crème Fraiche (pardon my sweet tooth!). While the Rosewood menu was disappointing up to this point, the dessert was nice and light. The Walnut Tart on the other hand? Yum!

Amenities

The Bureau

Located on the hall between the bar and the restaurant is The Bureau, which is essentially the lounge’s business centre. There are six cubicles, four featuring iMac desktop computers, all complete with a printer and a telephone. Given the semi-private, desktop setting, The Bureau is an excellent place to work within the confines of the lounge.

Shower Suites

Located across The Bureau on the green onyx hall are the showers. Like most Cathay Pacific Lounges, you can request a shower simply by informing the friendly attendants at the shower reception. Furthermore, there are 14 shower suites in The Pier, First, which combined with the low patronage of the lounge reduces the likelihood of long waits.

While

Day Suites

Located right behind the showers are the Day Suites, which are semi-private booths with a day bed viewing the apron. While this isn’t an alternative to proper nap rooms, the Day Suites is a relatively nice place to relax and lay on a flat surface before a flight. Each Day Suite also has a power outlet and individual lighting controls. Note that each stay is limited to an hour and a half.

Toilets

Located right across the shower and day suites reception are the lounge’s toilets. The gender-separated toilets share the elegant limestone and brass design as the shower suites. They also feature Bamford-branded amenities by the vanities. Additionally, I also liked that each toilet stall features its own lavatory, much like the case at The Wing, First.

WiFi

The Cathay Pacific Lounge has its own fast and complimentary WiFi network, separate from Hong Kong International Airport’s similarly excellent network. Fascinatingly, the network setting is identical to any other Cathay Pacific Lounge in the world. As such, if you’ve been to a Cathay Pacific Lounge (even if not this one), you would be connected to the network automatically.

Overall

While it doesn’t have the remarkable cabanas boasted by The Wing, First, The Pier is still my favourite lounge in Hong Kong. Ilse Crawford’s peace-inducing boathouse design is a timeless look, which combined with the lounge’s other amenities, makes it one of the best in the world. Even after being closed for over two years, the lounge retains its incredible charm of calmness and sophistication. Despite the disappointing dining experience in collaboration with Rosewood Hong Kong, I was glad to be able to visit this lounge one more time. If there’s a lounge to arrive early for, this is it.

Read more from An Emerald Farewell here!