Since we were landing at 6AM, I assumed there was no way our room would be ready by the time we got to the Grand Hyatt. As a result, we decided to have a quick shower at the airport before continuing into the city. I was also curious how the arrivals lounge compared to the rest of the lounges at the airport, since Hong Kong is well-known for having some of the best airline lounges in the world.
While arrivals lounges are pretty common for European airlines, there aren’t many Asian airlines with such an offering. Cathay Pacific offers The Arrival, which is open daily from 5AM until 12AM (which are especially long hours, because in Europe most arrivals lounges close in the early afternoon).
In terms of accessing the arrivals lounge, it’s available to Cathay Pacific first & business class passengers, as well as oneworld Emerald members. In all cases, no guests are allowed.
Upon landing we began the long walk towards immigration. Arriving at gate 19, it was quite a haul to immigration, so it took us about 15 minutes to get there, even with the moving walkways.
Walkway to immigration Hong Kong Airport
Fortunately the queue was short, at which point we found ourselves in the arrivals hall.
Arrivals hall Hong Kong Airport
The arrivals lounge is located in the walkway between Terminals 1 & 2.
In our case that meant turning right after exiting immigration.
Arrivals hall Hong Kong Airport
Once between the terminals we took the escalator down a level. This was an area immediately below the Airport Express station.
Signage for Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong Airport
There we found ourselves in a hallway leading to various transportation options.
Walkway to arrivals lounge
On the left side there was a Plaza Premium Lounge, while on the right side was the Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge.
Corridor where Arrivals Lounge is located
There was quite a traffic jam to get into the arrivals lounge, as several passengers seemed to have boatloads of luggage, which the lounge doesn’t really seem equipped to handle. Within a couple of minutes we were admitted by presenting our lounge invitations.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong entrance
I had visited the lounge a bit over six years ago shortly after it opened, and it somehow felt a bit smaller this time. The lounge consisted of a single large room. There was a long table with high-top seating which stretched the length of the lounge. On the counter were three iMacs.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong seating
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong iMacs
Then near the entrance was a sitting area with eight chairs facing the TV.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong seating
There was also a small business center with three PCs and a printer.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong business center
And then behind the wall was a small buffet with just a few dining tables.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong buffet
This was separated from the rest of the lounge by a wall which had a variety of newspapers available.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong newspapers
The breakfast spread was certainly limited compared to what Cathay Pacific has on offer in their other lounges.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong breakfast spread
There was cereal, toast, muffins, croissants, yogurt, whole fruit, fresh fruit juice, along with a couple of hot dishes.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong breakfast spread
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong breakfast spread
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong breakfast spread
Then there was a cooler with soda and bottled water.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong drink selection
There was also an espresso machine which seemed like it could have been a bit more “industrial,” given how much use it probably gets.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong espresso machine
In addition to the buffet, there were a few a la carte menu options, consisting of several types of cooked to order eggs.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong a la carte breakfast spread
The one thing which I really disliked about the lounge was that it was extremely hot, and the air felt “stuffy.” That’s only made worse by having just gotten off an ultra longhaul flight, where you want some sort of “fresh” air.
Anyway, the main perk of any arrivals lounge are the showers, and this lounge has about a dozen of them. Aesthetically the showers were quite nice, though there was no separation between the shower and the rest of the bathroom, so water tended to flood out of the shower.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong shower room
Overall I thought the shower rooms were nicely designed, though they were also on the small side, and the air circulation didn’t seem to be very good. So you can imagine how hot the rooms got when showering.
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong shower room
Cathay Pacific Arrivals Lounge Hong Kong bottom line
Ultimately it’s nice that Cathay Pacific offers an arrivals lounge, as most Asian airlines don’t have such a facility. It’s certainly better than nothing, though I feel like the lounge is extremely small for the number of passengers it potentially serves. I think the main perk of this lounge is having access to showers. Other than that, I probably wouldn’t kill any time here, as the lounge itself is dark, small, and warm.
Have you ever used Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong arrivals lounge?
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