I’m all for checking out new lounges, even if I know they’ll suck. Since I had a bit of extra time and wanted to finish off my Hong Kong Airport oneworld lounge “bingo card,” I figured I’d check out the Dragonair G16 Lounge.
For those of you not familiar, Dragonair is Cathay Pacific’s regional subsidiary, and they operate a lot of their intra-Asia routes, both to major markets (Beijing, Shanghai, etc.), as well as to many secondary markets.
While Dragonair is a oneworld affiliate carrier (much like British Airways’ OpenSkies is), they have a separate lounge in Hong Kong. It’s (not so) creatively called the G16 lounge, because, well, it’s near gate 16.
Direction to Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong
It’s one level up from the main concourse, and takes up adjacent real estate to the Qantas Lounge.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong escalator
The entrance to the lounge is modest, and once inside I was greeted at the reception desk, where the agent promptly admitted me. Now I have to be honest, I’m not actually sure I get the lounge access policy here, even after Googling. I get that oneworld passengers have access to the Dragonair lounge, but I’m not sure if Dragonair passengers have access to oneworld lounges. Anyone know?
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong entrance
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong signage
Compared to Cathay Pacific’s otherwise excellent lounges in Hong Kong, this one really was pretty underwhelming. It was basically one large room with (slightly) mismatched furniture.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong seating
Most of the seating consisted of clusters of four seats facing coffee tables.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong seating
Then at the far end of the lounge were some dining tables, as well as some sets of lounge chairs overlooking the terminal.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong seating
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong seating
Since this lounge is at the far end of the terminal, you have a great overview of gates 16-19 (since I was leaving from gate 17, I could easily see when my flight was ready for boarding).
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong view
In terms of the food spread, there were a few buffet areas. The main one had an espresso machine and self serve soft drinks, wine, and liquor.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong espresso machine
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong buffet
You know you’re in a classy lounge when the liquor is mounted upside down on the wall with those handles you twist to dispense a shot.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong booze selection
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong drink selection
The food selection was quite limited. There were muffins, mini-cakes, and egg tarts (perhaps the only redeeming quality of this lounge).
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong snack selection
Then there were a couple of types of wrapped finger sandwiches.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong sandwich selection
The buffet continued as you turned the corner, as there was some sort of a kitchen where you could order noodles, I believe.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong buffet
Then there was also some cheese and fruit.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong buffet
Then there was another fridge with soft drinks and beer.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong drink selection
At the far end of the lounge was a small buffet setup with a few hot dishes. These dishes included:
- Double boiled pork and Chinese mushroom soup
- Steamed egg custard bun
- Fried egg noodles with beansprouts
- Fried beef sausage with onion sauce
- Fish dumplings with Chao Zhou chili oil
None of the dishes looked appetizing, especially after coming from the Qantas Lounge.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong hot buffet items
In terms of the lounge’s other amenities, back near the entrance was a newspaper rack.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong newspapers & magazines
Then there was also a surprisingly large business center, with a handful of workstations with PCs.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong business center
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong business center
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong business center
The lounge doesn’t have showers. It only has a rather depressing looking bathroom.
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong bathroom
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong bathroom
At around 5:30PM I decided to head down to my departure gate, which was gate 17. That was only about a one minute walk from the lounge.
Fiji & SriLankan A330s Hong Kong Airport
Walking to SriLankan departure gate Hong Kong Airport
Gate 17 Hong Kong Airport
Boarding started at around 5:40PM with business class. I was excited to give SriLankan another shot, given that I haven’t flown them since they joined oneworld.
SriLankan A330 taking me to Bangkok and Colombo
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong bottom line
I had low expectations of this lounge, but it still underwhelmed me. I get that Dragonair is Cathay Pacific’s regional carrier, but I can’t imagine this lounge portrays the image they’re trying to present of the airline. I was expecting the lounge to be a bit IKEA-ish, though instead it just felt run down, past its prime, and bland.
It’s definitely the most underwhelming Cathay Pacific lounge in Hong Kong, which is a stark contrast to some of the best airport lounges in the rest of the airport.
Anyone have a different take on the Dragonair G16 Lounge than I do?
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