| The following post is a collaboration with American Express Singapore. The airlines and hotels featured did not have any prior notice or input into the review process. |
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| 🏠 Don’t Leave Home Without It |
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The hotel transfer from Six Senses Yao Noi dropped me off at Phuket International Airport at 4.10 p.m, which meant I had just over two hours to kill before my 6.30 p.m flight back to Singapore.
While I already had lounge access by virtue of flying Singapore Airlines Business Class, I would have been able to visit regardless of airline or cabin class, thanks to my AMEX Platinum Charge card.
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| 💳 AMEX Platinum Charge lounge access |
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AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders receive a Priority Pass membership with complimentary visits (+1 guest) to more than 1,300 lounges globally (the same benefit is also extended to the first supplementary cardholder). They also have access to American Express and Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, and Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide.
A full listing of lounges can be found here.
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| Apply Here |
In Phuket, Priority Pass and Singapore Airlines use the same facility: the Coral Executive Lounge.
| 🏨 tl;dr: Coral Executive Lounge Phuket | |
| Decent F&B, fast Wi-Fi, and a free massage are reason enough to pop by the Coral Executive Lounge when departing from Phuket. | |
| 👍 The Good | 👎 The Bad |
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Access and Operating Hours
The Coral Executive Lounge is open from 9 a.m to 12 a.m daily, and located after security on the 4th floor of the international departures terminal. It’s not difficult to find, thanks to the ample signage.
Access is available to members of the following programmes:
- Diners Club International
- Dragon Pass
- LoungeKey
- Priority Pass
This is also the default lounge for Singapore Airlines Business Class and KrisFlyer Gold/PPS passengers, though they can also use the THAI Airways Royal Orchid Lounge down the hall. Do note that access is either/or; if you visit the Coral Executive Lounge before going to the Royal Orchid Lounge, the staff at the latter will refuse you entry if they see the Coral stamp on your boarding pass.
If you really want to visit both lounges, I’d recommend visiting the Coral Executive Lounge first through your lounge membership, then the Royal Orchid Lounge by virtue of your ticket.
Access to the Coral Executive Lounge is limited to a maximum of three hours, and children under two years are admitted free.
Lounge Overview
The receptionist at the Coral Executive Lounge was warm and inviting, stamping my boarding pass, providing me with a Wi-Fi code, and escorting me into the lounge.
The lounge interior was very nicely decorated, and wouldn’t look out of place at an Instagrammable café. Its semi-open design allowed natural light from the concourse to flood in, supplemented by lamps enclosed in frames shaped like birds nests.
Communal seating was available at two long dining tables, with additional two and four top tables elsewhere in the lounge. Those who wanted a bit more privacy would recluse themselves in the corner, blocked off by walls and a tall opaque screen.
Despite the lounge’s long guest list, it was rather empty when I arrived. Occupancy did hit about 50% around 6 p.m, but wasn’t nearly as crowded as I feared from a contract lounge.
Power & Productivity
The Coral Executive Lounge’s Wi-Fi network clocked in at 80 Mbps down and 67 Mbps up, making it well-suited for video calls and streaming.
While most of the seats lacked power outlets, there were four sets built into the communal tables. Each cluster had three outlets accepting Type A, B and C plugs, as well as 2x USB Type-A charging ports. The lack of a universal solution means that passengers from Singapore will need to bring an adapter.
Food & Beverage
The Coral Executive Lounge serves a small but adequate buffet selection, featuring hot and cold options.
Cold options consisted of assorted breads (with a toaster oven), a salad bar, sandwiches and pastries.
The four food warmers consisted of fried rice, fried noodles, stir-fried vegetables, and teriyaki chicken.
A one fridge offered a small selection of cut fruits, pudding, salad and yoghurt, while another one had various soft drinks and bottled water (you can bring a bottle from the lounge onboard, as unlike Singapore, there’s no further security screening at the gate).
Near the lounge entrance was a coffee machine and tea selection, together with some juices.
Surprisingly enough, this lounge also had a walk-up bar. While the Priority Pass website states that complimentary alcohol is limited to beer, guests could request complimentary wine and cocktails too.
There was a choice of Mont Clair Celebration Red (2.9★) or Celebration White (2.8★), plus five types of cocktails.
Toilets & Showers
The Coral Executive Lounge does not have its own toilets or shower facilities. However, a public toilet is located just outside of the lounge.
Phuket doesn’t really see a lot of connecting traffic, so you probably won’t need a shower anyway.
Odds & Ends
One unique feature about the Coral Executive Lounge is that access comes with a complimentary 15-minute neck and shoulder massage. Slots can be booked with the receptionist.
Unfortunately, the therapist wasn’t around on the day I visited.
Conclusion
The Coral Executive Lounge has everything you’d need for an airport like Phuket, where most travellers arrive around 2 hours before departure. It offers a comfortable environment, the food is passable, you can have a cocktail, and the Wi-Fi network is solid. The main drawback is the lack of charging outlets, so try and reserve a seat at the communal table if that’s important to you.
Have you visited the Coral Executive Lounge? What was your take?
Is the massage still available? When in the main Thai airways business lounge in Suvarnabhumi 3 weeks ago, all massages were still unavailable “due to Covid” – which seemed totally bizarre given everything is open as normal downtown.
How do you normally figure lounge access? After seeing the long list of entry partners I opened up Lounge Buddy but it didn’t list acceptable credit cards or programs to enter or whether any additional guests were permitted. Given that a group of 2-3 people might have to fork out around US$30 a head, that could cost some real money or make you run around seeking a lounge that will take you without extra charges. Any insight is appreciated.
21/9/2022: Lounge is closed until further notice, can only use the other Coral Premium Lounge on Level 3
How about the Coral beach lounge at the domestic terminal? As good as the international one?
Lounge is open again as of Jan 2023. Massage therapist is in service.
Just tried to enter the lounge and they informed me that they no longer accept priority pass. I was told that the app is outdated and I got redirected to the premium lounge at gate10 instead