Review: Chase Sapphire Lounge Hong Kong

Let’s be honest: most contract lounges aren’t anything special. At best, they’re serviceable places which offer a little respite from the main terminal. At worst, they’re glorified waiting rooms with harsh lighting, stale pastries and limp salads, providing the bare minimum while hoovering up as much money as they can from Priority Pass, DragonPass and the like.

Which is why the Chase Sapphire Lounge Hong Kong is such a gem. Opened in October 2022, this is Chase’s first overseas venture, and even in an airport with no shortage of lounges, still manages to shine.

This lounge recently won the title of best Priority Pass lounge in Asia Pacific, and it’s easy to see why.

Opening Hours & Access

The Chase Sapphire Lounge Hong Kong is located in Terminal 1, near Gate 40. The lounge is open from 6 a.m to 12 a.m daily, which covers pretty much all departures from this airport (I could be wrong, but I don’t think any of the lounges in HKG are 24 hours except Plaza Premium; not even the Cathay ones).

Incidentally, it’s also relatively close to the Centurion Lounge (near Gate 60, and open from 7 a.m to 12 a.m), so eligible passengers can hop between the two fairly easily.

Access is available to passengers with a Priority Pass or LoungeKey membership. There is currently no access for DragonPass.

Do note that Priority Pass and LoungeKey members are limited to visiting one Chase Sapphire Lounge in the USA every calendar year (the restriction applies per membership, so those with multiple cards can visit as many times as they have cards). However, this policy does not apply to lounges outside the USA like Hong Kong, so you can visit as many times as you like.

Lounge Overview

The Chase Sapphire Lounge Hong Kong occupies a 12,000 square foot space, with an open air design that makes the most of Hong Kong Airport’s big glass façade. 

Just inside the entrance is the reception area, where the cheerful staff swiped my Priority Pass and sent me on my way.

To the right of the reception desk is the main dining area, which is usually the most crowded part of the entire lounge. And that’s really because of a quirk in the layout, which ends up concentrating guests in a few main areas. 

You see, there are passageways that look like emergency exits on first glance, but actually lead to whole new areas, often empty because you don’t expect to find anything there. For example, at the rear of the dining area is a nondescript door that says “Exit”. If you didn’t know better, you’d think you’re exiting the lounge altogether!

But no. Proceed down the corridor and you’ll find a very nice seating area with couches, chairs, and some rather photogenic booths that always feature in the publicity materials for this lounge. I never saw more than a couple of people here the entire time. 

If we turned left at reception instead, we’d find more seating and the bar area. This space also tends to fill up rather quickly.

At the rear of the bar is a doorway that leads to additional seating, as well as paired armchairs that overlook the main departures concourse. Some decorative glass panels provide a psychedelic effect. 

Two enclosed booths offer a place to take phone calls without disturbing other lounge guests. 

The lounge then terminates in an apex that loops back on itself in a V-shape, with communal tables and work spaces. There are eight semi-private cubicles and four work desks, and foot traffic here is light, making it an excellent place to send out some emails. 

From this part of the lounge, you can look out to the concourse below, which means you’ll get some noise but nothing too serious. It makes the whole place feel more airy, which I appreciate. 

Food & Beverage

Like I said at the start, most Priority Pass lounges don’t set a very high bar for F&B. You’re more likely to find prepackaged snacks, cheap carbs and soft drinks, and if you want decent food, you might have to consider a Priority Pass restaurant instead.

So I was pleasantly surprised by the spread at the Chase Sapphire Lounge.

During the breakfast window when I visited, the cold food area had a salad bar, cold cuts, sliced cucumber and sliced watermelon, together with some parfait. 

Next to that was a table with breakfast cereals, sliced brown and white bread, some pastries and a toaster. 

The buffet line offered chicken and pork siew mai, Shanghai-style fried noodles, steamed cabbage and pork buns, as well as congee and condiments. 

In addition to the buffet, a la carte food orders can also be placed through a QR code. 

I had one of everything except the fish soup. The portions are small, which allows you to sample more things. I thought the Sapphire breakfast sandwich was the most interesting of the lot, a kind of mash up of a Western and Eastern breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese served inside a warm bao. 

Self-serve coffee, juices, drinks and a soda machine were near the entrance.

Over at the bar is an impressive-looking cocktail list, and my only regret is that they don’t offer bar service in the morning. I’d have loved to try some of their concoctions! 

The wine selection featured a choice of two reds and two whites, as well as a Bottega DOC prosecco.

Power and Productivity

The Chase Lounge Hong Kong’s Wi-Fi network clocks in at a zippy 180 Mbps down and 173 Mbps up (thanks to reader Wei Jie for providing these results, because I forgot to do a test of my own). 

Universal power outlets and USB-A ports are in abundant supply throughout the lounge, usually located in easy-to-reach locations beneath table tops and next to chairs. Sadly, there’s no USB-C outlets nor wireless charging to be found.

Showers & Toilets

The Chase Lounge Hong Kong does not have showers, but it does have well-maintained mens’ and womens’ washrooms with L’Occitane hand wash.

Conclusion

The Chase Sapphire Lounge Hong Kong is not just a “good for a contract lounge” lounge. It’s a good lounge, period. The F&B selection and quality is well above what you’d expect from your average Priority Pass lounge, the service is friendly, and its unusual layout means those willing to explore will often be rewarded with a private nook to themselves. 

Well worth a visit the next time you pass through HKG.