Review: Qantas Lounge Hong Kong

oneworld passengers flying out of Hong Kong will most likely end up at one of Cathay Pacific’s five lounges, and while these are all solid options, you shouldn’t dismiss the Qantas Lounge Hong Kong either.

Qantas originally announced in 2021 that it would be permanently shuttering this lounge due to COVID-19, but later did an about-turn and decided to keep it open after all. The lounge eventually reopened in May 2023 after undergoing some refurbishment, and HKG is better off for it.

While it may not have The Wing’s cabanas or champagne lounge, or The Pier’s day suites or spa treatments, it’s an excellent choice for Business Class passengers seeking a quieter space to enjoy good food, great cocktails, and some friendly hospitality before a flight.

Opening Hours & Access

The Qantas Lounge Hong Kong is located just after the Departures (North) immigration checkpoint. All you need to do is make a sharp right after clearing, and walk down a long corridor. You’ll see it opposite the marker for Gate 5.

The lounge is open from 7.30 a.m to 11 p.m daily, and access is available to:

• Qantas, Emirates or oneworld passengers departing in First or Business Class 
• Qantas Platinum One, Platinum and Gold members departing on a Qantas, Jetstar or oneworld flight, in any cabin
• Emirates Skywards Platinum and Gold members departing on an Emirates flight, in any cabin
• oneworld Emerald or Sapphire passengers departing on a oneworld flight, in any cabin 
• Passengers arriving on an international long-haul (>5 hours) oneworld flight in First or Business Class and connecting to another short-haul flight, in any cabin

First Class passengers, Business Class passengers (on Qantas only), Qantas Platinum One/Platinum/Gold, Emirates Skywards Platinum/Gold and oneworld Emerald/Sapphire members may bring one guest with them. 

• If the passenger is travelling on Qantas or oneworld, the guest must also be on a Qantas or oneworld flight (though not necessarily the same flight number)
• If the passenger is travelling on Emirates, the guest must be on the same flight

Qantas Lounge Hong Kong: Overview

The Qantas Lounge Hong Kong occupies a footprint of roughly 2,000 square metres, with seating for 290 travellers. It’s one of Qantas’ largest outstation lounges, and while it looks deceptively small at first, you’ll soon realise the lounge goes very deep, spanning the length of several gates. 

The lounge is more or less the same as the pre-COVID days, though new furniture has been added, as well as a warmer colour palette. David Canon, behind the impeccable Qantas First Lounge in Singapore, oversaw the redesign. 

Near the entrance is the bar, which features counter seating, a prime spot for quick access to cocktails and barista-made coffee. 

Opposite the bar is an darker, semi-enclosed area with booth seating.

Further in is the dining area, which features plenty of café-style two-top tables, as well as a backdrop of the Hong Kong skyline running parallel to the departures concourse.

There’s even a small library set amidst some greenery, though I believe the books are purely cosmetic. 

Some communal seating options are available too, such as long tables and a big, circular table reminiscent of a Chinese wedding banquet. 

This marks the halfway point in the lounge, and when I arrived at opening time, the rear half was blocked off with plants. But a lounge staff, seeing me enthusiastically snapping photos of everything in sight, invited me to step across and take photos of the rest of the lounge.

The rear half is mostly lounge-style seating, with a few padded banquettes and benches. It’s a nice place to read a book, watch a movie on your phone, or simply take in the fantastic tarmac views that HKG is blessed with.

At the very rear of the lounge is a kids’ area, with beanbag chairs, games, and flat screen TVs playing Cartoon Network.

If there’s one thing the lounge lacks, it’s a dedicated quiet zone for snoozing. It would have been good if they built a small enclave with soundproof walls and a canopy to allow tired passengers to catch some winks, regardless of hour of day.

Food & Beverage

I visited the Qantas Lounge in the morning, so I wasn’t able to sample some of the better F&B options that only appear from lunchtime onwards, like a “plate of the day” that features options like braised beef brisket noodles soup or BBQ pork rice, as well as the yum cha trolley that offers dim sum and Qantas’ signature salt and pepper squid.

That said, there was still a full buffet, featuring breakfast staples like eggs, bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, as well as Japanese rice and pickles.

Over on the cold food section was chia and coconut milk pudding, bircher muesli, yoghurt, fruit salad, and assorted pastries.

In terms of beverages, there was a fully-stocked wine fridge with canned Singha, Asahi and Coopers beer. 

As expected, the wine list veers entirely Australian, with four whites, four reds, a moscato and sparkling option. I can’t speak to the quality of the growers, but it’s nice to see so many options when other Business Class lounges just feature one red and one white.

For those who don’t fancy alcohol, a coffee machine and tea bags are available. This being Qantas, you can of course get a barista-made coffee at the bar instead, and it’s perfect every time. 

Over at the bar is an extensive list of cocktails, with mocktails also available for those who don’t partake. 

I was boring and went with a passionfruit mojito, which was a nice little eye-opener. The cheerful bar staff can of course whip up something bespoke for you if you wish- just ask. 

Power & Productivity

The Qantas Lounge Hong Kong’s Wi-Fi network clocked in at 19 Mbps down and 14 Mbps up, which is decent but not matching the three-digit speeds you’ll get at the lounge in Singapore.

Power outlets and Type-A USB ports are scattered throughout the lounge (though not at every seat), though surprisingly for a lounge in an international airport, only Type G plugs are accepted. 

Showers & Toilets

The Qantas Lounge Hong Kong has bathrooms and shower suites. 

The bathrooms were in impeccable condition, as they should be given I visited when the lounge just opened. Wall-mounted Dyson hand dryers and Li’Tya hand wash was provided. 

A total of 12 shower suites are available, each with an attached toilet and rain shower. Strangely, there’s no hand shower, so it might be difficult to wash your less accessible regions. Water pressure was strong.

Li’Tya body wash, shampoo and conditioner are mounted to the walls. 

Conclusion

The Qantas Lounge Hong Kong may fly under the radar, but it’s well worth a visit on your next trip. The space is beautifully designed, there’s good F&B (which gets even better as the day goes on), and a dozen shower suites to freshen up. 

My only caveat is that I visited in the morning when it was close to empty, so I can’t speak to the situation during peak hours. If you’ve visited during the evening rush, do weigh in!