Review: Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class Lounge Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific’s flagship The Wing First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport has long been regarded as one of the best in the world, with its dining room, champagne lounge and legendary cabana suites.

But with its last refurbishment dating back to 2013, it was long overdue for an upgrade. The lounge closed in May 2025 for an extensive renovation, helmed by long-time partner StudioIlse, and reopened 11 months later completely transformed.

For now, Cathay is keeping a tight rein on access by limiting entry to its own First Class and Diamond elite members. However, I was transiting through Hong Kong en route to Osaka, and managed to visit the lounge courtesy of a media contact at Cathay Pacific.

Opening Hours & Access

The Wing is open daily from 5.30 a.m until Cathay’s last flight for the day, which is usually between 12.30 a.m to 3.20 a.m (none of Cathay’s HKG lounges operate 24/7, so take note if you’re on a long connection).

Cathay Pacific is adopting a more restrictive access policy during the initial opening phase, in anticipation of overwhelming demand.

Access to The Wing, First is currently limited to:

• First Class passengers departing on Cathay Pacific, or arriving on Cathay Pacific and connecting to another Cathay Pacific flight in any cabin (+1 guest)
• Cathay Diamond Plus members departing on any airline (+3 guests I think)
• Cathay Diamond Exec and Diamond members departing on any Cathay Pacific or oneworld member airline (+2 guests)
• SCB Cathay Mastercard First Class lounge pass holders

oneworld Emerald members are directed to The Pier instead, which is also an excellent First Class lounge, though obviously nowhere as novel. The Pier is located near Gate 63, however, which makes it rather inconvenient for passengers departing from lower-numbered gates.

Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class lounge

Reception & The Lobby

The Wing, First is located on Level 7 of Terminal 1, immediately after the Zone A security checkpoint. It measures in at 1,675 square metres, with capacity for 237 guests.

While the lounge could previously be accessed through Level 6 as well, that entrance has been temporarily boarded up while The Wing, Business undergoes refurbishment. Don’t make the mistake I did — it’s a long walk back up!

Just past reception is a long, open-air foyer called The Lobby. This makes full use of Hong Kong airport’s massive floor-to-ceiling glass panels, which bathe the space in natural light throughout the day.

If you were a veteran of the former lounge, the first thing you’ll notice is how the nightclub-esque black glossy walls and white marble have given way to a warm, residential space. Granite is being used as the flooring for the first time, which Cathay says honours its heritage in traditional Chinese architecture.

The Lobby isn’t meant to be a purely transitory space. It has seating of its own, and can serve as an overflow area for those who don’t want to venture too far into the lounge. A well-stocked literature rack invites guests to enjoy a periodical, and it’s a relief to see that not every airline has gone the QR code and PressReader route!

In its previous life, The Lobby served as the lounge’s self-serve champagne bar, allowing passengers to sample a trio of labels while relaxing in oversized maroon leather armchairs and love seats. Perhaps as a nod to this heritage, Cathay has also stocked some self-serve bubbles here.

There’s Laurent-Perrier champagne, but the more interesting pour is “Love Conquers All”, a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage with zero sugar or calories, created by Indian actor Waris Ahluwalia. This features pomegranate juice, fermented ashwagandha (a medicinal herb), cardamom extract, cinnamon extract, rose extract, saffron, orange blossom, bourbon, vanilla, bitter orange, damiana, hibiscus and non-alcoholic shatavari (a root used in Ayurvedic medicine). 

The Atrium

After passing through the foyer, you’ll emerge in The Atrium. This light-filled, open space forms the heart of the lounge, and is one of the lounge’s two table-service dining venues (the other being The Dining Room).

The menu here evolves throughout the day, starting with lighter wellness-led breakfast options, then afternoon tea, and closing with evening bistro-style dining.

I just missed the cut-off for lobster rolls (while it’s under the all-day section, they don’t actually serve it during afternoon tea), but managed to order the afternoon tea, which I thought was somewhat underwhelming. 

The Atrium is anchored by Cathay Pacific’s signature green onyx bar, which plays to the Instagram crowd with its striking fluted base and polished brass. 

It’s a stunning piece of design, but AVgeeks will be disappointed that the horseshoe design means most of the seats aren’t positioned for tarmac views. 

Likewise, the seats which used to run parallel to the tarmac have been removed, and in that sense, this lounge is a step backwards for plane spotting. 

The bar serves up a wide range of tipples, including cocktails, beer and wines. But don’t limit yourself to just booze, because the non-alcoholic Cathay Delight remains an absolute showstopper, and there’s barista-made coffee too. 

Here’s the current wine list, which features four sparkling, three white and four red options.

The Pantry

The Pantry complements The Atrium with an extensive selection of self-serve light and bite-sized delicacies such as cold cuts, cheese, fresh fruit, cakes, pastries and desserts. This would be more suited to guests on tight connections, who don’t have the time for all the pageantry of a full meal service. 

During my visit, The Pantry was stocked with items like roast vegetables, pancetta-wrapped chicken, beef tenderloin, braised wild rice with asparagus and roasted cabbage, pea and mint soup, and stuffed portobello mushrooms.

The Pantry also had a coffee machine (but remember, barista-made coffee is also available) plus a fridge stocked with beer, soft drinks, Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino water.

The Dining Room

The Dining Room is without a doubt the culinary highlight of The Wing. You’re going to want to put your name down as soon as you arrive, because the space is much smaller than its counterpart at The Pier, and wait times could be lengthy. 

The a la carte menu is created in partnership with the award-winning Mott 32 restaurant, and rotates with the seasons. Portions are on the small side, but that’s a feature, not a bug because you can try multiple dishes without overindulging or wasting food (and you can always order seconds anyway).

The Dining Room was absolutely packed when I was there, and given how full the restaurant was, dishes came reasonably fast, mostly within 10 minutes of ordering. They did arrive out of sequence, but that didn’t really bother me because I’m happy to just get whatever’s ready.

I’d say the hanger steak was the standout dish (though the braised hispi cabbage was also a sleeper hit). While I was concerned when the staff said they cooked it medium well by default, it was actually much closer to medium rare or perhaps even rare. 

The dining experience here ranks among the best I’ve had in an airport lounge, and you owe it to yourself to try it.

The Living Room

If I had one criticism of The Wing, it’s that there isn’t actually a lot of lounging space. Most of the seats are found in The Dining Room or Atrium, which leaves only a small annex at the rear called The Living Room for “true lounging”.

This is the quietest spot in the entire lounge, and ideal for catching up with a book or having a short snooze (though if you really want to rest, you should head to The Pier and its day suites). Near the entrance is a counter with snacks, drinks and coffee machines.

Incidentally, just past The Living Room you’ll find the umbilical cord that links the First and Business Class sections of The Wing. It’s currently closed while the Business Class section gets its glow up, but eventually this will be a way of traversing between the two.

The Retreat

One of The Wing’s most famous features was its five cabanas, which attained near-mythical status with their marble-clad interiors, day beds, deep soaking tubs and rain showers. It was arguably the most opulent feature of any airline lounge in the world, and a defining element of Cathay’s ground experience.

Unfortunately, these did not survive the renovation, and have made way for a new concept known as The Retreat.

This wellness space is similar to the one found at The Pier, and offers guests a complimentary 15-minute foot, neck or shoulder massage. Passengers travelling in Cathay First Class, as well as Diamond, Diamond Exec and Diamond Plus members can book their treatments directly within the Cathay app, up to 48 hours in advance.

I didn’t have a booking, but managed to secure a slot with roughly a one-hour wait. 

Inside the treatment space are seven private booths with handcrafted wood panels, bespoke furniture and ambient lighting. Each treatment pod has a power socket and twin USB-A/C outlets, together with a wireless charging pad.

As for the treatment, it was a wonderful experience. On arrival, you’re offered a warm foot soak and a 3D eye mask that plays a meditation soundtrack.

The THIA Wellness staff did a great job, and the 15 minutes went by in no time. My only note is that material used for the treatment chair is too smooth, so I was constantly sliding down the seat.

The Alcove

The Alcove features five semi-private nooks, each with a compact table and charging facilities for light dining, reading, or catching up on work.

These look like a further evolution of the Solo “not-quite-productivity-pod”, which can be found at Cathay’s other residential-themed lounges like Singapore. 

The Bureau

Located near the entrance are two fully-enclosed workspaces called The Bureau, equipped with charging outlets, and dual lighting modes. 

These are equipped with soundproof doors (I was really impressed how the din of the terminal was quickly snuffed out once they were closed), so you can take conference calls or meetings. Given that it’s a workspace, I was hoping for a more comfortable chair like a Herman Miller Sayl, because this chair, while impeccably matched with the decor, wasn’t the most comfortable for prolonged sitting (or perhaps it’s intentional to discourage overstaying).

The Bureau is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 18

Tucked away in a nondescript corner of the lounge is a mysterious, unmarked door with a facial recognition console. 

This is The 18, an exclusive “lounge within a lounge” reserved for Cathay Pacific First Class passengers and Diamond Plus members, so named for its 18 seats.

The 18 has a strict “no photos” policy, but from what I can glean from FlyerTalk, this speakeasy-style bar features upgraded spirits, wines and champagne (Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2017 and Bollinger Grande Année 2015).

However, this is a drinks-only space, so you can’t order food here (or bring it in, for that matter).

Shower suites

The lounge has a total of nine washrooms and 12 shower suites, and they’re absolutely gorgeous. 

Suites boast a warm, minimalist vibe that would be right at home in a spa, built around natural stone and soft, indirect lighting, with walls and floors clad in large format limestone. Fixtures are deliberately understated, with matte metal fittings, clean lines, and minimal visual clutter. It’s (almost) enough to make you forget about the cabanas!

Each suite has an attached toilet, though I was disappointed that they didn’t install automatic bidet seats — the only missing feature, in my opinion. 

Bamford branded skincare products are provided in bulk-sized dispensers, together with disposable toiletries.

The shower suite also has power outlets, USB-C and USB-A charging, so you can continue juicing up your devices even while you bathe.

In the press release, Cathay played up the “innovative water and lighting technologies” featured in its shower suites. This refers to three different lighting modes you can toggle from a switch outside the shower, which are then paired with three different shower modes from the rain shower.

For example, the Cleanse mode pairs white light at high brightness with the full rain shower mode, while the Relax mode pairs warm lighting at low brightness with the aquapressure flow shower mode. If you’re jetlagged, try a few seconds of the Refresh mode— that cold mist will wake you up in no time!

I mean, yes, it’s gimmicky, but it’s also really cool. I had a lot of fun pairing different shower modes with different light settings, almost like a DIY spa experience. 

Power & Productivity

The lounge has plenty of charging options, with power outlets and USB ports available almost everywhere. However, the outlets are Type G rather than universal — likely due to Hong Kong building regulations — making them convenient for travellers from Singapore, Malaysia, and the UK, but less so for others.

If you’re planning to work with your laptop, the USB-C outlets in the lounge are 45W instead of 65W, which means slow charging at best. Also, the USB-C ports underneath the bar appear to be even lower power, so they’re good for charging phones or smaller devices at best.

Can it cope with demand?

Even with the current access restrictions, The Wing was running full during my visit (Cathay sure has a lot of Diamonds!). Part of that is probably the novelty factor, and given enough time, passengers might revert to using whichever lounge is closest to their gate.

However, this is a relatively low-density lounge to begin, and the elephant in the room is what happens once access is expanded to oneworld Emeralds. I foresee a major capacity crunch as everyone rushes to try it out, and I hope that Cathay has a plan for handling that surge.

Conclusion

Cathay Pacific’s transformed The Wing First Class Lounge is every bit a showstopper, and sends a clear statement of intent to its regional rivals that the carrier won’t be outdone on ground experience.

The sit-down dining and complimentary spa treatments are the highlights, and while I will miss the cabanas, in the cold light of day I understand the need to take that space and redeploy it elsewhere. Besides, those shower suites they replaced them with are top-notch — if only they added a bidet!

I wouldn’t necessarily say that this makes The Pier obsolete though, because The Pier does have some party tricks of its own, most notably its day suites. It also offers more dining capacity and a second bite of the cherry for spa treatments, so there’s still plenty of reasons to check it out.

Perhaps the unanswered question is how The Wing will cope once access restrictions are lifted, though that’s unlikely to happen for some time.