Cathay Pacific starts refurbishment of its Hong Kong lounges

It’s no secret that my favourite airline lounge in the world is Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First lounge in Hong Kong (review here). In my conclusion, I described it as “the perfect confluence of style, food, service and amenities.”

The lounge opened in 2015 and was designed by London-based Ilse Crawford. Located one floor below the main terminal, the space Cathay used is nothing to write home about with low ceilings and narrow views.

What the airline and the design studio were able to achieve was nothing short of exceptional, with a central corridor clad in green onyx and a clever artificial skylight transforming what could otherwise have been a dark and dingy lounge.

The lounge also benefits from a fantastic a la carte restaurant in collaboration with Mott 32, a famous Hong Kong restaurant, free spa treatments and even day rooms.

It’s no surprise that Cathay Pacific wants to roll out this lounge concept further, including to the Norman Foster-designed The Wing First Lounge, which features an entirely different design aesthetic of open-air ceilings, hard marble surfaces and a dark colour palette.

Whilst The Pier First is more to my personal tastes, I still liked The Wing First lounge. It was less cosy and more architectural than The Pier, with gleaming surfaces and iconic burgundy Chesterfield sofas.

There’s also something to be said about offering a variety of lounges at your home terminal catering to different tastes. Creating a number of ’boutique’ lounges with different styles and offerings is something I’ve long thought should be more common. After all, one size doesn’t fit all.

Nevertheless, I’m not complaining. Cathay’s lounges in Hong Kong are world-leading and it’s great to see continued investment before they are old and tired, unlike what is happening in Terminal 5 at Heathrow.

The Wing First lounge closed last week and will reopen next year with a new look inspired by the warm, residential design of The Pier lounges (also on show in the airline’s London Heathrow lounges). Hopefully some of its best features, such as the cabanas with gigantic baths, remain in one shape or another.

Whilst The Wing First is closed, and to facilitate the transition, Cathay Pacific has spent the last six months fully refurbishing its The Bridge lounge, whilst the already re-opened The Deck lounge is being turned into an interim First Class lounge.

The Bridge has been closed since covid but has been brought out of retirement and completely refurbished in the style of The Pier lounges. It’s almost impossible to distinguish them. It is a huge lounge – 2,700 square metres and with capacity for over 500 passengers. Here’s how Cathay describes the new look:

“The cherry wood, framed screens and black granite and travertine at The Bridge, along with carefully selected plants, furniture pieces, and original artworks from the airline’s award-winning “Gallery in the Skies” concept, come together to foster a residential, cohesive and harmonious environment.”

In addition to the classic Noodle Bar The Bridge also introduces an additional dining concept called ‘The Nook’ which will serve Chinese small plates such as savoury filled bao, crispy scallion pancakes and steaming rice rolls as well as a dim sum cart.

So, to summarise:

• The Wing First has closed for a full refurbishment and will re-open mid-2026
• The Bridge is now open after a full refurbishment
• The Deck has been converted into a temporary First Class lounge until The Wing First reopens

Meanwhile, the business class section of The Wing will also undergo a facelift once The Wing First has reopened in mid-2026.

The lounge refurbishments in Hong Kong aren’t the only investments Cathay is making in its ground experience. It is also opening its first lounge at New York JFK airport and refurbishing its Beijing lounge. It seems Cathay Pacific is not an airline to rest on its laurels.

PS. Don’t forget Cathay Pacific is now flying its new Aria suite business class to London – full review here.