This lounge was completely revamped in June 2015 and features Cathay Pacific’s new design which was unveiled earlier in
Tokyo and
Manila.
Description courtesy of Cathay Pacific:
The Bangkok lounge measures 679 square meters, with seating for approximately 140 people. The new facility offers a comfortable environment, with an emphasis on understated luxury, where First and Business Class passengers can relax before their flight.
Designed by Studioilse, the London-based design studio led by Ilse Crawford, the aim is to bring to life Cathay Pacific’s new brand design ethos, creating an environment that helps passengers feel relaxed, engaging the senses and focusing on wellbeing as a core principle. This has been achieved by working with warm, natural materials like wood and stone, softening the acoustics where possible and adopting a considered approach to lighting.
Cherry wood walls and a limestone floor are framed with details such as glazed screens, green ceramic tiles in The Noodle Bar, bronze highlights in the main entrance and brass in the Bar. Lots of plants add colour to the space while specially sourced artworks reflect the local culture.
The overall feeling of the lounge is of a domestic space, more like a living room than an airline lounge. Natural sunlight filters through the windows. Designer furniture and lighting have been carefully selected for practicality and comfort. Bespoke chairs and side tables with in-built lamps and sockets are placed by the windows where passengers can enjoy the view of the airport runway and beyond. The Bureau provides three individual workstations with dual operating system iMacs and printers. Free Wi-Fi access is also available throughout the lounge.
With a greater focus on food and beverage services, the dining area features Cathay Pacific’s signature The Noodle Bar, a popular attraction in the airline’s world-renowned lounges at Hong Kong International Airport, which offers a selection of Asian noodles including wonton noodle soup and tom yam soup, freshly prepared by a chef. During the morning, until 11:00am, an authentic Thai breakfast is also offered. Another dining highlight is the Food Bar, where passengers can enjoy a wide selection of lighter items such as salads, pastries and other desserts. In addition, freshly blended cocktails and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks are served at the Bar.
Overall ratings
Looking at the size of the airport and the huge numbers of carriers that fly here, I’d have thought that Cathay and Oneworld would operate a premium lounge at BKK. Sadly not! The lounge is very basic. There’s a bar with some spirits (Black Label, Smirnoff, etc etc) and a “noodle bar” that serves 5 dishes for breakfast. We ordered an American breakfast which was a pre-cooked fried egg, a cold piece of ham and a mini sausage. The toast was cold and the potato was not required. The dim sum bun was hot but had 98% bun and 2% filling.
There’s a mini self serve area that had left over tuna penne (it was going grey), some tomatoes and lettuce. All in all a poor effort. The only reason we’re staying in the lounge is for the A/C and the quiet away from the crowds. Come on BA / Oneworld – surely you can do better