Opened in 2018, The Deck is the latest Cathay Pacific Lounge to open at Hong Kong International Airport. Previously known as the Dragonair G16 Lounge, the space underwent significant refurbishment when it closed in 2016. It is now one of the five Cathay Pacific Lounges operated by the airline at its home and primary hub. The Deck joins the other two Cathay Pacific Business Class lounges in Hong Kong – The Pier, Business and The Wing, Business. Expectedly, this lounge also features the latest generation Cathay Pacific Lounge design, which was first introduced in Tokyo Haneda in 2014.

Lounge Access Rules

Passengers with a same-day reservation on Cathay Pacific and oneworld First Class and Business Class flights are eligible for access. Passengers connecting to a oneworld flight from an international oneworld First Class and Business Class flight are also eligible for entry. When accessing by status, passengers holding at least Cathay Silver status are eligible for access. This also extends to Sapphire status holders with oneworld carriers, such as JAL Global Club Sapphire, AAdvantage Platinum, or BA Executive Club Silver. Of course, access is also permitted to oneworld Emerald card holders. Refer to the Cathay Pacific website for specific details.

Location

The Deck Business Class Lounge is located in the area near gates 5 to 9 at Hong Kong International Airport. After clearing immigration, head down the escalators and walk right towards gates 5 to 9. The entrance to The Deck is located up the escalators across from Gate 6. After making your way up, you’ll be met with a large sign welcoming you to The Deck.

The Deck Lounge

At the entrance to the lounge is a reception desk on the left-hand side. Here, the friendly lounge agent took a scan of my boarding pass and advised me of my gate number. Despite flying Economy Class, I had access by virtue of my Cathay Diamond tier membership, equivalent to oneworld Emerald.

Lounge Seating and Amenities

Much like the Cathay Pacific Lounge Manila, The Deck features the airline’s latest generation design language, shared between Cathay’s most acclaimed lounges. With a style known as the ‘Boathouse’, The Deck is the latest to be designed by Ilse Crawford, who is otherwise known for the look of Ett Hem Hotel in Stockholm.

Main lounge area

Located immediately past the reception area is a small and intimate seating area, which features just nine seats. The seats are separated into two sets, one consisting of sofa chairs and chic-looking armchairs, and the other with swivelling leather chairs. These seats are also the closest to the lounge’s food buffet, which I’ll talk about later in this review.

From there, a centred entryway reveals the main seating area of the lounge, which feature a number of sofas and sofa chairs facing each other in a living room-like arrangement. Although mostly dim, there is a large window on one side of this area, which allows sunlight to permeate the space. Regardless, I really love the living room-like seating of this space, simulating a cosy yet elegant yet also casual ambiance. As expected from Ilse Crawford, the interior design gives off a pleasant homely vibe, like a small haven for weary travellers.

Scattered throughout the seating areas are sofa chairs complemented with a side console. In these seats, you’ll find that the power outlets are cleverly hidden in the ‘drawers’ of the consoles, which slide open to reveal the plugs.

The Noodle Bar

Right past the main seating area is Cathay Pacific’s signature noodle bar. As with the noodle bars at other Cathay lounges, the food is fresh and prepared made-to-order from an à la carte menu. Located right on the counter are nine bar seats lined along the length of the green-tiled noodle bar. Although these seats are very convenient when ordering food, I did find the seats to be very close to each other.

Alternatively, there are also 12 booth seats that line the narrow interior of The Noodle Bar section. The exterior-facing side features booths seating four people, whereas the interior-facing side has cosier seats for two. Given the proper dining setup and padded seats, these booths are undoubtedly the lounge’s most comfortable seats for dining.

The Terrace

Enveloping the two outward-facing sides of the lounge is an open-air seating area called The Terrace. Viewing straight into the terminal, one side of The Terrace features a number of patio chairs arranged facing each other in a balcony-like setting. Although aesthetically pleasing, I didn’t find these seats to be especially comfortable.

Alternatively, there is also café-inspired seating on the other side of The Terrace. Whilst also featuring deck-inspired seats, these are better padded and more upright, in an exterior café-like setting. The tables near the wall also have padded bench seats, again mimicking the look of a chic café. At the far end of the balcony are also three communal tables, each with ten seats.

Relaxation area

There is a small relaxation area tucked into a hidden corner next to the reception area. Here, you’ll find that the lighting is a bit more dim, making it more conducive for a short nap. Despite that, light sleepers might benefit from sleeping with an eyemask, since there is still quite a bit of light seeping in.

The relaxation area features six high-walled Solo chairs, with a built-in power plug and reading lamp. These are the Ilse Crawford-designed chairs, which replace the Norman Foster-designed Solus Chairs you’ll still find at The Wing Lounge. The solo chairs are clad in the signature Cathay Pacific green, featuring large cushions to ensure comfort. There is a small table by each chair, big and sturdy enough to work on a laptop.

Lounge Wifi

The Cathay Pacific Lounge has its own WiFi, separate from the network offered in the terminal. Fascinatingly, the network setting is identical to any other Cathay Pacific Lounge in the world. As such, if you’ve been to a Cathay Pacific Lounge (even if not this one), chances are you would be connected to the network automatically.

Dining

Buffet spread

In addition to the à la carte noodles and dim sum available at The Noodle Bar, there is also an international food spread available in the main lounge area. As is standard, a selection of cold food is available here, including a fruit and salad bar and a nice-looking selection of sandwiches, cold cuts, and cheeses. This is in addition to the hot dishes served in bain-maries.

Unlike the selection at The Wing, Business, the hot dishes available at The Deck appear to be inspired by the flavours of South and South East Asia. During my visit, catered here were a Thai-style Pork Red Curry and an Indian vegetarian Chana Malasa curry. The two are complemented by fragrant steamed lemongrass rice and Indian paratha flatbread.

Finally, there are also two choices of cupped desserts placed in the drink chillers. During my visit, these included Lime Cheesecake and Coconut Chai Pudding. Definitely a smaller selection of sweets compared to those available at The Wing, Business!

Drinks

Also located in the spread are a number of soft and alcoholic drinks placed in the chillers. The drinks here include mostly canned soft drinks, water, as well as beer. For the latter, Cathay Pacific’s specially-made Betsy Beer is also on offer here, which may be of interest to beer aficionados.

Next to the chillers is also a coffee machine, along with a dispenser that features hot, cold, and sparkling water. A selection of Jing-branded tea can be prepared with the hot water from available from the dispenser.

Notably, The Deck features neither a proper bar nor barista-prepared coffee, making beverages the weakest point of this lounge. In place of an attended bar is a DIY cocktail stand available at the intersecting corner of The Terrace. Set up here is a small choice of liquor and liqueurs, complete with a basic guide to make cocktails. Although creative, it’s a pity they couldn’t find a way offer bartender-made drinks.

Showers

Next to the food buffet and across the relaxation area, you will find a small reception counter for the showers. There, inform the attendant that you’d like to request a shower. They will take note of your boarding pass and will inform you of your shower number (if it’s ready). Otherwise, you will be handed a pager, like those at The Noodle Bar, which will vibrate and beep when the shower is ready.

The showers are located down the corridor next to the small shower counter. The shower itself is very well-designed, looking identical to those also found at The Pier and the Cathay Pacific Lounge London. In addition to the shower stall, each room thoughtfully features a built-in toilet, a sink, and a luggage rack. Furthermore, a hair dryer is hung on the wall by the door.

In the shower stall, offered are Bamford-branded toiletries, like those otherwise offered on board. This is complemented by a number of amenities, such as a disposable toothbrush, a shower cap, cotton pads, and more. Although the Bamford amenities are nice, I did prefer the Aesop toiletries offered by Cathay a few years back.

Toilet

Located behind the relaxation area are the toilets, which are gender segregated. The toilets look identical to those in other Ilse Crawford-designed Cathay lounges, including that of The Pier. As always, I found the toilet to be clean and well-kept, featuring the Bamford soap and lotion also available on board.

Overall

Overall, I thought of The Deck to be a solid Business Class lounge offering on the part of Cathay Pacific. Although small and not as complete in terms of facilities as The Pier or even The Wing, Business, I still found The Deck to be a comfortable place to relax, especially if your flight departs from gates 5 to 9. Given the beautiful Ilse Crawford-designed setting and its proximity to the check-in hall, The Deck is definitely worth a visit if you don’t have time to go all the way to The Pier near Gate 65.

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