The SilverKris First Class Lounge Terminal 2 is one of three dedicated First Class lounges operated by Singapore Airlines at Singapore Changi Airport. While the majority of the airline’s flights are centred in Terminal 3, there is still a good chunk of flights to select Asian destinations departing Terminal 2. As such, it is perhaps no surprise that the lounge is also the oldest of the airline’s three First Class lounges. In fact, it features the airline’s previous generation design aesthetic. Sadly, despite Terminal 2’s comprehensive refurbishment in 2022, the airline’s three lounges there were left untouched.

Lounge Access Requirements

Despite its moniker, the SilverKris First Class lounges do not primarily serve Singapore Airlines’ First Class and Suites passengers – that would instead be the job of The Private Room. Instead, the First Class lounges are reserved for the airline’s most frequent flyers – members of the Solitaire PPS Club and Star Alliance First Class passengers. In tune with the Star Alliance lounge policy, First Class passengers may also bring one guest to this lounge. Note that Singapore Airlines First Class passengers can only bring their guests to this lounge since The Private Room does not permit guests.

Location

As with most lounges in Terminal 2, the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge is located on Level 3 at the terminal’s central shopping arcade. If you’re coming from Singapore, clear immigration and head left towards the direction of Transfer E.

Head up the escalators located next to The Cocoa Trees, close to Transfer E. Once you get to Level 3, the Singapore Airlines lounges should be visible from the escalator landing. You’ll find the shared entrance to the SilverKris Lounges at the far end of the corridor.

SilverKris Lounge First Class

As I walked past the brightly-lit entrance into the SilverKris Lounges, I was welcomed by the two agents at the reception. As with its counterpart in Terminal 3, the SilverKris Lounge is separated into two sections – First Class and Business Class. I will review the Business Class section in a separate instalment. After presenting my Suites boarding pass at the lounge reception, I was promptly invited to enter the First Class lounge.

The rather dated reception area’s design perfectly alludes to the look of the rest of the lounge. While not actively unattractive, the design is very much reminiscent of an upmarket business hotel in the early 2000s. This trend continues down the marble-covered corridor into the similarly ageing lounge.

At the start of the corridor, there is a small section with dedicated assistance desks. I believe this works like a concierge desk in case of flight irregularities. Just before you get to the end of the corridor, there is also a KrisShop display which looks rather kitsch more than anything.

Lounge Seating

The First Class lounge’s sitting room consists of a small square-shaped space, featuring seating for about 70 people. Virtually the entire sitting room is composed of armchairs, most of them arranged in pairs of two facing each other. The furnishing jumps between newer-looking cloth armchairs to tired wingback leather chairs, providing for a rather mixed-bag experience.

While the seats remain quite comfortable, it is without doubt that the lounge looks rather dated. Furthermore, the seating options is uncreative, as far as lounge design goes. In the main area, lacking were any sort of loungers or seats with ottomans. Also missing were the semi-private productivity pods introduced with ONG&ONG’s 2013 revamp of the Singapore Airlines lounge design language.

Frustratingly, power outlets are severely limited in the lounge. While there are floor-flush outlets under the console table between some armchairs, this is the exception rather than the norm. If anything, this is an understandable omission given how the lounge opened in 2011.

I’ll also note that there is a quiet zone of sorts by the windows on the right-hand corner of the main lounge. Here, there are two rows of armchairs facing the wall-mounted television, alongside two recliner chairs. Beyond this area, the lounge is cordoned off by an unsightly curtain. The area had housed a business centre in the past, although it does not seem to exist anymore following the lounge’s reopening in late 2022.

Dining

Intersecting the entrance corridor and the sitting room is the lounge’s small dedicated dining area. There are just seven dining tables in this area, six of which seat just two people each. In addition, there are a further three dining tables in the main lounge area, for a total of ten tables.

Food

Dining at the SilverKris Lounge First Class consists mostly of a buffet selection, the hot dishes of which encompassed Singaporean, Chinese, Indian and Western options. I found the food quality to be relatively nice, though I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

A decent selection of bread, muffin, pastries, cereal, dry snacks, and Mövenpick ice cream was also available, alongside a chilled selection that included imported cheeses, yoghurt, dried fruits, and sandwiches.

Finally, there is also a made-to-order counter serving four kinds of Singaporean dishes. On my morning visit, this included kaya toast, laksa, bak chor mee, and roti prata.

Bar

There is a dedicated bar just outside the dining area with eight bar counter seats. The bar is tended between 06.00 to 10.00 and 15.00 to 21.00, during which you can request barista-made coffee and cocktails at each respective time. Beyond that, you’ll have to make do with the selection of self-poured drinks which, in fairness, is quite nice.

Drinks

In addition to the selection available at the bar, there are also self-poured alcoholic drinks in the dining area of the lounge. Among others, available were Belvedere Vodka, Bombay Saphire Gin, Bacardi Rum, Hennesy Cognac, Jack Daniels Black Label, The Ardmore Single Malt, Dow’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port, and Asahi beer on tap. What stood out most, however, was the bottle of Piper Heidsieck Rare Millésime 2007, which is the same great champagne the airline serves in First Class on board.

In addition to the Asahi beer on tap, cans of Heineken and local Tiger Beer were available, complementing the array of soft drinks in the chiller. Specifically, there were Schweppes soda water, tonic water, ginger ale, and bitter lemon; Coca-Cola classic, light, and zero; Sprite; Marigold apple and orange juice, Kagome tomato juice; as well as bottles of Evian and canned Perrier sparkling water. There is also a machine that dispenses freshly squeezed orange juice on demand.

Finally, there is also a large selection of Singapore’s own TWG tea, both in bagged and loose-leaf form. Accompanying this is a Boncafé branded coffee machine that complements the barista made coffee you can get at the bar.

Amenities

Meeting room

Located next to the assistance desks by the entrance corridor is a single meeting room, which features five office chairs surrounding a round table. There is also an awkwardly placed small desk with two chairs by the wall, which looks more like an afterthought than anything. Being enclosed, the meeting room provides a great place to work away from the noise of the lounge.

Phone booths

Between the meeting room are a pair of phone booths with a single armchair and a coffee table. These booths serve a similar purpose to the phone booths you’d find in Japan, like at the JAL First Class Lounge for example. Like the meeting room, the phone booth is enclosed so to not disturb the rest of the lounge when taking calls.

Playroom

Finally, there is also a dedicated children’s playroom located after the meeting room and phone booths. The room features nothing more than a wall-mounted television in addition to a bean bag chair, two full-sized Starck Louis Ghost chairs as well as a miniature-sized one. Given the lack of any playthings, I reckon one would ought to bring a toy to keep their children entertained.

Toilet

Located down the corridor by the entrance are the marble washrooms, which are separated by gender. For what it is, the washrooms are very spacious and well-kept. In particular, each sink is impressively accompanied by frequently replenished toiletries like toothbrushes and shaving kits. Lalique eau de toilette and body lotion are also available.

I’ll add that the toilets are located in individual rooms and are equipped with handheld bidets. The latter is quite interesting as bidets don’t seem to be very prevalent in Singapore compared to the rest of Southeast Asia.

Showers

The shower rooms at SilverKris First Class Lounge are located within the washrooms, with the men’s and ladies’ room having two showers each. The shower rooms were wide open and there didn’t seem to be a shower reception, so I’d be inclined to believe that it is a free-for-all.

The showers feature both a large sink and vanity, as well as a walk-in shower with a rain shower head. Though spacious, they frustratingly do not have ensuite toilets. This is perhaps owing to its location in the washrooms. Regardless, this is a disappointing omission from a First Class-grade lounge operated by one of the world’s best airlines.

Furthermore, the shower stalls had non-descript body wash and shampoo bottles fixed onto the wall. Being mediocre at best, this seems to be a glaring missed marketing opportunity to partner with a local or regional skincare brand. In any case, surely it couldn’t be that expensive to invest on something so insignificant for the airline’s most loyal customers? At the very least, Lalique-branded eau de toilette and body lotion are provided on the sinktop.

WiFi

The SilverKris Lounge has a relatively fast WiFi network separate from the terminal’s otherwise great WiFi connectivity. Given how spotty Changi Airport’s WiFi network could be on Level 3, this will come to be very valuable to those without cellular data. While the network is password protected, the password is conveniently displayed on placards throughout the lounge.

Overall

As far as there is anything to say, the SilverKris First Class Lounge Terminal 2 lies at the precipice of mediocrity. Unlike what you’d expect from a ‘world-class airline’, nothing about the lounge feels remarkable or even exclusive. The lack of an à la carte dining facility, nap rooms, or other special facilities puts this down as a very weak First Class lounge offering. Considering how nice Changi Airport is, to begin with, I’d definitely minimise the time spent in this lounge or forgo visiting it altogether.

In any case, this verdict is perhaps no surprise, given Singapore Airlines’ historically middling reputation when it comes to airport lounges. In terms of facility and purpose, the lounge ranks down there along with British Airways Galleries First at London Heathrow Terminal 5. That is not to say that the lounge is objectively bad, it’s more to say that it is nothing special.

Read more from this trip here!