As part of a $100-million investment into its global lounges, Qantas has re-opened its Hong Kong International Lounge.
Following its closure during the pandemic, the Qantas Hong Kong International Lounge has been re-opened during an official celebration last week.
Luxury Travel attended the official ceremony where Qantas Chief Customer Officer Markus Svensson said the airline was proud to continue its investment in Hong Kong as demand returns to the region.
“Since we resumed flights to Hong Kong in January, we’ve seen really strong demand. This reopening is part of our increased investment in customer experience across our network, to ensure Qantas customers continue to enjoy the high level of hospitality they have come to enjoy and expect from Qantas.”
The 2,000sqm, 290-seat lounge, which first opened in 2014, has seen enhancements made to its furnishings including a warmer colour palette and new furnishings by Australian designer David Caon. The original design of the lounge has been retained, while finishes such as tiling and screens have been refreshed to create different zones within the lounge.
At the opening, Neil Perry, Qantas Creative Director of Food, Beverage and Service, launched a menu of local dishes inspired by regional flavours and ingredients, and returned the much-loved Yum Cha trolley serving char siu, a Chinese barbeque pork dish.
“In this lounge of course, we do reflect the multi-cultural nature of Hong Kong and the world, because you get not only the best Chinese food in the world here but also French, Italian, Japanese — it’s an amazing city for quality, experience and freshness,” said Perry.
Speaking about a foodie tour that we had taken with Perry the previous day, he told guests:
“I took some journalists to the market yesterday at Wan Chai and the vegetables were just alive and sparkling. It was so wonderful to see produce of such incredible quality — being a chef, it’s just mind blowing,” he said.
“So of course, we reflect in the Yum Cha trolley the beautiful love and passion that the whole world has for dumplings — not just Hong Kong, but Hong Kong happen to do it the best. We have our wonderful char siu bar and rice that we have always had here and has been such a signature.”
“We have a really wonderful, caring hospitality and generosity-focused lounge that’s all about making our customers and guests so welcome to be part of the Qantas family, and the Hong Kong family, and making sure that at the beginning, this lounge really sets the tone for what you’re about to experience when you get on board,” said Perry.
A wide selection of premium Australian wines, beer, and spirits are served at the large bar area, along with Neil Perry mixologist-designed cocktails such as the Chi Chi, made with dark rum, pineapple, lime, and vanilla. The Qantas Quench hydration station offers hot and cold beverages that support wellness while travelling.
There are plenty of working zones for those who need to be on laptops or phones, multiple charging points and data points, as well as high-speed Wi-Fi. Showers are also an option in the 12 luxury private shower suites that feature Li’Tya amenities.
Qantas currently operates a daily return flight between Sydney and Hong Kong on a mix of its A380 and A330 aircraft, which offer Business Suites with lie-flat beds. From June 2023, Qantas will reinstate flights between Melbourne and Hong Kong, initially operating three days per week before increasing to four weekly services from mid-July.