Best in Hong Kong: A review of Cathay Pacific's The Deck lounge
The Deck is Cathay Pacific’s newest lounge in Hong Kong. It opened last year, and I've been eager to visit ever since. The lounge was designed to mimic a living room and has an open-air terrace that overlooks the airport's north runway.
I can say now that it's clear that Cathay Pacific did a great job with this lounge. I was so impressed that The Deck may just be my favorite business-class lounge in Hong Kong.
Location
The Deck is in Terminal 1 of Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). The lounge is close to Gate 6, up one level from the general departures area. If you're originating in Hong Kong, you clear security and immediately make a right turn to head toward Gate 6. Numerous signs point to The Deck.
The lounge is open daily from 5:30 a.m. until 12:30 a.m.
Access
There are numerous ways to gain entry to The Deck. The following passengers are eligible to enter the lounge:
- Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon first-class passengers (can bring one guest)
- Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon and Oneworld business-class passengers
- Marco Polo Club Diamond members (can bring two guests)
- Marco Polo Club Gold members (can bring one guest)
- Marco Polo Club Silver members (no guest allowed)
- Cargo Clan elite members (can bring one guest)
- Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire elite members (can bring one guest)
- Fiji Airways Tabua Plus members (can bring one guest)
Layout
The Deck opens on to the main indoor living room area. There are two separate living room areas, each with comfortable seating like reclining chairs and sofas.
The dark-toned furniture in the living room area blends nicely with the overall design of the lounge.
Along the side of the living room is the buffet.
Behind the living room is another seating area with booths that alternate between two- and four-top tables. Once you exit the enclosed space of the lounge, you find yourself on the L-shaped terrace.
The deck is expansive and wraps around the entire border of the indoor lounge. I loved the open-air vibes of the outdoor deck and spent the majority of my time in the lounge here.
There’s an assortment of seating on the deck for up to 180 passengers. There are three large communal tables, nine circular four-top tables and a bunch of reclining chairs along the longest edge of the deck.
Unlike other lounge terraces, this one is really large, which makes the space feel particularly welcoming.
I particularly loved the plants that Cathay added to the deck in an attempt to make you feel like you were outside.
Amenities
Just past the buffet is the lounge’s relaxation room. There sit six midnight green Solo suede chairs. While the lounge got quite crowded throughout my stay, the relaxation room remained empty.
The lounge’s showers and bathrooms are near the relaxation room.
The lounge has eight well-appointed shower rooms that are large for a business-class lounge. The towels that Cathay offers are especially plush.
Like most, if not all, Cathay Pacific lounge showers, bath amenities are provided by Aesop. Other amenities like toothbrushes and combs are available by request. The lounge features large bathrooms, which also has Aesop products.
There are plenty of power outlets in the living room area but not enough on the terrace. On my visit, only tables that were adjacent to the living room had power outlets. I would’ve preferred to sit at a table overlooking the terminal and north runway, but my laptop was dying, so I settled for a four-top next to the indoor lounge.
Wi-Fi was available throughout the lounge, and the connection was strong. Download speeds measured 58 Mbps, and upload speeds measured 81 Mbps.
A lounge’s ambience is set by the background music. Kudos to Cathay Pacific for nailing the background music, which was basically spa music with an especially upbeat vibe.
Food and beverage
The Deck’s food and beverages were quite impressive. One of the highlights of the lounge was Cathay’s signature noodle bar, which opened one hour later than the lounge at 6:30 a.m.
You could order an assortment of noodles and dumplings at the bar, and you were paged when it was ready. The noodles were excellent and tasted incredibly fresh.
The other main food area was the buffet. There were a few tasty hot dishes, like mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, scrambled eggs and oatmeal.
There was also some mixed fruit and Bircher muesli further down the buffet, as well as cheese and charcuterie.
Though the lounge had a great noodle bar, it was missing a liquor bar. There was a limited self-serve alcohol selection to the right of the noodle bar, featuring a bottle of Smirnoff, Black Label, Bacardi and Beefeater gin. Beer was limited to Hong Kong beer, Betsy beer, Hoegaarden and Carlsburg. The lounge Champagne was GH Mumm, which retails for about $40.
There were plenty of Coke products in a self-serve fridge.
There wasn’t a single bottle of water in the lounge. Instead, Cathay had a cart with a variety of fruit-infused waters on the terrace (furthering the spa vibes).
Aside from the limited liquor selection, I’d say the lounge’s food offerings were well above average for a business-class lounge.
Overall impression
The Deck is a welcome addition to Cathay Pacific’s flagship Hong Kong lounges. The interior of the lounge is inviting and relaxing, while the outdoor deck is refreshing and rejuvenating. The food all tasted delicious, especially the made-to-order noodle bar.
While Cathay could definitely improve the alcohol selection (read: custom-made cocktails), The Deck is still a great place to spend a few hours before your flight. In fact, I was so impressed with this lounge that it's definitely my favorite of Hong Kong's business-class lounges.
All photos by the author
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Intro offer
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Why We Chose It
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Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.