The other first-class lounge found at Hong Kong International Airport is The Pier. It’s the newer one among the lounges and is arguably the best overall. The Pier’s First-Class section is by far one of the coziest lounges that I’ve ever been to. I’ll mention the details in this review.

Here’s a list of all the legs for this trip:

Manila to Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific Business Class Review
Hong Kong to Milan: Cathay Pacific First Class Review
Milan to Frankfurt: Lufthansa Inter-Europe Business Class Review
Frankfurt to Newark: Lufthansa First Class Review
Lufthansa First Class Terminal Review
Newark to Hong Kong Cathay Pacific Business Class Review
Cathay Pacific The Wing First Class Lounge Review
Cathay Pacific The Pier Business Lounge Review

Access

The people who are liable to enter The Pier First Class Lounge are those who are First Class passengers of Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, or any oneworld carrier; Marco Polo Diamond members; and oneworld emerald members.

The Lounge

The Pier is located near gates 62 and 63. It’s a way off of the entrance, but it’s definitely worth a visit.

The lounge is accessible through an elevator or an escalator. Once you arrive below, a receptionist will collect your invite to the lounge and point you towards the inside of the lounge.

The hallway that first welcomed me into the lounge was breathtaking. It was like I entered an art gallery with just how minimalist and beautiful the décor was. In the photo below, there was still a long and fairly interesting couch, or so it seems. There were gorgeous paintings and curious spotlights all over.

There was also a wooden table that featured a hanging piece of art right in front of the screen that displays boarding times.

Further, the lounge is separated into sections for specific uses. This first one was called the Pantry. It was a room filled with snacks and a few beverages that a passenger can just get and eat as they go.

The Library was a small section that featured numerous pamphlets, newspapers, and magazines that also connects to a seating area.

Next was the room called the Bureau. This section is basically the business center. There were six booths that were equipped with their own iMacs and a printer.

The highlight of my trip, however, was The Dining Room. This First Class ala carte dining restaurant is one of the best that can be found within lounges. As I’ve mentioned in my review of The Wings Lounge, I have already decided to eat in this place as I’ve heard so much about how delicious the food is.

As I was heading towards The Dining Room, I was greeted by the receptionist working at the front desk. She escorted me to an available seat.

The Dining Room was a restaurant within the lounge. The ambiance and the décor matched the whole vibe of the lounge. The place had a very cozy and almost homey feel to it.

This was the menu that The Pier had for that day.

For my appetizer, I went for the Xiao Long Bao four pieces wasn’t enough to satisfy my appetite just because it was so delicious! The dumplings were by no means dry. Rather, it was juicy and incredibly flavorful.

I chose the Wagyu Beef Cheeseburger as my main. It was accompanied by some fries. I liked the fact that they put the vegetables out of the burger, to let the customer have as much or as little of it in the burger.

The burger itself was juicy and tasty. The buns were lightly toasted and thus added a little crunch. The fries were lightly salted and overall, it was a heavy and delicious meal.

After my meal, I headed straight to the horseshoe-shaped bar. I was quite full of the dumplings and the burgers that I opted not to drink anymore. I was very impressed by the bar, however, because of how simplistic the area was. There were several high seats around the bar and a lot of seats around it. It’s such a cozy space that I began to feel at home.

The best part, however, was where I spent the rest of my time in the lounge. The Pier had eight-day suites which are more commonly called The Retreat. Though they’re just enclosed by a curtain, it was still a very private place to spend time in.

Especially since these day suites had an amazing view of the tarmac. By now it was getting quite late, which meant that sunlight wasn’t that much of a problem, and I could enjoy the view all to myself.

Another Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 was being boarded right in my view. It was such a nice experience seeing this process from the outside. Even simply watching the operating crew transfer and load luggage into the plane really tickled my fancy as an AV geek.

Overall Impression

Both The Wing and The Pier are world-class lounges. The Wing has the Cabanas, and The Pier has the Retreat. Although their other amenities have some ways of improving, overall they’re amazing places to rest and relax!

The Pier has numerous seating areas with a great variety of seats. There were classic seats as well as a few other different seats for a bit of assortment in the lounge.

The different sections are great in their own right and would appeal to a certain niche. The pantry was a cute small snack area for light food and finger sandwiches. The library and the bureau are some of the most practical things that I’ve seen in a lounge. The bureau, in particular, is best for anyone who needs a quiet space to work.

The gallery wasn’t exactly that special, as the statues were just a nice addition to the décor of the lounge.

The two things that I loved the most about my stay were The Dining Room and the Retreat.

The meal I had in The Dining Room was impeccable. The whole service was amazing in its own right. The receptionist was very kind and warm. She was also full of smiles when we were talking. The waiters at work were incredibly courteous and efficient with their work.

Lastly, the Retreat is very much comparable to the Cabanas when it comes to a private, intimate place to stay. Though in all honesty, there was a large difference between them. The Cabanas were all about an amazing shower and bath in a private room, while the Retreat was elevated by its amazing view of the tarmac, even though only a curtain separates you from the hallway.

I had such a comfortable time while I stayed in the Retreat as I waited for my flight, and it’s something I’ll wish to experience again.

At the end of the day, The Pier First Class Lounge is definitely in my top echelon of lounges. It’s going to be a little bit lower than the Lufthansa First Class Terminal but is still one of the higher-end lounges that I like very much.