American Express operates a handful of Centurion lounges across major airports the United States, including in Dallas, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and New York (both LGA and JFK) and some internationally. Centurion lounges are considered to be among the best non airline affiliated lounges worldwide, so I was very excited to see what the Hong Kong lounge had to offer.
How to Access
Access to all Centurion lounges is complementary for American Express Platinum, Delta Reserve, and Centurion (black card) cardholders. Both Platinum and Centurion cardholders may bring up to two guests for free, however Delta Reserve cardholders must pay a fee of $50 per guest.
For more information of access and guest policies, click here.
The Lounge
After entering through the Centurion lounge’s signature entranceway, you’ll come down a long narrow walkway alongside several private meeting rooms which can be used subject to availability.
Straight ahead is the dining area which features a hot and cold buffet, cocktail bar, dining area and a small lounge seating area. There’s also a more exclusive space for Centurion cardholders (black card) only which I wasn’t able to see.
Buffet and Dining Area
This lounge is among the smaller ones at Hong Kong airport and during peak hours, I’d imagine it may be difficult to find a seat. However, when I visited the lounge in the early evening, it was only at about half capacity so we had no trouble finding a seat.
While I did find the lounge and all its furnishings looking stylish, both the dining area and lounge seating were not the most comfortable.
Dining Area
Dining Area
Dining Area
Lounge Seating Area
The lounge does have shower facilities, though I didn’t have time to check them out.
Food and Drinks
My favorite feature in this lounge was no doubt the cocktail bar. This was among the nicest bars you’ll find at any lounge worldwide and offers a range of drinks including several signature cocktails.
The buffet was average sized and offered salads, fruits, meat, cheese, four hot main dishes, and a small dessert selection. I didn’t really care for the food on offer, thought taste and quality was alright. I was mostly looking forward to trying to food onboard Qatar Airways’ A380 first class.
Bottom Line
Hong Kong airport has no shortage of great lounges. Aside from the incredible first and business class lounges operated by Cathay Pacific, several other airlines offer lounges in Hong Kong including Qantas, Emirates, United, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways. For Amex Platinum cardholders who don’t otherwise have lounge access, checking out the Centurion lounge is a no brainer. If you are flying business or first class with another airline, especially on Cathay Pacific, I wouldn’t bother going to the Centurion lounge which just isn’t quite as nice.
Overall I had a pleasant experience at the Centurion lounge and would happily return provided I don’t have a better option.
Qatar Airways First Class