Travelers' Lounge in Hong Kong Airport - Worth the money?
 

Hi! I have a 12 hour layover in Hong Kong in 3-months time. I've heard about the Travelers' Lounge which is similar to an airline lounge but can be accessed by any passenger. Has anyone tried this before?

With 12 hours I would go into the city and perhaps use the pay lounge at the end for a shower to freshen up. Your luggage should be checked through to your final destination and you can leave your carry-on at the left luggage in the airport.

Unless your layover is all at night, do go into Hong Kong. You can get a taste of the city in that much time. Public transport is economical and easy. Follow Hanuman's instructions about your luggage.

For twelve hours, I would go into HK. I only had six hours and used the lounge. It was fine for that, I got a good rest, drinks, watched movies and relaxed before the flight. They also had some pretty tasty food, but that was many years ago.

I've been to the lounge, and I have to say it's not really worth it. It's kind of expensive, the food was so-so, and it's not such a relaxing environment ... it's not nearly as plush as, say, the Cathay lounge. I'd follow the advice of others and go into the city.

Agreed. Not that impressed, and not someplace I'd like to spend more than 2-3 hours if I have a choice.

Knowing the time of your layover would be helpful. If you are there from after about 10 pm, you might prefer the lounge as most shops and restaurants close by about 11 pm, and very little is open after midnight or before 7-8 am. (Hong Kong is not an airport which is busy 24 hours a day like Dubai or Singapore). The paid lounge may offer recliners that might be more comfortable for a short nap.(There are loungers in some of the public areas of the airport.) Also if you want a shower, then the lounge may be a good idea. Otherwise, the airport has numerous food offerings, a few spa/massage shops, and lots of sitting areas, so you should be able to make yourself comfortable. (If you don't mind sleeping on carpet, there a very large open areas near virtually every gate where you could lie down.) There is a multi-media area which offers free internet. I also believe the lounges offer a shower-only option for HK$150, so you should be able to get a shower without having to pay for all the other lounge extras.

If your layover is during the day, I agree you should make an effort to see Hong Kong. See http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...what-to-do.cfm for some thoughts on what you might see and do.

Thanks for everyone's replies. Yes, the layover is during the night. I would be arriving at around 8pm in Hong Kong and flying out at 8am, the next day. I was considering the lounge because when I last checked the rates of hotels around the airport, it was at USD130-150 and above. So, trying to figure out if a lounge is fine for overnight or should i just pay an extra USD50-70 for a hotel room?

12 hours is beyond my comfort level to sit around an airport. Also, if you are facing another long-haul flight the next day, trying to “sleep” at the airport would I think only add to you overall exhaustion when you finally arrive at your destination. I would get a hotel room, esp. as the rates for the lounge are not that much less than the hotel prices I am seeing. As you probably have learned, there are three hotels at the airport, the Regal Airport, the Novotel City gate and the Marriott Sky city. The Regal is IN the terminal and so the most convenient as you can walk. I am seeing slighter cheaper rate for May at the Sky city or the Novotel, which are just a shuttle ride away and so would be fine as well. The Novotel is also on the subway line for going into Hong Kong if you wanted to try that; but bear in mind that with an 8 pm arrival, IMO the earliest you could be starting for the city is about 9:30 pm, and as the subway only runs until 1 am, it may not be worth it. You can always take a taxi from downtown Hong Kong back to the hotel if you stay past 1 am, but that won’t be cheap.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you check-in for your connecting flight when you arrive into Hong Kong. You don’t want to be checking-in with the other passengers in the morning. If you are flying the same airline on both sectors, hopefully they can ticket you for both sectors when you check in for the flight to Hong Kong. Otherwise, just go to the correct transfer desk and get the boarding pass, these are before Immigration, just follow signs. As you have only 12 hours between flights, you should be able to check in for the connecting flight; but if you are flying to the US the rules may be different. Also make sure you large bags are checked all the way through from your original destination to your final destination, just have a carry on for the layover. You don’t want to lug bags around for 12 hours. If you are unable to do this, there is storage at the airport.

Thanks Cicerone! Let me, print this all out. :)