SIA’s SilverKris Lounge in Hong Kong is being refurbished – opening August?

Last month we reported on Singapore Airlines’ latest lounge renovation project, which will see selected overseas SilverKris facilities pick up a refresh – likely to mean a brand new design closely aligned to the carrier’s latest home base lounges at Changi Airport Terminal 3.

At the time we flagged Perth, Melbourne, Taipei and Hong Kong as likely candidates for a refresh, but the carrier has remained tight-lipped about which lounges are going under the knife, and won’t provide other specifics like project timelines and design concepts at this stage.

“We are reviewing the plans for our overseas SilverKris Lounge upgrades and will share them at the appropriate time.”

SIA Spokesperson

Well we passed through Hong Kong earlier this week and can confirm some exciting news about the SilverKris lounge there.

The Hong Kong SKL is under refit

The SilverKris Lounge in Hong Kong has remained closed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and even now despite four wide-body SIA departures to Singapore each day – including an Airbus A380 option – there’s been no sign of a reopening.

Eligible SIA passengers are currently directed to the Plaza Premium First Lounge, though based on reader reports it’s a shadow of its former self with a very slimmed-down offering, plus some crowding issues that have also been seen at the regular Plaza Premium facility since Hong Kong’s border relaxations.

Thankfully there is now plenty of activity behind the scenes at the SilverKris lounge, but it’s not just a case of pulling the covers off the furniture and firing up the coffee machines again – we’re happy to confirm that a full revamp is in the works.

“Please be informed that [the Hong Kong] SilverKris lounge is undergoing refurbishment to enhance out guest’s lounge experience.”

Sign at the Hong Kong SKL entrance

The lounge entrance is now covered in construction sheets, with a posted public construction notice (required by HKIA) confirming that a three-month refurbishment is underway behind the dust sheets.

According to the work permit, a 15-strong team will operate at the site for fitout and “general refurbishment works” for over three months from 9th May 2023 to 15th August 2023.

There’s certainly a lot of work going on – even the existing lounge entrance signage is now covered in dust from all the activity happening inside!

Hopefully this means we now have only around two months’ wait before we see a fully renovated Singapore Airlines lounge in Hong Kong reopen its doors, great news since this has been a long-awaited addition to the network among our regular readers.

The new design itself is under wraps, but we expect it to closely mirror the latest Changi Airport T3 SilverKris lounge concept.

That should mean a range of seating including the latest productivity pods and high bar stool options, plus a tended bar for barista coffee in the mornings and stronger tipples after sundown.

About the Hong Kong SKL

The Hong Kong SKL received the ‘Home Away From Home’ design by ONG&ONG back in October 2014, nearly nine years ago. It was only the second overseas lounge to get this treatment, after an initial debut in Sydney was unveiled in December 2013.

Four further lounges then picked up a similar refresh, in London, Manila, Brisbane and Bangkok, followed by a final refit in Seoul that really moved away from the concept to a more ‘halfway house’ style by Singapore’s DP Design, much closer to the finish seen at the latest T3 lounges.

The Seoul SKL reopens on 5th June 2023, following its own three-year COVID shuttering.

The SilverKris lounge in Hong Kong has an internal position with no natural light, but prior to the pandemic boasted a tended bar, plenty of the airline’s first-generation productivity pods, and three private shower suites to freshen up before your flight.

Showers are a missing feature at some of the airline’s other overseas SKLs in Bangkok, Manila and Perth, so it’s great to see them available here, though their availability was always annoyingly ‘sporadic’, apparently due to repeated technical issues.

Hopefully those issues can be permanently fixed in this latest upgrade and (reliable) shower suites similar to those seen at the Changi T3 SKL will be a feature here.

The Hong Kong SKL also featured a separate First Class section, for those departing in Suites or First Class, or holding Solitaire PPS Club status. Hopefully this too will return, given the premium-heavy traffic on SIA’s Hong Kong route.

This section included à la carte dining, traditionally offering local noodle soup among other favourites like laksa, while Champagne upgraded from Moët in the Business Class section to Veuve Clicquot over here.

The SilverKris lounge in Hong Kong is located on Level 6, one floor down from the check-in level, on the right side directly after passing through immigration and security, near Gate 5.

Once it reopens later this year, it looks set to be the only Star Alliance facility at the airport, with the United Club near Gate 61 still closed, and the Thai Airways facility permanently axed, so it will no doubt become the go-to lounge for all eligible passengers departing on Star Alliance carriers from Hong Kong.

Access (Business Class section)

The following passengers are able to access SIA’s SilverKris Business lounge in Hong Kong, when departing on a Singapore Airlines or Star Alliance member operated flight:

• in Suites Class or First Class (+1 guest)
• in Business Class (passenger only)
• in any cabin class when holding KrisFlyer Elite Gold, PPS or Solitaire PPS status (+1 guest)
• in any cabin class when holding Star Alliance Gold status (+1 guest)

In all cases your guest (where permitted) must be departing on the same flight as you, as part of a policy that was tightened last year.

Additionally, only when flying on a Singapore Airlines flight:

• Virgin Australia Velocity Platinum and Gold status members, in any cabin class (+1 guest)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold status members, in any cabin class (passenger only)

Additionally, only when flying on a Scoot flight:

• in any cabin class when holding Solitaire PPS status (+1 guest)

Again your guest (where permitted) must be travelling on the same Singapore Airlines, Star Alliance member or Scoot operated flight as you.

Access (First Class section)

We assume the Hong Kong SKL will retain its dedicated section for First Class passengers, connected to the main lounge.

In this case, the following passengers are entitled to access the First Class section:

• Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance First Class (or Suites) travellers
• Solitaire PPS Club members travelling on Singapore Airlines or Scoot

Other overseas SKLs

Once the Hong Kong SilverKris Lounge reopens later this year, hopefully as early as August 2023, it should be the ninth facility back on the network, with seven other reopenings in recent months, as shown below.

This will leave only one overseas SKL still to return to the fold – in Taipei.

That’s another lounge long overdue a makeover, along with Melbourne and Perth, which never even received the ‘Home away from home’ makeover, so hopefully there will also be some further renovation news at those facilities to report soon.

Singapore Airlines is upgrading some of its overseas SilverKris lounges, and it’s looking like Hong Kong may be the first, with some heavy renovations happening over a three-month period.

These works are set to be completed by 15th August 2023, and all being well we would then expect to see this lounge reopen with its refurbished design in the second half of that month.

It will be interesting to see how closely the decor and finish of the lounge mimics the latest home base facilities at Changi T3, which we expect is now the ‘brand standard’, given that the ‘Home away from home’ concept has run its course.

Stay tuned for the latest on SIA’s overseas SilverKris lounge reopenings and renovations. As soon as we receive the details – so do you.

(Cover Photo: MainlyMiles)