’Get to the airport early for this lounge experience’
After undergoing a $56m renovation in 2020, this business class facility in Changi is bigger, brighter and better.
After undergoing a $56m renovation in 2020, this business class facility in Changi is bigger, brighter and better.
Location
A permanent fixture in best airport rankings, Singapore’s Changi is easy enough to navigate thanks to plentiful electronic flight boards and other signage. After breezing through check-in with my carry-on case, it’s a fast walk through security to the Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris lounge in Terminal 3. A 12m glass art installation featuring more than 100 handcrafted flowers makes for an unmissable entrance area up the escalator, where smiling guest relations staff scan my boarding pass and welcome me inside. Having undergone a $56m renovation in 2020, the lounge is now 40 per cent larger and at least 50 per cent brighter, with lots of natural light and a much airier feel than the dark, cavernous space I recall from a pre-Covid visit.
Seating
Behind a wall displaying the Singapore Airlines’ batik motif lies enough variations in seating to suit every traveller. Turn right, and there’s an extended veranda-style area with chairs and tables, while a left turn reveals sumptuous winged armchairs, curved lounges, bar stools at benches and semi-private cubicles for work or reading. I settle into a roomy leather seat, which remarkably looks almost new – no grubby marks on the arms or worn cushions. In fact every piece of furniture appears clean and barely used, which is no easy feat in such a busy 24-hour lounge. With capacity for 570 people, it is likely thousands pass through here every day, and although there are plenty of seats filled ahead of my 10am flight, it is not hard to find somewhere to relax.
Food and drink
Singapore Airlines has never disappointed in the culinary stakes and my only regret on this occasion is my lack of appetite after a hotel breakfast. There’s so much to choose from – fresh fruit, sandwiches and pastries, cheese boards, dim sum, chicken karaage and other Asian-style meals. A “DIY noodle station” is a new addition, with guests able to create their own concoction using ingredients such as fish balls, wonton, cabbage and chilli. If you’d rather someone else did the cooking, a chef is on hand to whip up a laksa or Japanese udon dish within a matter of minutes. A magical wine-dispensing machine pours small, medium or large glasses of bottled red or white at the push of a button (where can I get one?); there’s self- serve Taittinger Champagne and a cocktail bar operates from 5.30pm to 1am. A barista brews coffees between 6am and 10am, and for the rest of the time there’s an extremely well-stocked tea and coffee station. Despite so much eating and drinking going on, I don’t spot a single uncleared table, thanks to the attentive staff.
Work and tech
Tucked away in the depths of the lounge is a room full of single “office” cubicles for those who want to escape the buzz of the main lounge. Almost every one is in use during my visit but that’s not a drama when there are so many other seats available with power outlets and charging sockets and positioned within convenient distance to the bar.
Refresh
There’s nothing like a hot shower mid-travels and the shower suites in the SilverKris lounge make the experience bliss. The water pressure is perfect, the rooms are spotless and the towels and bath mats are super absorbent, ensuring the floor is never wet and slippery. A selection of toiletries means I don’t have to trawl through my bag to find lotion or toothpaste, and there’s a decent hairdryer, and full-length mirror to boot.
Extras
A nap room is another new feature of the SilverKris lounge makeover, offering 14 “sleep pods” with chaise longues. The pods are not fully enclosed but the room is dark and far enough away from the hubbub that sleep is a possibility.
Verdict
Even before the makeover, the SilverKris lounge was one of the better ones in this region, thanks to its size, cleanliness and food and beverage offerings. The renovation has taken its strengths up several notches and added a couple of new incentives to get to the airport well before departure.
Robyn Ironside was a guest of Singapore Airlines.
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