The room within a room groupings at Singapore Airlines’ Changi Airport lounge The Private Room.
It’s generally acknowledged by frequent flyers that Singapore Changi International Airport is the best airport in the world matched by Singapore Airlines’ service in the air. Today, after a year’s delay due to the pandemic and with Singapore’s borders now open to international travelers, the airline’s four lounges in Terminal 3 are open after a $36.5 million investment to bring that part of the flying experience into line with the rest.
A separate seating area within The Private Room
The first aspect of the expansion and upgrade is space. Together, The Private Room, reserved for 78 Suite and First Class passengers, the First Class and Business Class sections of the SilverKris Lounge and the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge measure 65,660 square feet, a 30% increase over the previous space and enough to comfortably seat 1,150 passengers.
The dining area in The Private Room
Within that space, the specific enhancements in the new lounges were created from the results of surveying the airline’s customers, according to Mr. Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines. “Extensive customer engagement and research have gone into the design of the new SilverKris and KrisFlyer Gold lounges. Customers will enjoy thoughtfully curated product offerings and experience the signature Singapore Airlines hospitality, all within a comfortable and restful environment, ensuring that they are refreshed and ready for their journey,” he explains. “Opening these lounges at this time signals our commitment to SIA’s premium brand and growth strategy. It reinforces our position as Changi Airport’s anchor airline and reflects our confidence in Singapore’s future as a pre-eminent global air hub.”
Designed by noted hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates, The Private Room has elite design touches such as carved Lalique crystal ginger flowers as overhead light fixtures and curved leather seating, some in groups of two and four in the communal space, others in private pods separated by wooden shelves. For those who’d rather rest between flights, there are four day rooms: two with Poltrana Frau reclining chairs, two with those chairs plus Tempur Zero Gravity beds with Tempur Firm Supreme mattresses. Those who choose food over rest have the dining area serving an a la carte menu plus a barista creating coffees to order and a wall of wines and champagnes.
The Lalique Crystal Bar in the SilverKris Lounge’s First Class section.
Lalique crystal ginger blossoms make an appearance in the SilverKris First Lounge as well, notably in a column behind the circular bar. Seating areas with contemporary gray leather seats and tables positioned for either dining or work are populated by seats in groups of two along with private cabins. The dining area features a modern, urban supper club design and both a buffet area and live cooking stations serving Singaporean and international specialties. This lounge also has four day rooms, two with the Poltrana Frau recliners and two with those chairs and the Tempur Zero Gravity Beds.
The productivity pods in the SilverKris First Class section,
Opened just before the other two lounges, the SilverKris Business Lounge, accessible to passengers in that class of service and PPS Club members, is also 20% larger than its previous version and features four separate seating sections including pods for working, an extensive self service buffet and a new full service bar with a barista in the morning and a bartender in the evening. The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge, double its previous size and also featuring contemporary design, has an expanded dining area, new shower facilities and unlike the premiere lounges, a view of the runway for those who enjoy watching the takeoffs and landings at this very busy airport, an entry point to so many destinations in Asia.
Modular seating in the SilverKris Lounge Business Class section.