Singapore Airlines has revealed some long-awaited news today, confirming that a S$50 million major revamp of the SilverKris and KrisFlyer Gold lounges at Changi Airport Terminal 3 will kick off next month.
The existing facilities, now over 11 years old, will be replaced with brand new designs by American international hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates. A fresh look and ‘modern yet homely’ feel is promised.
The Business Class lounge will get a full service bar, while KrisFlyer Elite Gold members will rejoice in the news that their Gold lounge will finally get its own toilets and showers!
Completion is due by mid-2021, and the project will also include a brand new ‘The Private Room’.
SilverKris Business Class Lounge
The first lounge to be updated will be the SilverKris Business Class lounge, with work starting next month in August 2019.
The new lounge will be an expanded space, to accommodate more customers. That’s welcome news for those familiar with the late night crowds in the existing facility prior to the bank of midnight departures to Europe, Australia and the USA.
The lounge will be split into four distinct ‘zones’:
- A ‘relaxed café’ for short transits, featuring light snacks.
- A full ‘dining hall’ featuring a selection of Asian and international cuisines, including live stations that will offer signature local delights.
- A full service manned bar, which doubles up as a self service breakfast station in the mornings (but we hope still pours a Champagne or Bloody Mary even at those hours!).
- A ‘Productivity Pod and rest area’ for customers who need a discreet corner to catch up on work, or get some sleep on a chaise lounge before their flight.
SilverKris First Class Lounge
The revamped First Class lounge is flagged as a carefully designed luxurious and intimate space, suitable for both work and rest.
It will continue to feature a flagship bar, unsurprising since a manned bar will now also be available in the Business Class lounge.
The Private Room
No word on a spa or cocktail bar like we were hoping for, but The Private Room will of course retain its renowned full-service fine dining section.
Singapore Airlines say that “customers can look forward to an enhanced epicurean journey with fresh and seasonally curated dining offerings, on top of the perennial local favourites.”
We reviewed The Private Room recently, and it’s great to see it included in the list of upgrades, since we concluded it’s well past its prime.
KrisFlyer Gold Lounge
No doubt currently the most underwhelming of the lot, the new KrisFlyer Gold lounge at T3 will have double its existing capacity when it opens in the final phase of the project. Singapore Airlines has promised:
- Dedicated working spaces
- Al fresco seating and dining areas
- Restrooms and showers within the lounge
From the end of this month the existing KrisFlyer Gold lounge at Terminal 3 will close, and move to a temporary facility we understand to be near the ‘Singapore Food Street’ dining outlets on Level 3 of Changi Terminal 3, towards the ‘A’ gates.
We don’t know much about this facility yet, except that Singapore Airlines has confirmed it is equipped with restrooms and showers, two big advantages already over the existing lounge.
Eligible passengers can alternatively make use of the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge in Terminal 2 if they prefer.
Hirsch Bedner Associates
Only three artist’s impressions of the new facilities have been released so far by Singapore Airlines, from Santa Monica-based design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates. Handily enough, the company also has an office in Singapore, close to River Valley Road.
They will be responsible for the design of all these new lounges, which must now probably stand the test of the next decade before Singapore Airlines moves across to Terminal 5 in the early 2030s.
Previous projects by the firm, predominantly specialising in hotels, include the Fairmont Sirru Fen Fushi in the Maldives, Le Meridien Shanghai Minhang, Raffles Jakarta and the Indigo Bangkok.
The project
Overall there will be four phases to the project. The Business Class lounge will be renovated First, progressively in sections.
That’s the likely reason for the KrisFlyer Gold lounge moving to a temporary location from 31st July 2019, as the construction work will likely see some Business Class customers directed to the space formerly occupied by this existing lounge.
Later the First Class lounge will be revamped, followed by The Private Room and finally the (permanent) KrisFlyer Gold lounge will come last.
Some customers will be asked to use temporary lounges during the construction period, but apart from the alternative KrisFlyer Gold lounge we’re not sure at this stage who else this may affect.
Summary
It’s great news to finally hear that the long overdue revamp of Singapore Airlines’ flagship Terminal 3 lounges is about to get underway.
The existing facilities, at 11 years old, have seen minimal renovations and changes over that time, and as our recent review of The Private Room confirms, they are all getting rather dated to say the least.
The upgrades of the First Class Lounge and The Private Room in particular should help Singapore Airlines stand up against the upcoming Qantas Singapore First Lounge, set to feature a manned cocktail bar and à la carte dining when it opens in November this year.
Overall, a S$50 million investment should see these lounge facilities fit for the next 10 years, with current plans seeing the airline set to move to Terminal 5 in the 2030s.
(Cover Image: Singapore Airlines)
A KFGL is ready for use in the coming weeks behind the Singapore Foot Street. But any sense when the business lounge will be ready?
No indication of the specific completion schedule yet but we will update once we know. Given that the Business Class lounge is being renovated first and the whole project will be around 24 months, it would be reasonable to assume perhaps 6-9 months, so hopefully we will see it completed in early 2020.
Is it just me or does the first picture you put in the business lounge section already look really dated?
How long will the current private room still available? Flying in first in mid August and wondering if I can still take advantage.
The Private Room will be the third lounge to be renovated after the Business and First lounges are completed, so we’d expect the current lounge to be available until mid-2020.
You’ll be fine in mid August!