Review by CHC
I had the chance to use this lounge on my way up to Bangkok for a weekend conference and was glad to have the opportunity to use my Priority Pass to access it, as this was just recently opened to Priority Pass users.
The Changi Lounge at Jewel is a very welcome addition to the lounge offerings at Changi Airport, and will especially be of delight to traveler’s departing from Terminal 1 but who wants to have some time landside in Jewel (or has a companion who wants to explore Jewel but him/herself having no interest to do so). For my international readers, please do spend some time exploring the iconic structure before resting your feet in the lounge!
Previously, there was only 1 lounge landside in Changi, located at Terminal 3 – operating as the Haven. The Changi lounge is the second, and is by virtue of its presence in the iconic Jewel and being newer, is far superior.
It is located opposite the early check in counters in Jewel and Koi Signature on Level 1 Jewel. There is a direct connection to Terminal 1 and is located on the same level of Arrivals in Terminal 1. The lounge is open 24hours a day and is open to Priority Pass and Lounge Key users. Do take note of the restrictions however, as the lounge is only open to card users 4 hours prior to departure and for a maximum of 3 hours duration. I was there in the morning and the lounge was extremely quiet – probably due to the timing and the fact that the lounge is not very well known yet.
Priority Pass users are entitled to the buffet, showers and one beer. Ala-carte items, ordering off the bar, conference facilities and nap room are all payable. Upon registration, a valid boarding pass for departure is required. A little known fact shared with me by the supervisor of the day is that the Changi Lounge can serve as an arrival lounge as well, and hence may be of value to a few users e.g international travelers who are connecting on to a cruise and awaiting their cruise transfer.
The lounge itself is expansive with a small dedicated dining area located between the bar and the buffet line. The food selection (at breakfast) was decent, with a selection of hot food, pastries, sandwiches and finger food. As the lounge was quiet, I did not see any replenishment or removal of items during the hour or so I was there. A selection of beverages – both hot and cold were also available. The catering appears to be similar to the SATS lounges located air-side. The difference is that there was no make-to-order counter for laksa found in the SATS lounges.
The lounge area has adequate seating with a mixture of sofas, chaise lounges and armchairs. There were a selection of newspapers and periodicals, but otherwise, not much else to do. Electrical sockets with USB ports were available at most of the seating spots. There are 2 meeting rooms which I did not view and a few nap pods available for booking.
If there was a flaw to the design of the lounge, is that it has no toilet facility within the lounge itself. To get access to the toilets, one needs to walk out a side door to use the common toilets (which are accessible by all and sundry) in Jewel. The even bigger problem is that if you did not get the access code prior to going to the toilet, you would need to walk one big round to enter via the front entrance. I made this comment in passing to the supervisor on my way out and she did mention rather helpfully that if one had asked any of the staff, they would have provided the code number for the electronic lock to allow one to enter the lounge back via the same exit.
On the whole, the Changi Lounge lives up to the billing of the “jewel” of independent lounges not run by any of the airlines. The space is beautiful and relaxing, and is sited optimally for both departing and arriving guests. I will recommend using this lounge if you are exiting via Terminal 1 , or would like to spend time in Jewel upon arrival.
That Time Of The Year! 