Hospitality Design - December 2013 - 85

airline lounges now
A canceled flight typically elicits panic and frustration, but with luxe
new airport lounges the waiting game doesn't have to be so harsh. As a
result of Delta's long-awaited $1.2 billion expansion of Terminal 4 at JFK,
passengers take to the Sky Club's outdoor terrace, the Sky Deck. Designed
by Thom Filicia in collaboration with Architectural Digest, the rooftop
space is the first of its kind in the U.S., outfitted with custom outdoor rugs,
furniture flaunting woven rope surfaces, warming downlights, and large
mirrors. While iPads charge in one of the myriad outlets, the viewing
platform offers welcome distraction.
On the West Coast, international travelers will soon be able to relax
before their long hauls in the revamped Los Angeles Business Lounge at
LAX. Jointly owned by Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and British Airways-it's
managed by Qantas-it will debut in the second half of 2014 with seating
for 600-more than double its original size. A wine bar, open kitchen, glass
atrium, and circular fireplace are all part of the plan.
Hong Kong-based Plaza Premium Lounge Management Limited has
been busy in 2013, opening lounges in Toronto and Edmonton, Canada,
as well as Kota Kinabalu, Penang, and Kuching in Malaysia. For its new
15,000-square-foot flagship lounge in Hong Kong International Airport's
West Hall-the largest pay-in lounge in Asia-the team turned to local
firm Kinney Chan and Associates to create a space comprised of different,
appealing zones. There is the Hub, a bar area outfitted with self-serve wine
dispensers, for example, as well as the Market Place, serving the likes
of Chinese tea and dim sum. Honeycomb-style chairs double as private
booths in which to make phone calls, while clusters of plush seating
overlook the full-length windows that fill with panoramic views. In June,
Plaza Premium Lounge Management Limited will make its European
debut, setting up shop at the new Terminal 2: the Queen's Terminal at
London's Heathrow Airport. Here, there will be live cooking stations, a
champagne bar showcasing daily tapas selections, and an organic spa.
Looking ahead: pay-in airport lounge concepts for Macau, Sydney, and
Mumbai in 2014.

1

2
1. Plaza Premium
Lounge Management
Limited will make its
European debut in
London's Heathrow
Airport.

3

2. Delta's Sky Deck at
JFK's Terminal 4.
3. Plush seating at
Plaza Premium Lounge
Management Limited's
flagship space at the
Hong Kong International
Airport.

"A harmony of influencers, in no particular
order: book covers; the smell of lilies of the
valley growing in a forest; orange and pink
roses in a faceted crystal vase; folk art; parsley
and dill; 'hospitality' in the Slavic table
sense; the thoughtful elegance of gray; objects
that serve no purpose other than aesthetic
pleasure; textures of white; maximizing layers
of colors, patterns, and shapes; Therme Vals;
Bernini sculptures; and French oak parquet
floors."
Liubasha Rose
Starwood Capital

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