I visited the Shenzhen Airlines King Lounge at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport during my connection from Singapore to Shanghai. After arriving on Shenzhen Airlines flight ZH240, I had to clear immigration and customs, enter the domestic departures area and pass through security again before continuing to Shanghai Hongqiao on flight ZH9509.
By the time I reached the lounge, I had only around 15 minutes before I needed to leave for the gate. This wasn’t going to be a long visit, but that was enough time to see the layout, have a quick dinner and order an iced milk tea. The lounge had all the basics I needed during a short connection, though neither the food nor the room itself gave me a reason to arrive early for it.
There are several Shenzhen Airlines King Lounges across the domestic side of this enormous terminal. This review covers Hall 3. I’d chosen it because it was the closest lounge to the main security area, rather than walking through multiple halls in search of a supposedly better option. That’s probably the best way to approach the lounges here: use whichever one is convenient for your gate.
Location and access
Hall 3 is on the domestic side of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, after security and on the floor below the main departures level. The lounge isn’t immediately obvious from the concourse, so look for the overhead Shenzhen Airlines and Air China lounge sign beside the downward escalator.
Shenzhen Airlines’ current directions place Hall 3 next to Gate 20, on the left below the escalator after security. The airline lists four domestic King Lounges at Shenzhen Airport, numbered 1, 2, 3 and 5, as well as a separate international lounge. Given the size of the airport, you’ll save a fair amount of walking by checking which hall is closest to your departure gate.
I entered using my Star Alliance Gold status while travelling onwards on Shenzhen Airlines. The airline’s access page also lists eligible Shenzhen Airlines and Air China business class passengers, along with qualifying PhoenixMiles members. Shenzhen Airlines doesn’t publish fixed daily opening hours for these lounges as it says they operate during the hours of its flights.
Check-in at reception was prompt, and I was soon on my way down the hallway into the lounge.
Layout
The main lounge is one large hall divided into smaller sections by columns and decorative screens. Most of the front portion is filled with beige leather armchairs and sofas, generally arranged around low side tables. There’s a lot of seating, although the combination of patterned carpet, gold columns and illuminated ceiling features makes the room look rather old-fashioned.
A circular counter in the middle of the hall held some small snacks. This broke up the seating area and meant passengers didn’t always need to walk to the dining section for something small.
The dining area is towards the rear of the lounge. It has proper tables and chairs, along with long booth seats beside some of the tables. I’d sit here if I were eating, since the low tables beside the armchairs are better suited to a drink than a plate of buffet food.
I wasn’t in the lounge long enough to try working there or test the Wi-Fi and power sockets. For my brief visit, the distinction between the front seating and the dining area was more useful: I could go straight to the buffet, eat and leave without carrying a plate through the main hall.
Food and drinks
You’ll find two main places to get food and drinks. Close to the entrance, a small cafe counter had pastries and a coffee and tea menu. I ordered an iced milk tea here before walking over to the buffet.
Refrigerators in the dining area held a selection of chilled drinks, while another cabinet contained more pastries. Everything’s self-serve apart from the drinks ordered at the cafe counter.
The hot buffet was predominantly Chinese. It started with fried rice and several other hot dishes, including braised meat and vegetables. It isn’t a huge spread, but there’s enough here for a proper meal.
There was also cabbage with wood ear mushrooms and carrots, followed by pots of soup and congee. You wouldn’t need to rely entirely on snacks if you arrived during a meal period.
The dim sum section used stacked bamboo steamers. The selection included cheese durian buns, other steamed buns and glutinous rice shaomai.
I put together a small dinner with fried rice, braised meat, cabbage with wood ear mushrooms and carrots, a cheese durian bun and glutinous rice shaomai, with the iced milk tea from the cafe. The food was average. It wasn’t a bad spread for dinner during a connection, but nothing I tried would make me choose this particular hall over another lounge that was closer to my gate.
Amenities
Showers
The lounge has its own shower and locker room, along with washrooms. I was running out of time and didn’t use the shower, so I can’t comment on the water pressure, cleanliness inside the shower room or whether there is normally a queue. Its presence is still useful for anyone connecting from a longer flight with more time than I had.
Washrooms
Complimentary toiletries were provided in the washroom area. Again, I didn’t have time to do more than take a quick look.
VIP private rooms
There are also several private VIP rooms. I didn’t use one, look around inside or ask how the rooms were assigned, so I can’t say which passengers can access them.
Children’s play area
The children’s play area sits on the left side of the hallway near the entrance, with a small table, child-sized chair and high chair. It’s basic, but parents at least have somewhere inside the lounge for younger children to sit and play.
Concluding thoughts
The Shenzhen Airlines King Lounge at Hall 3 was okay for the 15 minutes I had. I could sit down, get a quick dinner and order an iced milk tea without wandering much farther into a very large airport. There’s also a shower, washrooms and a children’s area if you’ve got a longer wait.
I wouldn’t arrive early specifically for this lounge. The lounge looks dated and the food was average, even though the buffet was broad enough for a full meal. Its strongest quality is convenience, especially if you already have access through your cabin or Star Alliance Gold status and Hall 3 is near your departure gate.
If my next Shenzhen Airlines flight left from the same part of the terminal, I’d use the lounge again. If the gate were elsewhere, I’d go to whichever King Lounge was closest rather than cross the airport for Hall 3. With several halls available, the walking time is more likely to affect the experience than any small difference between them.
