Best lounge at Manila airport – Singapore Airlines Lounge, Terminal 3

I just found my new, favorite lounge at the Manila airport terminals: The recently opened Singapore Airline lounge at Manila’s Terminal 3! It is large and well designed, there is plenty of food and drink on offer and the staff is very professional and attentive – what more could you ask for at a departure lounge? Read my review of the Singapore Airlines Lounge at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Terminal 3, below!

Ever since Singapore Airlines (SQ) moved to the new terminal 3, it was using a temporary lounge set-up in the gate area, separated by half-height walls from the busy terminal, with hideous furniture. But finally…drumroll… behold the new lounge, on the level above international departures and overlooking the airfield!
You enter past the reception desk and a rack with a good selection of newspapers and magazines into the lounge. The space is nicely separated into a buffet and dining area, an open sitting area and some cubicle-like work spaces on the sides. The overall space is surprisingly large and was quite busy during my afternoon visit without becoming loud. The decor is in typical SQ colours of beige and brown – understated, tasteful and contemporary. It won’t offend anybody, but won’t win any design prices either!
SQ Lounge MNL - 1
The buffet offered a number of warm dishes, during this visit consisting of pasta, rice, a chicken curry, a vegetable dish and a Filipino pork dish. There were also sandwiches and snacks, as well as a good selection of soft drinks, several wines and other alcoholic drinks. Next to the buffet area was a large communal table as well as a few bistro-style tables to eat. The quality of food and wine on offer was better than in any of the other lounges in Manila I’ve been to. And so was the service: It must have been the first lounge where the staff was attentive enough to spot empty wine glasses and come around with wine bottles to offer refills – color me impressed.
Separated by dividers is the large open space with grouped sitting areas. On each side wall are a number of semi-private cubicles with small desks and outlets to get some work done. While there are TVs, they were quiet.
SQ Lounge MNL - 2The staff was making announcements in the lounge, but because there was only one SQ flight scheduled to depart it was appreciated and not disruptive. While there are restrooms available, the lounge doesn’t offer any shower facilities – probably not a big loss because SQ only offers short daytime flights and no connections in Manila.
Overall, this was a very pleasant surprise and a nice improvement over the Pacific Club Lounge that previously held the “best Manila lounge” title. The lounge is open to all SQ premium cabin passengers and also serves as the StarAlliance lounge for Gold elite members! I’d recommend it to anybody who has access – it’s the best place to spend your waiting time at the International Terminal 3!


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *