HONG KONG: What's being touted as the world's first "pay-in" travellers' lounge opened on Monday at the Hong Kong International Airport.

The 15,000 square foot lounge lets any passenger, regardless of cabin class, use its facilities including buffet meals and spa treatments.

For about US$50 for two hours, passengers can kick back and enjoy various services in the Wi-Fi enabled lounge - including a private resting area, shower facilities and a hot buffet meal.

The Travellers' Lounge can accommodate up to 300 visitors at a time, and it is hoping to appeal to passengers with a little more time on their hands with a full range of spa treatments.

One of the highlights is the 'Hauslauer Soft-Pack System' - a treatment offering a relaxing sensation of floating weightlessly without getting wet.

The flagship lounge is the brainchild of local company Plaza Premium Lounge Management, which specialises in managing VIP airport lounges.

The firm has invested HK$15 million (US$$2 million) in the facility. It seeks to tap into the estimated 85 per cent of economy class travellers, who have no lounge access.

Song Hoi-See, Founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Lounge, said: "When they travel this journey, they are bound to stop in one of the airports - either Hong Kong International Airport, Singapore International Airport, or Bangkok International Airport, or maybe Malaysia International Airport.

"But for those economy travellers, if they know after 12 hours travelling they have a nice place here to take a rest, they can have a good shower before the second leg of travelling, they are bound to choose Hong Kong."

Company executives believe the new facility will help attract more transit passengers on long-haul flights through the Asia-Pacific. - CNA/de