Unpacking Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 3

Flying has been magical, and travellers always look forward to extending that flight experience. For passengers flying on Singapore Airlines’ First and Business Class, the airline’s SilverKris Lounge spices up that pre-flight experience a notch.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) operates from Singapore, so I was naturally excited to check out its flagship lounge at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 when I flew on their business class to Tokyo.

Promising a full range of food and beverage options, shower and work facilities, the SilverKris Lounge was designed to suit the needs of the airline’s clientele. Here’s my first hand experience visiting the fabled lounge before my first business class flight on Singapore Airlines.

SilverKris Lounge – An Overview

Located in Changi Airport Terminal 3 near the A gates, the journey started when I stepped onto the escalator leading to the SilverKris Lounge. The lounge’s sign, intricately designed with the kerbaya motif, loomed as I approached the entrance, drumming up the excitement and expectation for first timers like me.

My first reaction upon stepping into the lounge, however, was “wow… This place is crowded.”

Business Class travellers are invited to use the SilverKris Lounge. However, SIA was still operating all its flights out of Terminal 3. Coupled with my flight (SQ636) being smack right in the middle of the evening bank, the lounge was soaking up quite an amount of passenger traffic.

Past the reception, I could see that it was generally split into 2 sections. The north wing sported an open-air concept, which allowed one to bathe in the hustle and bustle of the terminal below. Turning left brought me to the south wing, which felt cosy thanks to the earth-toned furnishing and warm lighting. Interestingly, the south wing seemed noisier, perhaps due to the enclosed space.

It took my travel group a while, trodding the entire length of the lounge, to find adjacent seats in the north wing. Granted, the counter seats were all empty, but hanging my short Asian legs over the high counter seats just wasn’t high on my priority list.

There was also a range of other seating options. There were sofas arranged to cater to families, pods equipped with laptop tables for the travelling workers, and oversized couches for those who just wanted to sink in and relax. They only lacked seating for those who wanted a quick snooze, like those I found in the Cathay Pacific Lounge.

Savouring the Food at SilverKris Lounge

After settling in our booth seats, I went to explore the food section. At one glance, the food section was comparable to a decent hotel buffet spread. The spread was systematically split into hot food, cold cuts and beverages. 

Half of the hot food was Indian cuisine, with the other half made up of other Asian food (like fried rice, stir-fried vegetables and dim sum) and Western cuisine (like pasta and fried chicken nuggets).

My favourite was the Lor Mai Kai (Chicken Glutinous Rice), which looked deceivingly unappealing. Little did I expect the rice to be fluffy and infused with the right amount of umami from the braised chicken and mushroom. 

Upon recommendation, I also tried the Fried Chicken Nuggets, which were simple, but surprisingly gratifying! The fragrant meat was wrapped in a light and crispy coat which was easy on the palate.

Spread of Food at SilverKris Lounge

Throughout my stay, the fried rice was switched to chow mein, and then to some mixed vegetables. The spicy chicken also turned into teriyaki chicken. The dim sum, which I thought was decent, also seemed to move fast, with multiple bamboo baskets cleared under half an hour. That made me wonder why they didn’t allocate more precious real estate for these high-turnover Asian/Western cuisine.

One could also queue for a piping hot bowl of laksa or pasta, that is, if you have the patience. Of course, there was also a standard cold cuts section, which was put together with the fruits and cheese. These options were usually low on my priority at a buffet, so I simply gave them a miss.

There was also an island for hot beverages, where one could make coffee from the espresso machines, or have a go at one of the wide varieties of TWG tea. 

For those who like alcohol, you wouldn’t be disappointed with the offering from beers to wines. There was even a bar for those who really want the whole nine yards of drinking experience. As a coffee and water person, these corners were just fancy decorations in the lounge.

Shower Facilities at SilverKris Lounge

We went to make an appointment for the shower room right after entering the SilverKris Lounge. Despite that, the earliest time slot was 2 hours away. That was how crowded the lounge was! Thankfully, we checked-in early to cater to such situations.

Enjoyable Parts of SilverKris Lounge Shower

The shower room was clean, smelled fresh, came with a bidet toilet, and was rather well-equipped. “Rather”, because you can have a quick shower without much hassle. Towels, shampoo, body gel, shaving kits and dental kits were all provided, making the experience a “come-and-use” level of convenience. 

One can choose between the rain shower, or the plain-old shower head, which itself also comes with 3 modes. As someone who likes strong water pressure, I truly enjoyed the session. The body gel was also fragrant and didn’t leave an uncomfortable layer of oil.

The toilet came with a bidet, and a rather advanced one too. Apart from the usual position adjustment, the jet can also oscillate to simulate the cleaning process. There was also an option to “air dry” post-wash.

Apart from the shower gel / shampoo / conditioner, the other “kits”, like the towel and dental kits, were all individually packed for hygiene purposes.

Room For Improvement of SilverKris Lounge Shower

Here’s the “but”. One thing that the shower facilities of the SilverKris Lounge lacked was the provision of bathroom slippers. Mind you, this was the first airport lounge shower room I had used that came without bathroom slippers. This made moving around the shower room post-shower a slight hassle. I mean, I wouldn’t want my clean feet to touch the floor, which I had just stepped around in my shoes!

The shower room was both spacious and short of space at the same time. Case in point, there was a flat surface which was sufficient for me to place my backpack, or sit on to put on my shoes, but not both. 

The shower controls also sported a unique design… A design that wasn’t user-intuitive. For example, the top knob was used to turn on either the rain shower or normal shower head, but lacked indication of which direction to turn in order to switch to the one I desired. If you aren’t expecting to wash your hair, you would most certainly be annoyed when the water pours down from the rain shower. 

Another nagging issue (pun intended) was how the staff chatted loudly outside the shower rooms. Incessantly. It was as though they were trying to remind me that there were watchful people outside who would know when I took a slightly longer time in the shower… taking bathroom selfies.

Personal Take on Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge 

After the shower, we changed location as the north wing’s air conditioning was exceedingly unbearable. When I started sweating even when seated, it meant the ambient temperature was 28C, which was unacceptable for Singapore standards. This was not really the kind of warmth I was expecting from the lounge.

All in all, the design of the SilverKris Lounge, from the design language to the amenities, was top-notch, yet far from perfect. Like the “spacious but not spacious” shower room, most parts of the lounge gave me that “got it, but yet missing something” feel. 

There was no doubt that the furnishing was of top quality, but it somehow felt like they were just throwing the posh in the face and made the lounge one dimensional. Similarly, it was apparent the buffet spread took up almost a quarter of the public space, but yet the skew towards serving one type of cuisine or beverage (alcohol) made it feel like the lounge was just designed for travellers from a single country, which runs contrary to the image of an international, metropolitan airline.

Even more ironic, we’re talking about Singapore Airlines’ flagship lounge right here in Singapore. “Singapore the multi-cultural gateway to Southeast Asia” was just an empty slogan here.

Parting Words

Personal thoughts aside, is Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 3 worth the hassle to check in 3 hours early for your flight?

Yes, if you had never experienced the SilverKris Lounge, or you needed to take that TikTok worthy video. If not, the airport has lots of shops and eating places to keep you entertained before your flight. If you have a business class ticket and feel obliged to pay the lounge a visit, do it, but perhaps as a rest stop in between your shopping and flight. Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge at Changi Airport felt like the Silver City in The Neverending Story.

Till then, stay wanderlust!

All photos and videos were taken using Google Pixel 4a, and edited with Google Photos.