Review: The Private Room at Changi Airport (Singapore Airlines) – Best Food I Had In An Airport Lounge

One of the perks of flying in Suites Class with Singapore Airlines is the golden ticket you get at the check-in counter which gives you access to The Private Room – a lounge which SQ has carefully carved out from the Silverkris Business Class and even the First Class Lounge.

“If SQ already has a First Class Lounge, then what is the purpose of The Private Room?“, you might ask. Simply put, The Private Room is the lounge for passengers traveling on SQ First Class (including Suites) while the First Class Lounge is for passengers flying on Star Alliance partner airlines or those with PPS Solitaire frequent flyer status.

Upon showing my golden ticket, an attendant escorted me all the way from the SilverKris Business Class Lounge entrance through the First Class Lounge and into The Private Room. Compared to the other lounges where PPS Solitaire members may bring a guest in, The Private Room is strictly for passengers flying in First Class.

Given these nuances, I thought The Private Room would carry a highly exclusive air but physically, it did not immediately appear so. On the bright side, the seat density is admittedly not as high as the other lounges so you at least get a bit more space here.

One of the key features of The Private Room is an elaborate dining area setup with interiors that look quite similar to a high-end steakhouse. Think chairs in brown tones that carry the scent of new leather and with dim lighting. The color scheme is not dissimilar to the newly upholstered business class seats in J in SQ’s A350s.

I first visited The Private Room the evening before my flight as I was staying overnight at the Aerotel Singapore in Terminal 1. Service was efficient and I was immediately handed the menu upon taking my seat in the dining area. The Private Room serves a lunch/dinner menu from 10:30AM onwards while there’s a different breakfast menu from 5:30AM to 10:30AM.

I started off with some satay. It went along nicely with the Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires champagne.

I then proceeded with one of my favorite comfort dishes – Claypot Rice. The version here is catered more for western tastes and did not have the charred rice by the edges.

You could order as much as you like from the menu. I was starting to get a bit full at this point but I thought I had enough room to try the Baked Lobster with 3 Cheeses.

I ended the meal with a sinful scoop of strawberry ice cream.

After having dinner, I went around the lounge for a walk. I spotted a computer station available for passenger use.

There are also separate rooms within The Private Room – one for families complete with a sink and a number of chairs and a few private booths from where passengers can get some shut eye or have conversations on the phone.

The bulk of the passengers who are not having their meals at the dining area will find themselves sitting on one of the armchairs. It’s quite a private space as the seats are surrounded by relatively high partitions. It’s also a low traffic lounge and I could spot no more than a dozen people while I was there. With the silence, one could easily hear any noise – such as the business conversations of fellow passengers which were quite audible even from a few seats away.

The lavatories are quite luxurious with shower facilities and toiletries from Tuscan Soul.

I returned to The Private Room the next morning for breakfast after checking out of the transit hotel. I was feeling quite peckish and wanted to grab something before boarding the plane. I then ordered the Assorted Dimsum Basket.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience at The Private Room. While the facilities may be a showing a bit of age, I thought the service was topnotch. Granted, SQ may have fallen a bit behind the first class lounges of the Middle Eastern carriers in terms of facilities but the food here was probably the best (and most extensive) I’ve had by far in an airport lounge.