In anticipation of Asiana Airlines leaving Star Alliance, Singapore Airlines opened a beautifully refurbished SilverKris lounge in Seoul Incheon in 2023. This is a lovely Star Alliance Gold lounge that is worth arriving early for before your flight.
Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge Incheon Review
It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised by a lounge. I walked into this lounge thinking it would be like the SkilverKris lounges in Manila or London, which are nice enough but far from outstanding, but walked away so happy I had given myself extra time to check out this lounge.
Hours + Access + Location
You’ll find this lounge in Terminal 1 on departure level 4, which is accessible via escalator or elevator one level up from the departure level. After clearing security and passport controls, signs will lead you to this lounge, but it is near the Korea Traditional Cultural Experience Center.
Any Star Alliance business or first class passenger or Star Alliance Gold cardholder traveling on a Star Alliance flight in any cabin of service can access this lounge
The lounge is open daily from 6:15 am to 10:55 am, closes for about hours, then is open again from 1:45 pm to 4:30 pm, closes again, then is open from 8:50 pm to 11:35 pm. This schedule corresponds to Singapore’s flight schedule from ICN, but I’d expect that this lounge will remain open all day once Asiana leaves Star Alliance and this becomes the sole Star Alliance lounge in ICN.
Seating
This is not a new lounge but is a refreshed lounge and it does look brand new…a bit like the SilverKris Lounge in Bangkok, but brighter (thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows) and with a beautiful marble bar in the center with stools around it.
As you enter the lounge, the main seating area (and the vast majority of lounge real estate) is to the right.
At the entrance, if you turn left instead there’s a small room that feels like a French brasserie with sandwiches, cake, dumplings, and drinks. If the other side is crowded, do check this out – it was empty during my stay.
Food + Drink
What (pleasantly) surprised me most about this lounge was the generous selection of food and drink. Unsure of how dinner would be on my United Airlines flight to San Franciso, I chose to dine here…mixed green salad with cucumbers, tomato, and carrots, braised beef short ribs, oven-roasted rainbow trout, herb-crusted Parmasean zucchini, and sweet pumpkin spinach Quiche Lorraine… everything was delicious.
You may have noticed the coffee in the picture above. Indeed, the best part of this lounge was the barista-made coffee available at the bar.
The coffee was perfect…it truly hit the spot.
Wine, beer, cocktails, soft drinks, tea, and water were also available. The Champagne on offer was Heidsieck & Co. Monopole. Wine was from Babich (Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc).
Restrooms + Showers
Restrooms and three shower suites are available (all were occupied during my visit).
CONCLUSION
Let me say clearly and unequivocally that this lounge is far, far better than the Asiana Airlines next door. It’s not even close. Not only is this lounge comparatively good, but the SilverKris Incheon Lounge is objectively good…and worthy of a stop before your Star Alliance flight.
Have to agree. OZ’s lounge used to be pretty good but they haven’t refurbished/improved the space since T1 was built back in 2004 or so. Despite the terminal starting to show little creases of age here and there, especially at some lounges, I do have a soft spot for ICN in general, though, as JFK-ICN was my first international flight back on my first full-time job at JP Morgan.
Who do you think might take over the OZ first class lounge in T1? LX and LH recently started flying aircraft with F to ICN year-round as these routes have a good number of HON members along with good numbers in filling F.
Would love to see a Star Alliance Lounge like the new oneworld lounge nearby. I visited the new Star Alliance Lounge in Paris and it was a very nice space (though the coffee, as is true throughout the French-speaking world, was disappointing).
I can’t wait for them to redo the Hong Kong lounge. I know the UA and AmEx lounge get rave reviews, but I do like getting a nasi lemak in the SQ lounge.
I don’t think the TG or UA lounge ever reopened in Hong Kong.
UA lounge is open in HKG
It is?! I’ve got to check that out…
If you have a future visit, the Singapore chicken curry that is a staple for that specific lounge is excellent. The rest of the dishes rotate, but that one is a star and is always there.
Will try next time.
Thanks for this! Flying OZ businesses out of ICN in a few months and have found the Asiana lounge a bit underwhelming over the last few years. Will definitely be checking this out! Appreciate the review.
Why no love for the SQ lounges in London?
To be fair, the lounges from both Korean airlines have always been underwhelming. Not saying they aren’t good, but their product in the air is much better than what you’d get on the ground.
No barista and I didn’t think the food was all that great, though it has just reopened after a six month closure so I am hopeful there is now a barista.
In LHR, I like the AC lounge for coffee and think the UA lounge is best of all (LH lounge not worth visiting).
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/gb/plan-travel/local-promotions/heathrow-silverkris-lounge/