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The new Plaza Premium Lounge YYZ is the latest addition to the international departures section in T3. The new lounge has been transformed from an old, dark and dated look to a modern and contemporary lounge that wows! The refurbished lounge is not just an upgrade, it is a transformation worth an experience. As a frequent Cathay flier between Toronto-HongKong, my visit to the new lounge was finally worthy of being referred to as ‘Premium’.
Plaza Premium Lounge YYZ – International Departures T3
Upon check-in at Cathay Pacific desk, I was handed an invitation to the new Plaza Premium lounge which is located near Gate C32. The entrance to the new lounge is welcoming with its warm wooden accents and smiling staff at the desk.
Entrance lobby
The main area of the lounge was flush with natural light from the wall to wall windows. The wooden floors, wall art, and the wood paneling used to separate the seating sections were both inviting and relaxing. The seating area included multiple setups of lounge chairs and sofas, along with adequate mix of quiet-area and social setup.
Main seating area of the lounge
The ‘Quiet’ section of the lounge
Coffee station and the long bar in the background
More seating area of the lounge
The food and beverage options in the longe were impressive, with hot and cold food sections, a dessert station by the bar, a full bar menu of beverages and cocktails. The bar also included a premium menu with several ‘higher-end’ alcoholic options. The standard drinks menu was more than adequate for a regular day, especially for an airport lounge. The food section included international and local cuisines including soups, salads, dim sum and buffet bar.
Dessert and drinks bar
Salad Bar
Lunch buffet included dim sum – Har Gow (shrimp dumpling) and Lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf wrap)
Shower room (one, from what I could tell) was available for passengers to book and use at their discretion. The washroom inside the lounge was clean and well presented.
The WiFi in the lounge was decent to get work done but not great for streaming services as such. The food options in the lounge were impressive but I was factoring for the even better food service on the ~16 hour flight on Cathay Pacific Business Class A350-1000 to Hong Kong.
The ample amounts of natural light, views of the runway and the tarmac, made for an excellent time in the lounge. I spent just under two hours in the lounge, mostly admiring the window views and soaking in the quiet refuge of the refurbished lounge.
Gate view from the lounge – CX825 (A351)
Final Thoughts
The new Plaza Premium Lounge YYZ is a remarkable improvement of the older version, by quite a few notches. The space in the lounge is inviting, the staff working in the lounge were attentive and proud of the product on display. The enthusiasm of the staff in sharing the new features of the lounge was infectious and made for a wonderful experience. I don’t use the Premium Plaza network extensively, but may have found my new favourite in the portfolio already!
Other reviews from this trip:
Cathay Pacific Business Class A350-1000, Toronto to Hong Kong
Air China Business Class 787-9 Beijing to Montreal
