I’m glad to add another SKL to my list. I’ve set out to explore and review all SKLs worldwide. Singapore Airlines runs 10 SKLs outside Singapore; these are SQ’s focus destinations. Melbourne is my seventh. I still haven’t visited the Brisbane, Perth, and Taipei lounges. My favourites abroad are the Bangkok and Seoul SKLs. Do check out my compilation of SKL around the world. The Melbourne SKL has both First Class and Business Class areas. It’s one of the older lounges. Let’s see how it is!

Access Requirements

The Melbourne SilverKris Lounge is open daily according to SQ departure times. There are staggered breaks throughout the day. This virtually covers all SQ departures. If you are departing around the same time as an SQ flight, you can access it. This is subject to changes, depending on SQ flight schedules. This is a standard Star Alliance Lounge. Currently, all Star Alliance premium cabin customers, KrisFlyer Elite Gold, PPS Club, and Star Alliance Status holders are allowed access to the lounge. Typical access rules for guests follow. I got access on account of flying in business class.

Arrival & Location

The lounge is located in the Satellite area. There are clear signs to be found, and it is located one level below the main departure floor. This is also where most of the other lounges are located. You can head down using the elevator or the escalator.

SilverKris Business Class Lounge Melbourne

I was welcomed in by the staff and admitted to the lounge. It is nice to still see the SG60 decoration up over here. Do note that the lounge over here comes with both a First Class and Business Class section. The business one is located towards the right. It is not an overly huge space. This looks really tired! I have to say that it is one of the worst SilverKris lounges that I have seen. It seems to retain the old look and design profile.

The lounge is pretty much scattered with more or less the same kind of furniture, with couches in the middle. There are also some high chairs further by the walls. I will let the pictures do the rest of the speaking.

Toilets and showers

The lounge comes with its own toilets and showers. This will be handy for those flying out on the night or red-eye. The facilities are pretty standard. It comes with one shower located in the business class portion. The place looks pretty drab but well-maintained and clean. All sorts of amenities are provided.

The toilets are nothing memorable. I did appreciate them being well-maintained by the staff, and it is always nice to have a facility in the lounge rather than using the general terminal ones.

Food and Drinks

All the refreshment is located at one side of the lounge, with it being a self-service buffet style. Food-wise, there are a couple of hot dishes consisting of some fish and chicken stew alongside some carbs. Nothing was memorable and perhaps even rather inedible. This is worse than some contract lounge that I have been to. The Priority Pass Restaurant serves up better food.

Drinks-wise, it is much better. They offer a healthy selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It is impressive to find House of Areas sparkling wine from Tasmania, which is excellent over here. There are also red wine, white wine, and an assortment of spirits. Beers are also available. Non-alcoholic drinks also do not disappoint. In fact, this is far better than the SKL in Singapore. You have a selection of artisan soft drinks, mixers, and even kombucha.

There is also a barista station over here, as is the norm in Australia. The coffee culture is so strong over here. Sadly, they still can’t escape the “stopping at 3pm” culture from Singapore. How hard is it to offer all-day barista coffee drinks in a premium lounge for your most premium customer? I would love to have some flat white.

Conclusion

In fact, one of the more disappointing ones I have visited. I am sure SQ can do better for their SilverKris Lounge. This ranks pretty low on my list for airline-operated lounges; furthermore, an SQ one. It is in need of a makeover soon! If they are providing this quality, SQ might be better off just having an agreement to send their premium passengers to Qantas lounges in Melbourne. They will save much more than operating one themselves. I did appreciate the solid non-alcoholic drink options. Other than that, it is unmemorable. The food aspect definitely needs to be polished. I would love to see Singapore’s local cuisine being represented more in the lounge. They would be great for travellers who have been away to get a taste of home. On the other hand, a little introduction to the cuisine that we have for travellers who are travelling to Singapore.