LOUNGE REVIEW: Manaia Lounge, Christchurch, New Zealand

• TRIP REPORT: Introduction – my trip to Christchurch, New Zealand flying Emirates First Class on an A380
• LOUNGE REVIEW: Revisiting the Sydney Qantas First Lounge
• TRIP REPORT: Flight Review – Sydney to Christchurch on Qantas in Business – same, same but different
• HOTEL REVIEW: The George Hotel, Christchurch (Ōtautahi). Luxurious local comfort.
• TRIP REPORT: Christchurch Airport – small, spacious and efficient
• LOUNGE REVIEW: Manaia Lounge, Christchurch, New Zealand

---

I’m not going to spend too many words on this lounge. It’s an OK lounge with a mixture of clients. Emirates, Qantas, Fiji Airways, China Southern Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Jetstar use the lounge. It also has paid access when capacity allows.

It’s also a Priority Pass lounge.

It’s a space to wait for your flight with adequate facilities. Nothing to be overjoyed about, and nothing to bad to warrant a complaint.

Opening Hours

The lounge opens for three periods during the day to cater for the airlines it services. They are:

• 04:15 – 06:00
• 08:20 – 10:50
• 13:50 – 17:45

There may be variations according to the day of the week and airline schedule demands.

My visit

Having checked in to my Emirates flight straight after the check-in counter opened at 2:15 pm, I headed for the departure gates, and arrived at the Manaia Lounge on the upper level of the Christchurch Airport just before 2:30 pm.

I had three hours to kill, and I did not want to pump myself full of too much food and alcohol since I had Caviar service and Dom Perignon to look forward to on the Emirate’s first flight.

Location

I headed through the inevitable obstacle course that is duty-free at airports.

Out of duty-free to the gates 25 and 26, then turn right to head towards the Manaia Lounge.

Keep heading right again until you get to the entrance to the Manaia Lounge.

This lounge, one of only two at the airport, is used by Emirates for its premium passengers. The Manaia Lounge is also a Priority Pass Lounge.

It’s hard to get excited about this lounge from the entry. Shiny grey on matt grey. Mmmmm.

Design

Is it just me, or are dried flower arrangements not a good omen for cutting-edge design?

Like most lounges, it has a series of zones. Down the window side are a series of lounges and bucket chairs.

In the centre section are tables suitable for dining and a long work table with power points. To the right of the entrance, on the opposite wall to the windows, is the food and beverage area, and in the back corner are the toilets and bathrooms.

Food & Drink

The catering here is suitable for a snack, but you wouldn’t want to expect a meal. On a more positive note, there is a good variety of food here, both hot and cold. You would do well if you were on the hungry side or wanted to get your value out of a paid entry to the lounge.

Still, they have New Zealand sparkling wine. Like the lounge, nothing special, but it does the job. I’m going to let the images do the talking about the food and beverage offerings.

Bathrooms

Good bathroom, preferably clean and capacious are what are required in an airport lounge. The Manaia Lounge has them.

Showers are available, but you need to ask for amenities, which may incur an additional cost. It will for Priority Pass entrants, but I am not sure about premium travellers.

WiFi

There is WiFi, and it has adequate speed.

Comfort

This is a perfectly comfortable lounge, although it feels a little vinyl rather than leather and moquette. Some additional private workspaces would be a great addition.

Departure

I headed to the gate, ready for my flight and the adventure on an Emirates A380 in First Class, with showers! I was very excited after my nearly day-long wait in cafes and lounges.

2PAXfly Takeout

You may be getting a negative vibe from my review so far. That’s true. This is not one of my favourite lounges. But when I evaluate it facility by facility, there not a lot missing, except for some overall design eye from the last 10 years.

The lounge has everything you need. It has food, drinks, comfortable seating, showers and clean toilets. It’s fine to spend an hour or two in. But it’s just not hospitable in my short experience. It’s also not the quality of lounge I would expect for First Class passengers.

Having said all that, you should remember that I may not have been objective, since I had already waited for several hours to check-in, and now had a few more hours to spend in a lounge that did not have all the comforts, not to mention the familiarity of a Qantas First Class lounge.

So, in summary, this is not a destination lounge. It is a lounge that meets the brief, nothing more, nothing less. Or as Brian E says on Tripadvisor:

An ordinary lounge that does a basic job. Could do with an upgrade. No food to speak of, poor table cleaning service, high usage.

Brian E, Reveiw on Tripadvisor

Other Posts in the Series

<< TRIP REPORT: Christchurch Airport – small, spacious and efficient