I visited a Cathay Pacific first-class lounge in Hong Kong. It was so incredible I forgot I was even in an airport.

• I visited The Pier, a Cathay Pacific first-class lounge at Hong Kong International Airport.

• The lounge was one of the best I've ever visited and had tons of seating, a restaurant, and a spa.

• I'd visit the lounge again — and I get why it's been called one of the best in the world.

On a recent visit to Hong Kong, I visited The Pier, a Cathay Pacific first-class lounge, before my flight to New York.

The flagship lounge has a restaurant, stunning bar area, nap rooms, free WiFi, and complimentary massages. It's accessible for passengers flying first class on Cathay Pacific or another Oneworld carrier or for those with status as an Oneworld Emerald member.

Airport lounges have been touted by many as the secret to making air travel far less miserable, and with ones as nice as this I can see why.

Here's what my experience was like at The Pier, one of Cathay Pacific's first-class lounges at Hong Kong International Airport.

I didn't have to wait to get into the lounge, which felt premium as soon as I walked in.

Cathay Pacific has two lounges for first-class fliers in this airport — The Wing and The Pier — but the latter was closest to me, so I chose to visit it during my travels.

According to Cathay Pacific's website, the lounge is available from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily. It's located in terminal one, near gate 63.

To enter the lounge, I scanned my boarding pass at the check-in station. Unlike other lounges that I've been to, there was no line or overcrowding. I was able to walk right in.

From the moment I entered, it felt like a premium airport lounge experience.

My first stop was the lounge's restaurant.

Everything at The Pier's restaurant was made-to-order. Menu options included a burger, fish, and ramen — all cooked to your liking.

The airline has a partnership with the Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong, so there were also dishes from the collaboration available.

Guests in the lounge get access to both the regular menu and the collaboration menu, with each offering some seasonal options that change regularly.

Although I'm not typically one to order airport food, this was exceptional, and I'm glad I did.

I've been to plenty of lounges, and this was by far the best lounge food I have ever had.

I liked that the restaurant didn't have a buffet like many other lounges, so there were no people grabbing or picking at communal food. Instead, I felt like I was like dining in an actual restaurant with menus, waiters, and service directly to my table.

I ordered a specialty drink and pasta dish from the Rosewood collaboration. Both were delicious.

Everything I sampled was cooked to perfection, and it felt like I was dining in a fancy restaurant — not just a few yards from my gate. The service was impeccable, too.

Admittedly, I'd visit the lounge again just to try a few more of the tempting menu options.

After eating, I explored the lounge. It was spacious and luxurious.

Onyx stone covered the wall in the main hallway, and there was ample seating space wherever I ventured.

The furnishings throughout the space were upscale and the lounge felt like a luxury hotel. At times, I didn't even feel like I was in an airport.

The lounge had two main seating spaces, and the one by the bar felt ultra cozy.

There was no shortage of seating space in this first-class lounge.

Large couches, clusters of chairs, workstations, and other seating options offered plenty of spaces to suit a variety of travelers' needs.

A fully stocked bar was at the center of one lounge, and it had eveything from coffee to cocktails.

The bar served specialty coffee drinks, sodas, waters, and an abundance of cocktails, wines, and spirits.

Some of the cocktails were from the Rosewood Hong Kong collaboration with its bar, DarkSide, which is touted as one of the 50 best bars in Asia.

I ordered coffee and a few glasses of wine while I was waiting for my flight. The bartender was super attentive.

Since the lounge is so exclusive, there wasn't a wait for drinks like you often experience in other airport lounges. The service also felt more personalized.

Another lounge space felt like it was made for larger groups.

A separate seating area was a bit more spread out and featured larger tables in the center of the chairs.

The space also had large picture windows that overlooked taxiing planes outside.

There were also gorgeous shower suites, complete with luxury amenities.

The shower suites had to be reserved with an attendant. However, there were plenty of them, and they seemed easy to access.

Each suite seemed well stocked with a blow-dryer, plush towels, and other essential toiletries.

They were easily the nicest airport shower suites I have ever seen. I've never been one to shower in lounges, but I would absolutely shower here on a long layover or between connecting flights.

My favorite part of the lounge experience was the complimentary massages.

The massage space was dimly lit and quiet. If time slots were available, I could reserve a complimentary foot massage, neck/back massage, or head massage in 15-minute increments with a masseuse.

There were also day suites available.

The lounge features eight day suites, which each have a daybed, reading lamp, and shades that fully close on both sides for privacy.

I loved the layout of these spaces and if I had a long layover or a late-night flight, I think these private sleep spaces would be an awesome spot to take a nap.

The bathrooms were equally as impressive.

Bathrooms featured luxury bath amenities, well-lit mirrors, and spacious stalls.

The snack bar also felt luxurious.

The lounge had a snack room of sorts with cheese, fruit, crackers, and many other snacks. It also had a fridge with water, sodas, and other bottled drinks.

Personally, I'd opt for the dining room since the made-to-order food was phenomenal. However, this seemed to be a great spot to grab a snack if you weren't too hungry. The room felt like a luxury snack bar.

Cathay Pacific's The Pier was easily one of the best first-class lounges I’ve ever been to.

Overall, I loved spending time in the lounge. The space had tons of amenities and was a great place to relax in during my connection.

I can see why many publications have dubbed it one of the best airport lounges in the world.

The Pier was easily one of the nicest lounges I've ever visited and is somewhere I see myself visiting again — hopefully soon.

Read the original article on Business Insider