As you would have read here before, all the lounges at Delhi Airport for various airlines were asked to exit, and the entire airport’s lounges are now consolidated under the management of Encalm Hospitality. Encalm Hospitality now operates domestic lounges at Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, and an international lounge to provide access for bank customers at Terminal 3, which opened in December 2022. The last to open was the Encalme Prive Lounge, where no credit cards work and the lounge is exclusively for those who bear an invitation from their airline (for first/business class travel or being a frequent traveller).

I visited the Encalm Privé Lounge for the second time in June 2024, flying on Air India, with my first trip being in November 2023 to this lounge.

Encalm Privé Lounge Delhi Terminal 3 Location

The Encalm Privé Lounge is on the third floor of the Delhi T3 Terminal, International Pier, post-security and passport control. After you arrive on the other side, you should look for the Encalm Prive Lounge on the right side as you walk towards the boarding gates. It is located next to a pharmacy and is hard to miss.

At the end of the alley, you will notice a bank of elevators, which will take you to the third floor, where the lounge is located.

Encalm Privé Lounge Terminal 3 Lounge Access

The Encalm Privé Lounge at Terminal 3 is built specifically for airline customers. Hence, there is no credit card or lounge pass-based lounge access. That means no queues around here.

The lounge is being offered to Air India customers, given their own lounge is shut for about one year or so while being spruced up into a whole new lounge. Some of the other airlines that offer the lounge include the likes of Emirates and Etihad, KLM and Air France. In November last year, the access was granted by Emirates and this time around by Air India.

Encalm Privé Lounge Delhi Terminal 3, Facilities

The lounge is massive and takes inspiration from many of the great lounges of this generation to fit in as much luxury as one can think of. Beyond the Emirates Lounge in Dubai and the  British Airways Galleries South at Terminal 5, London Heathrow, I can’t remember so many different areas in one lounge. So, first, let us start with the reception area, where you are checked into the lounge.

As you enter the lounge, you walk into the first section of the lounge, which is where most people plonk themselves. On your left is a seating area, with a play area for kids tucked into the corner.

On the right are solo couches for those who want to sit and wait for their flight.

There are also comfort chairs lined up by the windows if one would like those better.

As you move further, you will see the bar on your left. It is an eye-catcher, along with some tall lights, and is hard to miss.

Around the bar is ample seating for you to just get a drink. Or maybe get a meal, and be seated with your family.

There are coffee and refreshment stations located throughout the dining area, if you want a quick coffee for a pick me up or some water.

There is also an open kitchen, but we will come to that later.

Walking past this area, you head into the next section of the lounge, which is comparatively quieter. On the left is a small library cum business centre, with some computers for you to use if needed.

If you want to plug in your own laptop or work on an open table, there is a lot of space on the outside. Moving forward, the next section is dedicated to health and hosts a juice bar and a quiet area to sit in.

Behind the juice bar is a small spa area. First Class ticket holders have a small complimentary treatment included in their lounge access, such as a foot spa, but everyone else has to pay, I was told. Here is the room for the dry spa therapies. The full spa with beds I did not click.

Here is a look at the gymnasium if you want to burn a few calories during your pit stop here. There were treadmills, weights and other basic equipment that might be required for a light workout. The glass wall will be frosted so that there is no looking inside the gymnasium for those on the outside. The space doubles as a yoga room, so you can borrow a yoga mat to balance your chi before your flight.

As you go further, there are sleeping pods to catch a nap.

Here is a look inside one of these pods.

Here are some other seating spaces around the lounge.

There is a walled-off lounge area, which can be given to a big group if they are travelling together or maybe a big family. Or just a VIP and their entourage who want privacy while waiting at this lounge.

The never-ending lounge has a cigar bar which also doubles up as a smoking area next door.

The Cigars, though, are to be paid for, not available complimentary, in case you were hoping to puff away your travel anxiety before your flight.

And right at the end is the gaming zone. They have a few Playstations and other virtual reality immersive games as well.

Dining

The bar at the lounge serves a great collection of spirits, beers, soft drinks and mocktails, which are included in your lounge access. Here is a look at the collection on offer. Some of the labels, though, are on a chargeable basis.

In terms of food, there is plenty to choose from at all times of the day and night.

Here is the salad counter.

Here is a look at the cheese and sandwich counters.

There is a live pasta counter.

And a live Chaat Counter, where you can make your own Chaat, or have the Encalm chefs make one for you.

There is also a live Dosa counter.

Regarding the mains, the assortment is split between regional Indian dishes and western favourites. On one side of the live display kitchen, there are about ten or so vegetarian items, and on the other are the poultry, meats and fish. When I was over the second time around, there was a mango-themed food fest going on, so a lot of dishes had some connection to mangoes.

There is also a large assortment of sweet treats for your post-meal dessert.

If you were on a night flight, or if you intended to rest on board, you could grab a good quality main meal at the restaurant here before you headed to the plane and doze off on board.

The lounge staff is very attentive, and they take good care of you. A floor supervisor is always around, at least in my limited experience, and they check in with guests and continue to also ask for feedback about the food or if the guests want something special and so on.

Connectivity

At the lounge, wifi connectivity is available. You’d have to ask for a coupon with a wifi code printed on it from this machine placed at the entrance.

If you want to juice up your phone or laptop, there are enough power points and USB-A ports around the lounge as well to take care of it.

A new feature I discovered on my last trip over was the bunch of club carts placed at the lounge to drop off guests who have access to the lounge to their respective gates. There is no extra cost for this, and as long as you have access to the lounge, you can get a cart. It is not exclusive, though, and you have to share it with other people heading to the gates.

Bottomline

The Encalm Privé Lounge at Delhi Terminal 3 International is an exclusive lounge for the customers of various airlines who are eligible for lounge access at the airport, while travelling abroad. It is massive and can take in about 400 people at full capacity.  The Lounge is divided into a lounging area, bar and restaurant, health area, spa, gym, gaming room, cigar lounge and other facilities along. The food served here is a mix of Indian and international cuisines, and is usually empty.

Have you been to the Encalm Privé Lounge at Delhi Terminal 3 International? What has been your experience at the lounge?

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Pros

+ Lounge Access only for airline-invited customers
+ Host of facilities and assorted seating areas
+ Great collection of F&B options
+ Play Area for those with kids
+ Drop service to the gates

Cons

None really

Rating