Encalm Prive Lounge Review – New Delhi International (DEL) T3

Encalm Prive Lounge Review

Recently, I had the opportunity to fly in Air India’s First Class on the Boeing 777-300ER from Delhi to Washington, DC. Unfortunately, when I flew them in March 2025, the Air India lounge at DEL was still under renovation. Instead, all Air India premium passengers were being directed to the Encalm Prive Lounge in Terminal 3. This gave me my first experience of this much-talked-about space. Though, as I quickly learned, the reality was a mix of high-end design and crowd-induced challenges.

Encalm Prive Lounge DEL T3

The Encalm Prive Lounge is located in Terminal 3 International Departures, past security, to the right. It’s hard to miss, and the ornate and inviting signage stands out immediately.

Checking in was less smooth than I would have hoped. There was a short wait, but mostly because several passengers ahead of me were trying multiple credit cards to see which one would grant them access. It felt like watching people play “card roulette” at the counter, which was frustrating when you’re travelling in First or Business Class. From what I understand, the lounge also sells paid access to eligible passengers. Unfortunately, there was no triage in place to allow premium cabin passengers to bypass the lineup, which meant standing in line unnecessarily.

Seating, Layout and Ambiance

I visited the lounge around midnight, and it was packed to the brim, particularly the main seating area around the central bar and buffet. The central focal point of the lounge is the dining and bar area, with its striking ornate overhang, high ceilings, and beautiful murals. It’s an impressive design feature and instantly gives the lounge an upscale feel.

Encalm Prive Lounge – Bar

Past the dining area, the seating opens up with a mix of sofas and grouped wingback chairs, and here’s where I realized something interesting – there was plenty of seating in the lounge. The issue wasn’t the number of seats, but the fact that much of it was not conducive to bringing food from the buffet. Since the bar enforces a no-food policy, a few barstools were consistently available, even while the dining area was jam-packed.

Encalm Prive Lounge – Seating

Unfortunately, several spaces were closed during my visit. The juice bar and gaming room were shut, with no staff present to offer service or engagement. In the section around the juice bar, there were tables with numbers—presumably for a service where guests could order from the live station chefs and have food delivered—but no one seemed to be using it, and more importantly, there were no staff encouraging guests to take advantage.

Encalm Prive Lounge – Additional rating

Game room

Golf Simulator (allegedly)

One notable space was the private meeting/conference room, which was exquisitely designed and looked like a perfect venue for hosting a business meeting or small corporate event. Spa and shower facilities, however, had over 30 minutes wait time, while the nap rooms and sleeping pods were fully occupied.

Private Room in the lounge

Nursing Room and Sleeping Pods

Encalm Prive Lounge Review – Food & Drinks

The dining area offered a diverse and eclectic mix of Indian, continental, and other popular cuisines. There were live cooking stations and a busy open kitchen concept, which allowed for interaction with the chefs and service staff. The selection was plentiful, and there was an effort to keep dishes fresh and varied.

Encalm Prive Lounge – Dining

My highlight was the biryani served with raita and some lamb curry—rich, flavorful, and precisely the kind of comfort food I crave before a long-haul flight. While the food quality was strong, the dining experience was less enjoyable simply because of the crowding. Tables in the main dining area were in constant turnover, and it often felt like a scramble to find a seat.

The bar was busy but well-stocked, and I appreciated that it had available seating throughout my visit, even if it meant enjoying drinks without food due to the lounge policy.

Takeaway

The Encalm Prive Lounge is, in many ways, an elevated business-class lounge with outsized amenities, from spa services and sleeping pods to meeting rooms and premium dining. The problem is not with the offerings, but with capacity management. At peak times, like my midnight visit, the amenities that make this lounge truly premium were at full capacity with significant wait times, while the dining area was overcrowded and noisy.

The layout doesn’t help either. Because the main dining and buffet area sits at the center, there’s little incentive or practical way for guests to move deeper into the lounge. A secondary dining space or smaller satellite food stations in other sections could help ease congestion.

I left feeling conflicted, as on one hand, I appreciated the aesthetics, design, and scope of services, but on the other, my experience fell short because most amenities I wanted were unavailable, and staff seemed rushed and reactive rather than proactive.

That said, if your main goal is to get some work done, grab a drink, and enjoy a stylish space away from the main terminal, the Encalm Prive Lounge will meet your needs. Just be prepared for the fact that during busy hours, it may not feel as exclusive as it looks.