During my current review trip, I had an extended layover at Delhi Airport (DEL). In a previous installment, I shared my thoughts on the incredible Air India First Lounge.
While at the airport, I knew I had to finally visit the Encalm Xenia Lounge, which opened in late 2025. I had heard great things about this, and wanted to check it out for myself, even though I had to pay out of pocket for access. I must say, I was absolutely blown away by the quality of this lounge, and it might be the nicest airport lounge I’ve ever been to that’s not run by an airline. While access isn’t cheap, I thought it was well worth it.
You can also outright purchase access, at the cost of 12,000 INR (~125 USD) for two hours. Meanwhile if you have access to the Encalm Prive Lounge, you can upgrade to the Encalm Xenia Lounge at a cost of 7,000 INR (~73 USD) for two hours. Since I was flying Air India, I wasn’t entitled to access to this lounge, and I just paid outright. Of course that’s expensive, but I wanted to give it a shot.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.
