Floating Above the Chaos: The Upgrade Hyderabad’s Airport Finally Deserved

The Sanctuary Above the Shoppers: A First Look at Hyderabad’s Encalm Privé

By Shashi Bellamkonda | January 10, 2026

Walking into the new international lounge at RGIA Hyderabad, the first thing that hits you isn’t a smell or a sound—it’s the air. After years of the previous lounge, which felt like it had served its purpose and then some, the new Encalm Privé feels like a deep breath. It sits on the first floor with an open roof, looking down at the shopping district below. It’s a vantage point that immediately brought the Pearl Lounge in Abu Dhabi to mind.

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Architecture Over Appetizers

The design choice to keep the lounge open to the terminal ceiling changes the entire psychology of the wait. You aren't tucked away in a basement; you are floating above the chaos. The vertical wooden slats and warm beige tones signal a quiet luxury that Hyderabad’s airport has been moving toward for years.

There is a clear demarcation of space here, following the global trend of separating Business Class passengers from the credit card access crowd. It’s a functional class divide that keeps the seating manageable, though it always raises that quiet question of who gets the "better" silence.

"The service was the standout feature—friendly, efficient, and welcoming at both check-in and inside the lounge. That human warmth often matters more than the furniture."

The "Grade B" Plate

If the architecture is an A, the food settles comfortably into a B. It’s decent, edible, but it won’t change your life. The spread included a few Western dishes that were passable—standard corporate catering fare that fills a gap but doesn't tell a story.

However, there were two redeeming elements that brought a smile to my face:

• Bananas: Simple, packed with potassium, and comes in its own biodegradable packaging. It’s the ultimate traveler’s food, and I’m always happy to see whole fruit.
• Curd Rice: For a South Indian traveler, this is the final blessing before leaving the country. It’s comfort, cooling, and home.

The New Year Hangover

A curious note on the beverage front: the only beer available was Budweiser. Given the timing, I suspect the alcohol consumption over the New Year holiday went through the roof, leaving the supply chain a little breathless. It’s a reminder that even "Privé" spaces are subject to the same logistics as the rest of us.

The Verdict

We also visited the domestic lounge in a previous trip, which operates on a massive scale with great volume, but the International Encalm Privé offers a necessary pause. It’s a solid upgrade. It may not be a culinary destination yet, but as a place to collect your thoughts before crossing oceans, it works.

Have you visited the new lounge at RGIA? Did the open-roof vibe work for you, or did you miss the enclosed quiet?