January 13, 2023 TnH Global 0

Creating delightful experiences

The Year 2023 is going to be a year of ‘Revenge Tourism’ at its best with people aiming for more adventurous and wilder experiences. We already see a pick-up in all travel modes, especially flying by air to domestic and international destinations.

COVID made the travel industry crawl and almost forced it to a halt. Things have been changing for the last few months, as life cannot come to a halt. Yes, we are again experiencing renewed COVID scare, but all we need to do right now is to stay calm, and make 2023 a year of meaningful travel.

Will that again stop us from traveling? No, it won’t. But, the safety protocols will again mean endless lines at the Airport. We already see that the waiting time to even enter airports is around an hour or so. To avoid this people will be asked to arrive at the airports much before their scheduled flight times, which will again lead to chaos at the airports.

There must be a solution to this chaos. And that’s where Encalm Hospitality Pvt. Ltd steps in. Headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, Encalm was envisioned by Vikas Sharma, who is the CEO of the company. The brand is trying to make travel hassle-free and rewarding by providing ultra-luxurious hospitality services at airports, making the travel experience more comfortable and relaxing.

Encalm launched The Encalm Lounge and Airport Meet and Assist services under the brand ‘Atithya’ at the Delhi T1 and T3 airports, and Hyderabad Airport. After Delhi and Hyderabad, they will be launching their services at the upcoming Goa International airport at Mopa.

The Encalm Lounge at Terminal 3 is a premium facility located on the mezzanine level at the International Departure a floor space of 12,238 sq. ft with a seating capacity of 245 people. Designed to help travelers relax and reduce their travel anxiety, the Encalm Lounge, open 24/7 offers a variety of amenities including uninterrupted Wi-Fi, gourmet and international cuisines, and wellness and spa services. The lounge also provides constant access to flight information, newspapers, magazines, a live cooking station, a bar, and a lounge bay.

Our team was in conversation with Mr. Vinay Tyagi, Head, Lounge Operations, Encalm who has been associated with the hospitality industry and hospitality brands at the airports for over two decades. He talks about the group’s expansion plans, their Atithya airport services, airport hospitality services in India, and more.

Please brief us about Encalm?

We launched Encalm about a year ago after giving a lot of thought to providing quality hospitality services to travelers. We have already carved a niche for ourselves in providing luxurious experiences in airport hospitality in just one year of operations.

We currently provide Meet & Assist Services under the brand name “Atithya”, at Delhi and Hyderabad airports. These services are tailored to suit the individual requirements of the guests, to make their transit memorable. Apart from that, we provide exclusive access to lounges under the brand name “Encalm Lounge” at the Delhi and Hyderabad Airports. We have also opened our first spa under the brand “Encalm Spa” at Delhi Airport.

We are currently serving 3500 plus guests daily and we are happy to see the list of happy clients growing daily. At Encalm, we are committed to developing one of the most admired airport hospitality experiences in India that would constantly seek to bring value and convenience to the guests and customers during their travel through Indian Airports. Encalm also aims to develop seamless integration with technology platforms for providing a wholesome experience to air travelers including, airport concierge, limousine services, shopping and hotel stays, etc.

Tell us about Atithya, and your meet and assist services at the airport.

Atithya is rooted in our culture of treating a guest like God – Atithi Devo Bhava (अतिथि देवो भव). Aptly we have named our bespoke Meet and Assist service, “Atithya.” Atithya is there at every step to take special care of our guests and to provide a comfortable airport experience for travelers. Atithya takes care of everything – from doorstep pick up/drop, to baggage handling, buggy service, wheelchair assistance, and exclusive lounge access.

Our team at Atithya is trained to take care of the needs of all our guests be they first-time travelers, seasoned business executives, or public personalities. We invest in numerous training hours to ensure your experience with us is tailor-made.

We have thoughtfully curated these services keeping in mind the specific requirements of each traveler and have our services into various categories i.e.; Silver, Gold, Elite, and the flagship Travel Buddy Service. The exclusive ‘Travel Buddy Service’ is designed to assist travelers from their homes, accompanying them through the journey and dropping them off safely at the designated destination.

We have also introduced a premium luggage wrapping service, “EnWrap” at Delhi and Hyderabad airports. This allows travelers to ensure that their luggage receives extra care during their journey. A well-trained professional makes sure that the luggage is wrapped as per global standards and the usage of biodegradable material makes this a must-have for your entire luggage. The service can be availed at the EnWrap kiosk located in the check-in halls.

Airport Hospitality is still a new concept in the market. Also at airports or railway stations, people are more concerned to catch their flights/trains, how do you think people will react to the services?

People nowadays are always multi-tasking and trying to squeeze out the maximum from their day. In such scenarios, coming from a hospitality background, our first thought was to provide a seamless airport experience to our clients. Our services are designed not just to provide comfort and relaxation but to save valuable time through an efficient team that is well aware of all airport formalities.

Our airport Meet and Assist Service is on track to change the airport service dynamics. With Atithya, guests can just hand over all their worries about airport formalities to us and actually enjoy the experience. From greeting the guests at the entrance to taking them through all the procedures until they board the flight, Atithya is there to serve our guests at each step.

How does the Encalm Spa meet the various needs of different travelers?

After ‘Atithya’, and the airport Lounge, Spa is the third product of our brand. Located above the shopping arena and next to the food court at Delhi International airport on the international side, our spa services have been curated to give travelers solace in between their transit. We have designed spa packages ranging between 10 minutes to 90 minutes.

There are more spas are in the pipeline in DIAL in the coming months. The company will be opening a second spa in the T3 terminal’s domestic soon. Additionally, the Spa will be part of a Premium Lounge that we currently working on in the T3 terminal.

Where do you see yourself in the coming years?

Encalm is also working on a premium lounge at Terminal 3 of the Delhi airport in a couple of months. The premium lounge from Encalm will have around 600 plus seating capacity. Travelers having an access to this lounge can look forward to offerings ranging from a cigar room, premium beverages, sleeping pods, Fitness Center, and a wellness zone apart from gourmet dining. The lounge covers an area of 30,000 sq. ft. It’s actually a ‘lounge inside a lounge’ concept. The area has been aesthetically developed for travelers where they can just sit in serenity to read a book or take an important meeting, sans any external distraction. To further enrich the customer’s traveling experience, we have also collaborated with renowned chefs to provide our guests with an international gourmet food experience.

Encalm has a global tie-up with TAV İşletme Hizmetleri, a leading operator of airport lounges in the world, which gives our customers access to airport services and lounges of TAV in over 65 airports in the world and 500 airport lounges.

We are also looking forward to operating around 20 plus different outlets by the end of the financial year 2022-23. The total number of lounges would be around 11 in Delhi; five in Hyderabad and three in Goa.