lounge AROUND American Express' new Platinum Lounge at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Intl Airport offers personalised service, a-la-carte menu & wi-fi access Neha Dewan
DESIRE a comfortable place to unwind before your flight takes off? Or just want to spend some time in a cozy corner at the airport?
American Express' new Platinum Lounge at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport offers you exactly that privilege. Reserved exclusively for American Express Platinum Card members, the private lounge is located at the new Domestic Terminal 1D and boasts of personalised service, a-la-carte menu and wi-fi access for its Platinum Card members.
Simran Kalra, vice-president, American Express, says the lounge was conceived with an idea of making travel hassle-free and a leisurely experience. "The lounge intends to provide midtrip relief and rejuvenation to travellers. It's an ideal place to unwind and relax, while enjoying freshly prepared gourmet coffees and food items or
catching up on business before their flight. It's a complimentary service for our esteemed platinum card members, regardless of the airline and the fare class of their travel." Spread over 600 sq ft, the design of the lounge is largely uncluttered with natural toned colours dominating the overall decor. Based on the design concepts of the Indian architecture firm Genesis Architects, the lounge shows off a pleasant interplay of beige and mahogany shades. It gives a feeling of spaciousness as minimal is largely the design focus. Areas have been planned to maximize the use of the available space. The seating is comfortable in the single lounge seats and
sofas covered luxuriously in beige leather. There are also custom made high stools situated at the raised table for those who want to work while in the lounge. A few entertainment options are available in the form of sampling reading materials and plasma TV screens offering cable, digital and terrestrial channels.
Keeping in sync with the lounge theme, the lighting is a mixture of down lights and compact fluorescents which make for a soothing ambience. What, however, is unavoidable is the bright white light visible due to the open roof given the security guidelines at the airport. Music is missing in the lounge as well, again due to security issues. But the good thing is that even if you somehow lose track of the time, the well-trained staff will remind you about your flight schedule.
The menu is extensive and comprises a wide range of options for snacks, desserts and beverages. The choice is frequently changed to add variety for the traveller from time to time. The all day dining options include food items such as Tandoori chicken salad with stewed fruits, mezze platter, barbeque prawns and steamed wantons. And if you have a early morning flight, you can choose from croissants, muffins,
cheese platters and cold cuts which are all a part of their breakfast menu.
What is a definite plus here is the service. And if you can ignore minor irritants such as the bright lights above or the loud airport announcements, then you can enjoy some relaxing moments here. Get rejuvenated before boarding your flight!
neha.dewan@timesgroup.com 
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