10 months ago
Investor Shares Overnight Stay Experience at Delhi Airport T3
Imagine your flight gets canceled and you have to stay at the airport all night!
That's what happened to Rahul, who was flying from Bengaluru to San Francisco.
His flight was canceled, so he flew to Delhi and had a very long wait of about 13 hours.
Instead of sleeping on a hard chair, he stayed at a special hotel called the Holiday Inn Express, which is right inside Terminal 3 at the Delhi airport.
The hotel rooms were pretty small, like a cozy little box, and cost quite a bit of money.
But, it had some cool things like a gym where he could watch planes take off and land right from the treadmill!
He also found a badminton court inside the airport for fun.
He could even get food delivered to his room.
It was a strange but interesting experience because it was so convenient to stay right at the airport.
Bengaluru-based investor Rahul Mathur shared his experience of an overnight stay at Delhi's Terminal 3.
His flight from Bengaluru to San Francisco was cancelled, resulting in a 13-hour layover.
He stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, the only hotel located inside the T3 terminal, before immigration.
The hotel offers amenities like a gym with tarmac-view treadmills, a badminton court, and a 24-hour restaurant.
While rooms are small (~21 sq. feet), Mathur found the amenities decent and highlighted the convenience for travelers with long layovers.
- Who
- Rahul Mathur, a Bengaluru-based investor
- What
- Shared his experience of staying overnight at the Holiday Inn Express located inside Delhi's Terminal 3.
- Where
- Delhi Airport Terminal 3
- When
- November 6, 2025
- Why
- His flight from Bengaluru to San Francisco was cancelled, leading to a 13-hour layover.
Pros
Cons
Convenience
Pros
Located inside Terminal 3, offering unparalleled convenience for travelers with long layovers or canceled flights, saving time by being pre-immigration.
Cons
Rooms are small (~21 sq. feet) and may not offer significant value for money compared to off-airport hotels, with a high approximate cost of Rs 17,000.
Amenities
Pros
Features include a gym with treadmills overlooking the tarmac, a badminton court for recreation, and a 24-hour restaurant with complimentary breakfast for certain bookings.
Cons
Rooms offer limited views, with most looking into the terminal building, except for those in the restaurant and gym.
Experience
Pros
Offers a unique experience for travelers needing to stay overnight within the airport premises.
Cons
Guests cannot exit the hotel once checked in until check-out, and some rooms may have background noise from the terminal.
Key facts
- Location
- Delhi Airport Terminal 3
- Occupant
- Rahul Mathur, Bengaluru-based investor
- Reason for Stay
- Flight cancellation (Bengaluru to San Francisco), resulting in a 13-hour layover.
- Hotel
- Holiday Inn Express (inside T3 terminal)
- Number of Rooms
- Approx. 90 rooms across international and domestic wings
- Room Size
- Approx. 21 sq. feet (standard size)
- Hotel Amenities
- Gym with tarmac view treadmills, badminton court, 24-hour restaurant, decent shower.
- Approximate Cost
- Rs 17,000 (inclusive of GST)
Quotes
Rahul Mathur
Founder-turned-venture capitalist
“I did a quick 30 min run a few hours back – the treadmills overlook the airport tarmac – you can see flights take off & land – and you can see the NH-48 road”
financialexpress.com
“My room overlooked the main check-in area at T3 – so there was a silent buzzing noise in the background (despite really good sound suppression in the room)”
financialexpress.com
