ALL NIGHT TIPPLES

Where can you find drinks after hours? These hotels are answering the call.

- CHANDREYI BANDYOPADHYAY

It's 3am on a Tuesday, and while the city sleeps, the Gourmet bar at Novotel Hyderabad Airport buzzes on. A group of airline crew members unwind over premium whisky, uniforms telling stories of long-haul flights and jet lag. At a corner table, an executive nurses a coffee-based cocktail, making the most of the quiet hours before day breaks. This isn't your typical bar scene; it is a rare breed of round-the-clock hospitality.

All-night bars remain an anomaly in India's hospitality landscape. In fact, it is rare to find them even in the world's biggest cities known for their nightlife. Outside casinos, licensing needs often limit the existence of such bars around airports in major cities. Behind the polished surfaces and expert mixology lies a labyrinth of regulatory complexity that makes most hoteliers think twice before diving in.

Yet, a select few have cracked the code, creating spaces that never sleep.

The appeal of never closing

The business case is compelling. Airport hotels benefit from this model, catering to travellers trapped between time zones and flight schedules outside conventional dining hours. "We see a constant flow of guests arriving or departing at all hours—corporate travellers, airline crews, international passengers. Many of them look for a vibrant, experiential safe space to relax with food and drinks, even at 5am. That's the gap we've been able to address," explains Sukhbir Singh, General Manager at Novotel Hyderabad Airport.

The dynamics of drinking preferences shift dramatically as hours progress. Guests show "a significant preference for classic cocktails and premium spirits during the evenings, while late-night hours witness a steady demand for coffee-based cocktails, light mixers, and zero-proof options," according to Vineet Kapoor, Hotel Manager, The LaLiT New Delhi, which runs the 24/7 Bar.