At 25hours Hotel One Central, Dubai, colour, culture and comfort collide to create a stay that feels as soulful as it is playful.
Misbaah Mansuri
There are hotels that mirror their cities and then there are those that speak to their soul. 25hours Hotel One Central belongs to the latter. Set beside the Museum of the Future, the hotel feels like a creative heartbeat threading through Dubai’s skyline. It is a place shaped by stories rather than grandeur, by curiosity rather than perfection, by warmth rather than formality.
As I walked into the bustling lobby with its vinyl records, desert-toned textures and books spilling from every corner, there was a moment when Dubai’s fast pace softened. The hotel blends Bedouin roots with contemporary edge, creating a space that feels lived in, not staged. There is a joyful imperfection in the details, a sense that you are stepping not into a hotel but into someone’s world.
This is where Dubai comes to play, create, rest and reconnect. A hotel with an analogue heart in a digital city.
Checking In
Check-in at 25hours feels more like arriving at a friend’s home. The staff is relaxed, warm and refreshing in their ease. A scent of oud drifts through the lobby, followed by the soft hum of music and the chatter of creative souls tapping away on laptops. The hotel’s motto, Come As You Are, rises gently from the atmosphere itself. Nothing here tries too hard. Everything simply belongs.
Our Large Farmstay Suite opened like a desert lullaby. Inspired by Arabian agricultural heritage, the suite blends earthy tones, raw textiles, clay-inspired ceramics and warm timber that glows in late afternoon sunlight. The aesthetic is both rustic and refined, filled with handcrafted touches that whisper of simpler rhythms.
The window commanded a sweeping view of the Museum of the Future. At night, its calligraphy shimmered like a floating scroll of light, suspended between past and possibility. By day, it stood as a reminder of Dubai’s bold hunger for reinvention.
The suite was large enough to feel like its own apartment. A woven hammock hung in the corner. Analogue books and journals were stacked beside the bed. A freestanding tub invited long, slow baths. In a city that often leans toward steel and glass, this room felt rooted in something far gentler.
The complimentary elements of the stay blended naturally into the experience, offered with the kind of warmth that feels instinctive rather than transactional.
Later, as we wandered the hotel, it became clear that 25hours was designed as a cultural playground. There were bicycles to borrow, pottery corners, a vinyl room filled with music waiting to be rediscovered and co-working spaces where strangers sat side by side, unhurried and unguarded. This was not luxury defined by distance, but luxury defined by connection.
Dining
Dinner at 25hours was a return to nostalgia. A celebration of fire, spice and the kind of food that warms the bones as much as the spirit. Tandoor Tina, known for its British Indian comfort food, offered a meal that felt both familiar and surprising.
We began with samosas that arrived crisp and golden, the shells delicate enough to crackle under the slightest pressure. Steam rose the moment they opened, carrying the scent of potatoes, cumin and coriander. Mint chutney sharpened the flavours while tamarind softened them. It was the kind of beginning that settles you into your seat a little deeper.
Next came the tandoori appetisers, blistered at the edges, smoky and tender from their time in the clay oven. The spice was balanced, the char subtle, and the yoghurt marinade left a tang that lingered pleasantly on the palate. Every bite carried a whisper of the tandoor, that old storyteller of Indian kitchens.
The butter chicken followed, and it was the kind of dish that needs no introduction. The sauce was silky, slow cooked to a soft sweetness, its tomato and cream base
folding into itself until perfectly balanced. Garlic naan arrived warm and blistered, brushed with just enough butter to glow under the lights. The meal did not rely on extravagance. It relied on honesty.
There was generosity in the portions and warmth in the service. Our server moved quietly, offering refills and suggestions as though reading a language written on our faces. More than anything, dinner felt like a reminder of how comforting simple, well cooked food can be.
Lunch at Nomad the next day unfolded with a very different tempo. Nomad is the hotel’s casual heart, a place where digital nomads, families, creatives and travellers pass through without ever feeling like guests. Sun poured through wide windows, casting a soft golden glaze on the terracotta tiles and warm timber. It was light and refreshing, a departure from the previous night’s richness. A creamy pasta with basil and garlic was comforting without being heavy.
Buttery, crisp and dusted with just enough sugar to catch the light, the almond croissant broke open to reveal a creamy almond centre that melted without resistance. Nomad’s charm lies in its unfussy approach. The food is flavourful, the atmosphere welcoming and the service easygoing. It is a space to linger rather than rush.
Experiences
The spa at 25hours is a sanctuary tucked away from the hotel’s energetic pulse. Designed with warm wood, muted lighting and a gentle hush that feels almost sacred, it invites you to shed the city’s pace at the door.
Our couple’s treatment began with a brief consultation before we were guided into a dimly lit room where soft music drifted like a slow heartbeat. The massage was unhurried, instinctive and grounded in long, sweeping strokes that loosened knots without force. Warm oil eased into the skin, coaxing out tension accumulated over busy months.
There was a moment during the treatment where everything became very still. Breath slowed, shoulders softened and the mind quieted in a way that rarely happens in everyday life.
After the massage, we were taken to a jacuzzi suite where warm water bubbled around us. The lights were low. Steam curled gently into the air. It felt like the world had stepped aside for a while, creating space for nothing but ease.
25hours calls itself a hotel for the curious and the creative, and the spa is no exception. It does not overwhelm. It simply offers comfort in its purest form.
A culture of collaboration
What sets 25hours apart is not only its design or dining but its role as a cultural amplifier in Dubai. The hotel champions local brands and creators, partnering with homegrown names like Cinema Akil, regional artists, illustrators and musicians.
Pop ups unfold across the lobby. Art installations change with the seasons. Film nights, book readings and creative gatherings take place regularly. This is not a hotel standing apart from the city. It is a hotel rooted firmly within its creative community.
Dubai is a place that thrives on ambition, yet 25hours introduces something softer. Something more intimate. A reminder that culture grows strongest in the spaces where people meet without agenda.
Final thoughts
At 25hours Hotel One Central, hospitality is defined not by extravagance but by personality. Every element from the Large Farmstay Suite with its museum view to the heartfelt dining experiences and the restorative spa ritual reflects a philosophy rooted in warmth, creativity and connection.
The hotel offers a version of Dubai that is less about spectacle and more about soul. It invites you to pause, to play, to reconnect with the parts of yourself that get lost in the rush of daily life.
It is a place where stories fold naturally into the walls. A place that celebrates collaboration and community. A place that feels lived in rather than designed.
