When the Spanish artist Domingo Zapata — known for his colourful neo-expressionist paintings — came to Dubai for the first time in 2023, he booked a week-long stay at the hip urban retreat 25hours Hotel One Central, and liked it so much that he extended his stay for a month during which time he redecorated the Artist Village Suite, plastering the walls in his signature pop art illustrations, and has now made the hotel’s impressive Hakawati Suite his permanent residency while staying in the UAE.
A unique bolthole in the heart of Downtown Dubai that sets itself apart from the glossy five-star properties that have become the city’s — and the region’s — signature aesthetic, Zapata isn’t the only one who finds the hotel, and all of its quirky creative touches, inspiring. Often filled with Dubai’s artsy and media types who choose to work remotely in the co-working spaces, or to gather for drinks at the Berlin-born Monkey Bar that boasts epic views of Museum of the Future, the hotel has quietly become a hub for those seeking something a little out of the ordinary. It plays host to cool community initiatives like FAM Middle East, founded by Dubai-based Tamila Kochkarova, that serves to support local businesses.
The hotel has also partnered with independent movie theatre Cinema Akil, founded by Emirati tastemaker Butheina Kazim, by opening a boutique cinema in-house that showcases arthouse films from around the world. Its monthly Vinyl Souk event has become increasingly popular for its ultra-cool marketplace, where trading records and cassettes attract a mixed crowd of creatives and tourists alike.
For guests staying at the hotel there are unique conceptual initiatives designed to elevate the experience such as the ‘Analogue Upgrade’, where a large trunk packed full with vinyl records, original typewriter, Polaroid camera and VHS video player is delivered to the room to encourage time away from today’s all-consuming digital tech, which will appeal to cool kids with an eye for vintage. On the first floor, Analogue Circus, a partnership with Supersense, houses 500-plus vinyls and a Walkman station where you can plug in and tune out by listening to retro records.
Other out-of-the-ordinary elements include a games room, over 10,000 books scattered and pottery studio, all available to further inspire, and there is even the opportunity to trade personal items in exchange for a stay.
Located at the heart of what is considered Dubai’s urban centre, the hotel is the ideal base from which to explore if time is tight, with the option of jumping on a complimentary Schindelhauer Bike for a cycle around the local area, canal pathways and nearby parks.
Even the rooms have been given the very same attention-to-detail, each with a unique theme, from Bedouin and Glamping Rooms to a spacious Farmstay Suite, all finished with eccentric accents, state-the-of-art Kreafunk Bluetooth Speakers contrasted against vintage-style analogue phones and unexpected accessories like a hammock. A veritable mish-mash of the old and the new, in location, technology and style of hospitality, 25hours Hotel One Central is anything but another luxury Dubai hotel.