Woods Bagot explains the design details of the 25hours Hotel One Central in Dubai, the first 25Hours Hotel outside of Europe.

What is the inspiration for the architectural and design features of the 25hours Hotel?

25hours Hotel One Central is the first 25hrs Hotel outside Europe, providing a distinctive guest experience.

Stories of Dubai, its past, present and future, are interwoven, evoking emotions for guests at every corner. 25hours One Central Dubai is layered with the experience of celebration, when the satisfaction of normality wains, the thrill of a new adventurous call. The property brings a sense of belonging to a community. It is not just a place to stay for a night or have lunch; it is a place where you love to be, to work, mingle around and feel that you belong.

Can you tell us what are distinct features of the 25hours Hotel?

Design of the ancient Nomads and Bedouins weave their tales into the modern days where the local heroes meet the world travellers. From the drop-off and entrance area to the double-volume space of the Lobby with impressive ceiling art, filled with antiques and intricate items from local markets, it is a place where we all modern nomads are on our journey. Creative break-out areas provide unique spaces to enjoy the environment, meet, work, type a letter to loved ones or take a journey in time discovering gems of the analogue world.

The Woods Bagot team collaborated closely with 25hours Hotel CEO Christoff Hoffman and the client’s creative team, the Extra Hour Lab, on the design storytelling of the ancient Nomads and Bedouins; weaving their tales into the modern-day where local heroes meet world travellers.

Can you tell us what is the sort of atmosphere and vibe a 25hours Hotel would like to portray to their customers?

The design of 25hours Hotel One Central Dubai brings with it an unusual and intriguing story. It is layered with the celebration of experiences, and the main question for guests is how much you want to know and how much you want to explore. This is a place with stories of the past and the present, which aim to form connections with guests so that they think of their experiences long after they’ve left.  

There is plenty to explore and to be occupied during a stay. The message is ‘Grab your steering wheel, hold on and immerse yourself as much as you can…’ 

What is the unique value proposition that you offer to your customers?

Guest experience lies at the heart of this design, with every space – from lift to room to restaurant – considering how guests might interact with their surroundings. Each element of the design has been carefully curated to make this property truly multi-dimensional – a living room, a party paradise, a romantic getaway or simply the go-to destination for creative business meetings and co-working.

Does having the Museum of The Future and DWTC close by help make the hotel a strategic location?

One of the challenges was figuring out how to incorporate the story of the 25hours Hotel into the low-rise clean-lined building that is part of DWTC’s One Central Development. The structure also overlooks the Museum of the Future, a landmark structure that had to be considered both internally and externally. The team was able to make this hotel a special and wondrous place for all to explore thanks to a successful collaboration with the client and Hopkins Architects.

Tell us a bit about the restaurants and bars in the hotel and how it offers a unique offering. Recommended dishes and drinks that a guest should have in Ernst and Tandoor Tina?

Guests at 25hours One central can experience five different dining venues, each of them with its character and whimsical elements: 

2 restaurants – Tandoor Tina & Ernst Biergarten

3 Bars – Nomad Bar, Monkey Bar & Shisha 

Tandoor Tina was inspired by a journey through India with a Western twist, contrasting authenticity and modernity at the same time. It is reviving exotic smells, colours and tastes with a carefree feel. Layered with warm lights, pastel hues, wicker textures and checkered whitewashed patterns to wooden floors alluding to the contemporary Indian flavours. Adjacent to the main dining area is a secluded tropical garden with lush greenery located in the courtyard of the main building. This a dreamer garden where you can have your cocktail in hand, and a sharing plate within fingertip reach.

Recommended dishes from our team: favourites are okra chips served with grape and mint chutney and spicy mango salad as starters followed by butter chicken and to finish with a signature dessert coconut kheer served with fresh mango sorbet, rose and pistachios. When time allows, have a chai served in a co-branded cup from a customised chai tea cart. 

Ernst Biergarten – a traditional and cherishing Bavarian Wirsthouse with German beers on draught. 

Deep green walls are filled with vintage metal and wooden tools, musical instruments and arts combined with solid carved wooden furniture to echo the European nation’s famous breweries.

In the centre of the ceiling is a large maypole painted in traditional Bavarian colours with the decoration of graphically vivid garlands.  

Guests can keep their personalised steins in lockers.

It features live music, and quiz nights and allows people to watch matches from all around the world on multiple screens. 

Ernst has a private dining room with an eclectic and authentic collection of furniture, accessories and artworks for up to 20 true Bavarian lovers. 

Recommended dishes from our team: Recommend starting with an Obatzda, creamy cheese dip with a sprinkling of onion served with a warm buttery pretzel. Any traditional German main dish will satisfy meat lovers. Finish with a truly special apple strudel with ice cream. 

There is also a co-working space or quiet area for people to do their work – is this restricted to only the guests at the hotel or can non-guests use that space? Do you see this as a future trend for most hotel properties in Dubai?

As modern nomads, the guests and non-guests are invited to come as they are and use a large, beautiful rosewood feature table to meet, connect and work at ground level beside a double volume library shelf or grab a book.

At the gallery on level one, there is a flexible co-working space, a perfect setting for creative thinkers, productive discussion, or a simple chat with a friend. It has high-speed internet and flexible groups of seating, so it has become a space for ‘work from anywhere. This creates a nice neighbourly feel with a lot of fun which fits perfectly in a resilient and adaptable fast-changing world. 

Tourism has had a massive comeback to Dubai – how do you see this translating to bigger growth in the hospitality sector in 2023?

We see a focus on digital and experiential tourism as well as on a sustainable pace of tourism growth. 

It is becoming easier to live and work from anywhere. This can impact booking patterns, with longer stays and less number of trips during a year. 

Aside from traditional hotels, there is a hybrid hotel style with a number of services and branded residences. They become very attractive for families and people who are looking to stay longer.