“Excuse me, Matt – that completes your treatment for today. I hope you enjoyed it?” Whispers Sangay, my Bhutanese spa therapist. As if I’ve just experienced my best sleep of the year, I lazily open my eyes which reveal that I am cocooned in soft, dark blue and orange sheets with a calming soundtrack and Comfort Zone aromas filling the air. Now it’s not often one would willingly admit to falling blissfully asleep during work hours, but the past 60 minutes have seen me dance along the line of consciousness, as strain and tension melt away. Begrudgingly, I leave the all-encompassing comfort of the spa bed and peer into the mirror that encourages me to ‘never stop looking good’. Regardless of my aesthetic, I’m feeling phenomenal after my massage at the hotel’s Extra Hour Spa.
Looking resplendent on the sixth floor of 25hours Hotel One Central in Dubai, the extra hour is dedicated to ‘time for you’ with guests being greeted with walls adorned with the message: ‘ready for relaxation’. The venue was groundbreaking for the hotel group when it opened its doors to the world in Dubai’s One Central neighbourhood in 2021 as the first 25hours brand spa. Not to rest on any laurels, the spa underwent a refurbishment in the first half of 2024 to refresh its look, offering a more minimalist appeal.
Treatments are split into six offerings from massage to facial as well as quick services for those who wish to drop in for an express 30-minute relaxation session. Signature treatments include the 100-Minute Bliss by 25hours that blends lava shell and bamboo techniques with Mediterranean influences alongside stretching and Swedish massage techniques. Or for expectant mothers, try the Radiant Mum-to-Be Retreat package that features a gentle exfoliation, hydrating body wrap and a customised prenatal massage, aimed at easing tension for those between 13 and 35 weeks of pregnancy. What’s more, a delicious lunch or dinner is included, too.
For something a little different, indulge in a do-it-yourself treatment. The DIY Treatment sees guests apply a luxurious scrub in the steam room and a decadent mask in the sauna, before enjoying lunch and access to one of the coolest rooftop pools in the city, replete with Dubai’s first mixed-use sauna. I decide to keep it simple, opting for a 60-minute massage.
Sangay quickly gets to work using eco-conscious Italian brand, Comfort Zone. Its products are vegan-friendly and come packaged in recycled materials that are fully CO2 compensated thanks to Ethiopian reforestation initiative, EthioTrees. Knots and tension disappeared, I’m invited to explore the relaxation areas; a lounge with plush sofas where tea and fruit-infused water is served, and a steam room and sauna is available to further enhance the zen.
Alas, my time is coming to an end and it’s time to leave. I am tempted to go all-out for my pampering session with a hair and beard trim at Akin Barber & Shop (there’s a Wassim Steve salon for the ladies) but that will have to wait for the next time. As I depart, the spa walls wave me off with a simple message: ‘feelin’ good’. I most certainly do!
