UK: Edinburgh based boutique brand House of Gods has secured investment in order to expand its brand.
The investment was funded by specialist leisure and hospitality investor Imbiba.
The hotel concept was developed by BXTR Services, who also own Baxter Hostel in Edinburgh and KIP Hotel in Hackney. Opened by brothers Mike and Ross Baxter in 2019, House of Gods is designed to immerse visitors in a sense of unapologetic extravagance, themed after the orient express.
Mike said to The Caterer: “We wanted to create a boutique brand that’s luxurious and decadent. I always see hotels as a fantasy – you might not decorate your house in that way but you can go as wild as you want for two days.
“We wanted to create something that’s really magical and reminiscent of staying at a heritage hotel, but at a price point that is affordable. With that in mind, we came up with House of Gods.”
The pair are currently seeking potential sites in Manchester, Cambridge, Brighton, Glasgow and other cities.
The investment also brings Robert Cook, former chief executive of Malmaison and Hotel du Vin and current head of TGI Friday’s, to join the board as non-executive chairman. In a statement, he praised the company’s creativity and predicted a strong future for the business due to a potential boom in staycations.
Speaking on behalf of Imbiba, director Rachel Cook said: “With a luxury offering at a democratic price point, we believe that House of Gods satisfies a gap in the UK hotel market. House of Gods focuses on quality and experience, while maintaining a low fixed cost model, making the proposition incredibly scalable.”
Though the global pandemic has slowed the industry, many businesses are continuing to expand. The Oberoi Group set their European debut in Mayfair for 2022, while plans are underway for 4C Hotels to build a new property in Victoria.
