Owner of boutique Edinburgh hotel House of Gods secures investment for expansion

The owner of boutique Edinburgh hotel House of Gods has secured investment from Imbiba to expand the brand.

BXTR Services, which also owns KIP hotel in London's Hackney and the Baxter hostel in Edinburgh, was founded by brothers Mike and Ross Baxter in 2014. The investment will allow it to take on new sites for the experiential House of Gods concept, which opened its first site in Edinburgh’s Cowgate in September 2019.

The 22-bedroom hotel was designed to immerse the guest in a world of "unapologetic extravagance" at an affordable price point. Accommodation is inspired by the Orient Express, with three room types offered.

Mike told 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 brothers are now actively looking for sites in locations including Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton, Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge and Liverpool.

The investment will also see Robert Cook, former chief executive of Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin, join the board as non-executive chairman. Cook has confirmed the appointment will not impact his role as chief executive of TGI Fridays.

Lizzie Ryan, a director at Imbiba, 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. With the demand for staycations set to increase, we believe House of Gods is well positioned to be part of this growth story.”

Cook added: “After a hugely successful entry into the hospitality space in Edinburgh last year and the first ‘truly’ unique hotel proposition in three decades to launch in the UK, this is a perfect time to launch the House of Gods rollout. As we enter the dawn of the ‘new norm’, it is widely believed that travel demand will be centred around, and at unprecedented levels, staying on these shores.

“With House of Gods unique design, and striking point of difference, thoughtful space creativity, and above all obsession to all detail, we believe it will become a real ‘go-to’ brand for all to escape!”