Imbiba invests in boutique hotel brand “House of Gods”...
A new hotel concept focused on the Luxury Staycation market
Imbiba has invested an undisclosed sum into BXTR Services Ltd, a hotel services company that operates the House of Gods hotel in Edinburgh, KIP Hotel in Hackney and the Baxter Hostel in Edinburgh. The investment will be used to support the expansion of the House of Gods hotel brand, a new experiential boutique hotel concept. Robert Cook, the former CEO of Mal Maison and Hotel Du Vin, joins the business as Chairman.
Founded by brothers Mike and Ross Baxter, the House of Gods hotel first opened its doors in September 2019 in Cowgate, Edinburgh. Opening on the second oldest street in Edinburgh, House of Gods is an immersive hotel, bringing a touch of luxury and extravagance to Cowgate which is fast becoming a cultural hotspot in the city. With an artistic eye for detail and design, this experiential hotel is built to immerse the customer in a world of unapologetic opulence at an affordable price point. From the cabin rooms influenced by the mystical luxury of the Orient Express, to the hotel’s stylish cocktail bar, the hotel has quickly become a popular retreat for the staycation market, with ratings of 9.2/10 on Booking.com.
The UK staycation market has been booming in recent years and was estimated to be worth £15.3bn in 2019. This trend was already expected to continue, with millennials increasingly seeking to spend more time holidaying in the UK. The current pandemic is set to increase this demand further as consumers remain nervous about travelling abroad.
Lizzie Ryan, 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.”
Mike Baxter, CEO and Co-founder said “We have been blown away by the incredible response from our guests to the launch of House of Gods in Edinburgh. House of Gods hotel is a decadent, luxurious escape - the type of experience that would usually be reserved exclusively for the worshipped. It is in the fabric of everything we do to ensure the most incredible guest stay. We are thrilled to have teamed with Imbiba to focus on the roll out of the brand. The investment will support the acquisition and development of new sites and Imbiba’s experience and guidance will prove invaluable to our continued success story.”
Robert B. Cook, Chairman of House of Gods said, “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 staying on these shores, and at unprecedented levels.”
With House of God’s 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!”
House of Gods hotel is actively seeking new properties across the UK.
For all potential opportunities, please contact kieran@imiba.com