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Ever wondered what it’s like to party like a rock star? Edinburgh’s House of Gods hotel might just give you a glimpse. This Orient-Express-inspired hotel along Cowgate comes with Hollywood-style perks, and an unlimited supply of cocktails. It’s a place where Guns’N’Roses would’ve gone wild. Where Madonna would pose on a four-post bed. Where romantic stays are racy, and where hen-dos and stag nights indulge into the night.
Why stay at The House of Gods?
Think of this hotel as a cross between a vintage luxury train and a lavish, modern cocktail bar, just around the corner from the Royal Mile. The property is small, but alluring with dark corners and dim lights, and the decor toes the line between godly and gaudy with thick, patterned fabrics, gold accents and velvet-fringed lamp shades. It’s completely extra, over-the-top and and a hell of a lot of fun.
What are the rooms like at The House of Gods?
Wooden panels and deep red fabric wrap around the walls of the property and its 22 rooms. They’re quite small compared to the average hotel, but they’re packed with personality and one of the most comfortable beds you’ll ever sleep (or not sleep) in. When you’re lounging, the mirror directly across the bed turns into a TV, and a light switch near the headrest illuminates the four-post bed to a light-district red.
The entire bathroom is made of faux-marble, white and grey, bright and fabulous – with excellent water pressure, and while many rooms don’t have real windows, they do have mock-ups with warm-tinted lighting that helps wake you up in the morning. As for suites, there’s only one, and it comes with a giant, golden bathtub.
What are the best things to eat at The House of Gods?
The only hiccup of this hotel brand’s first location is that there’s no restaurant. Breakfast baskets filled with croissants, granola, biscuits, tea, juice and coffee can be delivered to your room, but you’re better off sticking with the cocktails here, and food elsewhere. Instead, hit up Salt Horse, a nearby burger joint and craft beer bar that’s mouthwatering and less than five minutes away. As for coffee, pick up a latte (and perhaps a new record) at Slow Progress Records.
What are the best things to drink?
Food might not be the forte at this hotel, but drinks certainly are. You can find some one-of-a-kind concoctions at the House of Gods’ cocktail lounge – decked in sultry red with cushioned booths, jaguar-shaped lamps and a giant disco ball hung high. The menu is more of a magazine, with each spread explaining a cocktail inspired by a celebrity. As the tequila whore that I am, I go with the Exploding Drum – tequila blanco, passion fruit, citrus and orgreat syrup – inspired by The Who drummer, Keith Moon. It's a little sweet, but the tang of the passion fruit (and ABV) make up for it.
What are the facilities like at The House of Gods?
Aside from the bar, there are no facilities on the property, but when you have Edinburgh’s Old Town and city centre at your feet, it’s not much of a problem. What the hotel DOES have is a hefty range of perk packages that spoil you to no end. Opt for the ‘Treat Me Like I’m Famous’ package for the full treatment – it comes at a price (around £120), sure, but in return, you get two welcome glasses of Prosecco, welcome balloons and petals, a box of chocolates, the hotel’s exclusive Millionaires cocktail shaken and served in your room, more prosecco, a £40 bar tab, a breakfast basket with mimosas, late check-out, and – saving the best and most unique for last – a silver tray of a midnight milk-and-cookies feast delivered to your door before bed. And when we say before bed, we mean anytime before 2am. In our books, that’s well worth it.
What is the service like at The House of Gods?
Now, what the hotel lacks in food and facilities, it well makes up for in service. Staff are incredibly friendly, and are happy to give you any recommendations. Best part? The hotel uses WhatsApp for easy, instant communication at any time throughout your stay.
What’s the area like around The House of Gods?
Step outside the hotel and you’re four minutes away from the Royal Mile, the National Museum of Scotland and Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery, famous for graves that inspired character names in Harry Potter. But beside the typical tourist stops, Cowgate, the road where the hotel stands, is a little grungy, but it’s also a sensational little strip for live music. You’re right next door to Stramash, a two-floor sports and music venue built within a former church that plays everything from punk rock to Latin soul to Scottish ceilidh music – though you’d never know with its impeccable soundproofing. There’s also Bannerman’s Bar, a pub and stage for rock and whiskey; The Caves, a unique, historical and intimate music and comedy venue in the sub-structure of the 18th-century-built South Bridge, and The Jazz Bar, cool and classy, within a basement on Chambers Street, just around the corner.
Why you should book a stay at The House of Gods?
If you fancy a stay that’s fun, flirtatious and out-of-the-ordinary, the House of Gods delivers. It’s cheeky. It’s imaginative. It’s comfortable, It’s a naughty good time.
DETAILS
Price: Rooms from £135
Address: 233 Cowgate, Old Town, EH1 1JQ, Edinburgh
Closest transport: Edinburgh Waverly Station is around a 10-minute walk.