The owner of a new multi-million-pound hotel in a historic city centre landmark has revealed a glimpse of the "destination that celebrates true extravagance" ahead of its opening for bookings next week.
A sneak peek behind the velvet curtains of the new leisure destination gives a taste of the House of Gods Glasgow’s interior which includes hand-painted 24 karat-gold embellished de Gournay wallpaper in the lobby bar and a marble fountain crowning the rooftop bar.
It is the latest venture by founder brothers Mike and Ross Baxter, whose family are from Paisley, and whose grandfather worked for Rolls-Royce in Hillington, before they moved to Edinburgh, where their first House of Gods Hotel accommodates guests to the Old Town.
Ex-offshore engineer Ross is “systematic, organised and operational” with Mike, seen here swinging from a hoop, spending “days dreaming of opulent interiors and over-the-top experiences brings balance to the company”.
House of Gods was partially funded by a £1.1 million loan from OakNorth Bank in 2019, and a further £4.8m capital from OakNorth Bank, coupled with a £5m IMBIBA investment, has helped brothers’ expansion plans.
“We’re here to treat each and every guest like the rock star they are,” Mike said. “Creating the ultimate escape here has been our main priority. In addition to offering services like early check-in and late check-out as standard, we have worked alongside incredible artists and craftspeople to create a destination which celebrates true extravagance.”
It has been three years in the making, and it is a journey spanning an energy crisis and cost of living crunch that saw the cost of supplies also soar.
Hotel owners across the sector who were revamping and expanding their properties were faced with doubling costs for basic materials including steel and plasterboard.
It prompted House of Gods to set up its own workshop as it found ways to fit out its Merchant City premises, with this expected to act as a template for future expansion plans.
House of Gods' new venture in the former Peckham’s in Glassford Street is testament to the brothers' resilience.
Scottish strength should cheer those with the nation’s interests at heart, opined business editor Ian McConnell this week, pointing to the fact only Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded growth in private-sector employment last month.
The rise in employment in Scotland’s private-sector economy in September was the eighth consecutive monthly increase.
Air travellers are flocking back to Glasgow, and AGS Airports, the owner of Glasgow and Aberdeen's main airports, cut its pre-tax loss to £36 million last year as passenger numbers surged, new accounts examined by business correspondent Kristy Dorsey showed.
Results for AGS, which also owns Southampton Airport, show that passenger numbers rebounded from 3.5 million in 2021 to 9.2 million last year. That compares to 13.6 million travellers in 2019, putting the operator at 68% of pre-pandemic levels.
In another Herald exclusive this week, deputy business editor Scott Wright revealed plans by Chivas Brothers to further expand its “world-class” bottling site in Dumbarton, described as the “backbone” of the Scotch whisky giant’s operations in Scotland.
The distiller, which bottles prestigious brands such as Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, and Royal Salute at Kilmalid, has begun work on a comprehensive remodelling of the site that will improve safety for staff and visitors and upgrade its surrounding land, protecting access to pathways for the local community along the River Leven.
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