It can feel like Edinburgh is overflowing with hotels but one claim to be like nowhere else you have stayed.
House of Gods Hotel is the luxury hotel in the Cowgate. Although the building looks to be on the modern side, surrounded by the Old Town's tenements and features, inside takes you away from the bustling city and into your own boujee bubble.
My experience of hotels is very basic, so apart from a bottle of prosecco, I questioned how different this one would be. I was just expecting a couple of glasses of fizz and then a few hours at the bar to use the £50 tab. But House of Gods insists they are 'more of an experience than a hotel' - and an experience, it was.
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As a gift, we were treated to the House of Gods Treat Me Like I'm Famous package, which is priced at £99. The hotel offers a number of packages that includes drinks, food and a bar tab.
Check-in time is a standard 3pm, so my partner and I arrived at a respectable 4.30pm. My eyes had to adjust quickly as we walked into the main entrance. Edinburgh was soaking up some winter sun but it seems that no matter what time of the day it is, House of Gods never has a big light on. The reception and bar area is lit by lamps and the dark red (I think - it was so dark I couldn't see) interior instantly sets a mood.
The reception kindly checked us in, and informed us that the package included an indulgent experience. Along with a rose petal covered bed, we had a bottle of prosecco waiting for us in the room, a box of chocolates, a £50 cocktail bar tab, and the receptionist ordered us a 20'' Civerinos pizza to be delivered to our room. Along with that, the Treat Me Like I'm Famous package also offers a 'midnight snack' of milk and cookies and breakfast.
We were shown a breakfast bagel menu from Bross Bagels but in the dark reception, me and my boyfriend both huddled round the small lamp to read it. But hey, we are in an energy crisis after all.
As we got escorted to our room, I quickly decided that I wouldn't be leaving the room due to the fear I'd get lost. The corridors were darker than the reception and the stairs felt like they were winding and turning in all directions. But I did spot the details on the wall and doors.
As I said, this is not your average hotel. Each door was covered in plush fabric, like a cushion, and between each door it looked like there were dark red curtains, a nod at what to expect in the room.
We had the cabin room, which is one of the smaller ones but it was cosy and lit with lamps around the room - so once again, no big light - but that wasn't a problem because it felt expensive, making me feel very fancy. I usually stay in budget hotels, shop around for the cheapest bottle of washing up liquid, and refuse to pay for anything if I know I can get it cheaper. So this was something special.
Pouring glasses of prosecco, I was stunned to discover that the smart TV was in the mirror, perfectly framed by the curtains on the four poster bed. I had never seen that before and I now think that every bedroom should have that. Why would we want to move from that spot? For one night only, I truly felt like I was living the life of luxury.
A massive pizza and strong cocktails were delivered by friendly staff - all we had to do was message. Apparently phoning down to reception is old fashioned, in House of Gods, you WhatsApp them. As for the cocktails, my favourite was the espresso martini. It's my go to cocktail on nights out but this one was different. It looked like an espresso martini but it was the first one that I felt like I could taste every ingredient. Perfection.
With overnight stays in the cabin room coming in at £204 a night (prices can change depending on dates), I wasn't surprised to see how spotless the room was. Not a speck of dust or crease in sight. There was also a mini bar, bottles of gin and whisky on display, and the shower room gleamed.
We didn't end up requesting the midnight snack, the pizza was filling enough, but in the softest bed that felt like a cloud, I had the deepest sleep.
In the morning, however that's when a couple of little snags appeared. With a check-out time of 11am, the breakfast didn't arrive. A quick Whatsapp message to reception confirmed that there had been a mistake with the order and it hadn't gone through in the evening before. My partner was looking forward to the breakfast bagel but the receptionist did offer to extend our check-out time to get something sorted, so they were accommodating enough.
And as I packed my bag, I found myself switching the torch on my phone so that I could see the room properly. There were a lot of light switches on the wall, each connected to a lamp or little light on the wall, but with no big light, I spent about 10 minutes looking for a sock before resorting to my torch.
Overall, this hotel is indeed a treat and an experience worth having if it's something you don't tend to go for. I'm glad we checked in when we did because if you want to stay in House of Gods, then you should stay there for as long as you can and make the most of it. Just remember to take a torch.
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