In the News

Balmoral Hotel Offers "JK Rowling Suite"

J.K. Rowling
Posted by: Melissa
July 20, 2008, 05:41 PM

The room in Edinburgh’s picturesque Balmoral Hotel where J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter has been renamed, with the author’s permission, the J.K. Rowling Suite, the Telegraph reports. It costs £965/night to stay there.

The suite is room number 552 in the hotel, and reps for the Balmoral say that since it was revealed on ITV’s JK Rowling: A Year in the Life documentary last December, “wealthy fans from across the world have stayed there, specifically requesting the suite.” A hotel source told the Telegraph that the 180-square-foot room is exactly the same as when JKR wrote there, including the writing desk she used “as well as the queen-size bed in which she slept.” (However, TLC can report she used the room mostly as a day office, and went home at night; she didn’t spend the whole time there, and likely didn’t spend the night in the bed at all.)

The hotel also has on display in the room is the marble bust of Hermes on which JKR wrote, “JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th jan 2007.” You can see a picture of the signature here in our galleries. The bust was originally removed from the room, but has now been replaced and sits in a glass case.

The room also now boasts a brass plaque on the front door and a brass owl instead of a door knocker.

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56 Comments

Alice

Thats really cool, but WAY to expensive!

Posted by Alice on July 20, 2008, 06:00 PM report to moderator
SilvaSanman

1st to comment! Woo! This would be awesome if it wasn’t so expensive! Oh well..

Posted by SilvaSanman on July 20, 2008, 06:03 PM report to moderator
Malik

even she cant afford a night there now!!!

Posted by Malik on July 20, 2008, 06:08 PM report to moderator
MuggleQueen

If I had enough money then I would SO stay there. But woah… £965 a night, it must be luxurious!

Posted by MuggleQueen on July 20, 2008, 06:09 PM report to moderator
Ravenclaw from Glenn

It makes so much sense to learn that she only spend days working there. I have always thought it strange that she would move away from home for a long period, away from her family who obviously mean everything to her, in order to finish the book. I much prefer knowing that she used the room for a day office and went home at night. As someone who works from home I understand the need to have the desire to “go to the office” to work. If your office is in the house, it’s difficult to separate the two sometimes. Someday when I win a lottery or something, I’ll visit Scotland – one, because I have always wanted to go and two, to stay in that room and maybe read some of The Deathly Hallows.

Posted by Ravenclaw from Glenn on July 20, 2008, 06:11 PM report to moderator
Kiwi Mc I

This is so cool, one day I’ll spend the night there

Posted by Kiwi Mc I on July 20, 2008, 06:22 PM report to moderator
Karen

How much???? Oh to be rich instead of having to buy cheap bread and baked beans.

Posted by Karen on July 20, 2008, 07:10 PM report to moderator
Hiin

They should deck it out with HP bedding and posters and a bunch of other stuff! It’d be awesome!

Posted by Hiin on July 20, 2008, 07:11 PM report to moderator
wonder

I wonder how much her old council flat is worth? Can we all chip in and buy it? We could let it for Potter pilgrimages!

Posted by wonder on July 20, 2008, 07:11 PM report to moderator
Orin

That is so great! I remember last year when we learned that she finished the book in that suite and signed a statue, how we speculated (and wished) that they will do something of that sort. But as I recall there was doubt that the hotel was going to actually turn the room into a sort of a shrine. I’m glad they changed their mind!

Posted by Orin on July 20, 2008, 07:16 PM report to moderator
Emma

Wow thats really cool! i live about 2 and a half hours from Edinburgh…but then again i doubt i’ll stay there just a tad out of my price range lol!

Posted by Emma on July 20, 2008, 07:29 PM report to moderator
C_R_W

Okay, now I understand the message to write in a hotel room where it is peaceful. hehehe! Thanks Jo…. though I may have to put that idea on hold for a while.

Posted by C_R_W on July 20, 2008, 07:42 PM report to moderator
Donna

Does anyone know how long it took her to write Deathly Hallows? Did she rent the hotel room for a year? Week? How long?

Posted by Donna on July 20, 2008, 07:44 PM report to moderator
*Ava*

I’ll be staying there one day.

Posted by *Ava* on July 20, 2008, 07:48 PM report to moderator
Selina

This is hilarious! What a way to rip people off.

Posted by Selina on July 20, 2008, 07:50 PM report to moderator
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